5.9 School and university — Epoché
What you will be able to do Talk about school in Germany: the Grundschule , the Gymnasium , the Abitur , grades and reports. Name school subjects and the things in a classroom. Talk about university: Studium, Vorlesung, Seminar, Hausarbeit, Semester, Abschluss . Avoid the false friends of education: Gymnasium is not a gym, studieren is not study in every sense, and the best grade is a Eins . Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Letztes Semester hatte ich ein gutes Zeugnis. [1] I had a good report last term. Ich kann das Jahr nicht wiederholen. Ich muss die Prüfung bestehen. [2] I cannot repeat the year. I must pass the exam. Eine Fremdsprache zu lernen, ist schwierig. [3] Learning a foreign language is difficult. Hast du einen Kuli oder einen Bleistift? [4] Do you have a pen or a pencil? Ich denke, wir sollten eine Pause machen. [5] I think we should take a break. An meiner Schule wurde nur Französisch als Fremdsprache unterrichtet. [6] French was the only foreign language that they taught at my school. Ich kann diese Prüfung nicht bestehen. Sie ist sehr schwierig. [7] I cannot pass this exam. It's very difficult. Physik und Mathe mag ich, nicht aber Biologie und Erdkunde. [8] I love physics and math, but not biology and geography. Prerequisites : 5.8 — you need the work vocabulary from 5.8 Vocabulary , and the school words Schule, Lehrer, Schüler, Unterricht from 4.5 Cases , 4.10 Cases and 4.9 Cases . German education is organised differently from the British or American systems, and its vocabulary reflects that. Children go to a Grundschule for four years and are then sorted into different kinds of secondary school, of which the Gymnasium leads to the Abitur , the exam that qualifies for university. Grades run from 1, the best, to 6, the worst. At university, students attend lectures and seminars and write term papers; tuition at public universities is generally free. This lesson gives you the words for all of it. Word list Fifty-five words in four groups. At school Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes die Grundschule（-n） de primary school, elementary school Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Literally ground school ; usually four years. Bist du noch in der Grundschule? [9] Are you still in elementary school? das Gymnasium（Gymnasien） de academic secondary school Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs A false friend: not a gym, which is Turnhalle or Fitnessstudio . Auf welchem Gymnasium bist du? [10] What secondary school do you go to? das Abitur de school-leaving exam qualifying for university Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Roughly A-levels or a high-school diploma; colloquially Abi . Ich habe noch kein Abitur. [11] I haven't graduated from high school yet. die Klasse（-n） de class; school year, grade; classroom Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs in der achten Klasse is in eighth grade ; also colloquial great . Ich bin in der achten Klasse. [12] I'm in the eighth grade. das Klassenzimmer（-） de classroom Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Literally class room . Im Klassenzimmer ist keiner. [13] There's nobody in the classroom. die Schülerin（-nen） de pupil, schoolgirl Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs School students are Schüler ; university students are Studenten . Ich bin Schülerin. [14] I'm a school pupil. die Lehrerin（-nen） de teacher (a woman) Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs The feminine of Lehrer . Ich bin Lehrerin. [15] I am a teacher. der Direktor（-en） de head teacher, principal; director Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Stress on the second syllable in the singular, Direktor , and on -to- in the plural, Direktoren . Ich beschwere mich beim Direktor. [16] I am complaining to the principal. das Fach（¨-er） de subject; compartment Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs A school subject; vom Fach means an expert . Welches Fach bevorzugst du? [17] Which subject do you prefer? der Stundenplan（¨-e） de school timetable Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Literally lesson plan ; a travel timetable is Fahrplan . Der neue Stundenplan ist ein Horror! [18] The new timetable is a nightmare. die Note（-n） de grade, mark; musical note Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Grades run from 1, the best, to 6. Meine Note liegt über dem Durchschnitt. [19] My grade is above the average. das Zeugnis（-se） de school report; certificate; reference Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Also an employer's written reference. Letztes Trimester hatte ich ein gutes Zeugnis. [20] I had a good report last term. die Prüfung（-en） de exam, test Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs A formal exam; you bestehen it or fallen durch . Wie lief die Prüfung? [21] How did your test go? der Test（-s） de test Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Less formal than Prüfung . Der Test war einfach. [22] The test was easy. die Hausaufgabe（-n） de homework Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Countable, and usually plural: Hausaufgaben machen . Hilf mir bei meiner Hausaufgabe. [23] Help me with my homework. das Heft（-e） de exercise book; issue of a magazine Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs A thin notebook; a magazine issue too. Warum zeichnest du in deinem Heft? [24] Why are you drawing in your notebook? der Bleistift（-e） de pencil Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Literally lead pin . Der Bleistift ist stumpf. [25] The pencil is blunt. der Kugelschreiber（-） de ballpoint pen Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Literally ball writer ; colloquially Kuli . Was kostet dieser Kugelschreiber? [26] How much does this ballpoint pen cost? die Tafel（-n） de blackboard; bar of c