Years 3 to 4
Languages
ASLANGERF10Y34
Years 3 to 4 German Achievement Standard
9 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 4, students use German language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal worlds. They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning. They locate and respond to key items of information in texts using strategies to help interpret and convey meaning in familiar contexts. They use modelled language and basic syntax to create texts.
Students imitate sound combinations and rhythms of spoken German. They demonstrate understanding that German has non-verbal, spoken and written language conventions and rules to create and make meaning. They recognise that some terms have cultural meanings. They identify patterns in German and make comparisons between German and English. They understand that the German language is connected with culture, and identify how this is reflected in their own language(s) and culture(s).
Foundation to Year 10 sequence
The 9 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 4, students use German language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal worlds.
Content descriptorAC9LG4C01 Communicating meaning in German
initiate exchanges and respond to modelled questions about self, others, and classroom environment, using formulaic expressions
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration communicating with peers and the teacher using formal and informal simple greetings and formulaic expressions, for example, Wie geht's? Wie geht es Ihnen?
- Elaboration exchanging information in modelled written or spoken form about their family, hometown, pets and activities, for example, Hast du Geschwister? Ich habe einen Bruder und zwei Schwestern. Hast du ein Haustier? Wir haben einen Hund und vier Vögel. Wo wohnst du? Ich wohne in ... Was sind deine Hobbys? Ich mag ...
- Elaboration using German expressions to support interaction with peers and the teacher, for example, Ich verstehe; Ich weiß nicht; langsamer bitte; nochmal bitte
- Elaboration asking and responding to questions relating to a learning activity or lesson, for example, Wie bitte? Ich verstehe das nicht. Welche Seite? Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch? Bist du fertig? Wer ist dran? Ich bin dran.
- Elaboration using modelled sentences to communicate about self in descriptive language, for example, Ich habe eine Katze. Sie ist braun und frisst Fleisch.
- Elaboration using common responses to frequently asked questions imitating modelled intonation and stress patterns, for example, Wie geht’s? Gut, danke. Stimmt das? Ja, das stimmt.
- Elaboration commenting constructively on own and others’ learning, for example, Super! Tolle Arbeit! Gut gemacht! Danke
- Elaboration apologising, making polite requests, including attracting attention and asking for assistance and permission, for example, Entschuldigung, Frau Lenz! Hilfe bitte! Darf ich bitte auf die Toilette gehen?
- Elaboration asking and answering questions relating to concepts such as time, number, days of the week, months and seasons, for example, Wann spielst du Basketball? Am Montag. Wer hat im August Geburtstag? Welche Hobbys hast du? Wann ist es kalt in Deutschland? Im Dezember, im Winter
They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning.
Content descriptorAC9LG4C02 Communicating meaning in German
participate in activities that involve planning with others, using a range of familiar phrases and modelled structures
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration participating in real or simulated situations such as choosing a present for a friend or role-playing a visit to a doctor’s office, for example, Lara mag Puppen. Was kostet die Puppe? Was ist los? Mein Bein tut weh.
- Elaboration collaborating with peers to prepare an item to perform for an audience, for example, a song in German language or a modified fairytale play
- Elaboration making matching card or digital games to play with peers, using German and English words or images, for example, days of the week, months, seasons or vocabulary associated with weather
- Elaboration following procedures and instructions with peers, guided by the teacher, for example, how to create a Hampelmann or Lebkuchenhaus
- Elaboration collaborating to create a shared text in German, for example, a digital photo story after a class activity or event such as a visit to a German restaurant
- Elaboration interacting with others to produce classroom signs, for example, Bitte mach die Tür zu! Hier sind die Scheren/Klebestifte/Stifte!
- Elaboration planning and negotiating with peers to organise a class celebration such as a traditional festival from a German-speaking country or region or an end of term class party, Wer bringt was mit? Ich bringe ... mit.
They locate and respond to key items of information in texts using strategies to help interpret and convey meaning in familiar contexts.
Content descriptorAC9LG4C03 Communicating meaning in German
locate and respond to key information related to familiar content obtained from spoken, written and multimodal texts
Elaborations (10)
- Elaboration identifying points of information in short spoken texts with some unfamiliar language, for example, the name and number on a recorded phone message, the age of a child interviewed, some items on a recorded shopping list
- Elaboration constructing a timeline of the main events of a story using pictures, words and/or simple sentences
- Elaboration responding to an informative or imaginative text in various ways, such as describing what emotions they feel listening to a story or song, for example, Das macht mich glücklich/traurig/nervös.
- Elaboration learning that First Nations Australian languages change according to connections and relationships between people, and giving examples of how this occurs in German
- Elaboration collecting information from informative texts and creating a display with names and appropriate adjectives, for example, about different animal species, Der Löwe ist mutig und stark, Das Känguru ist schnell.
- Elaboration viewing or listening to texts related to aspects of school life, such as timetables, canteen menus, extracurricular activities and sports, and comparing information about activities and practices across cultures
- Elaboration locating information about a person or character from a written or spoken text, to use in a modelled format such as a Steckbrief
- Elaboration working in groups to obtain and use factual information from texts related to other learning areas, for example, completing a simple science experiment, naming countries and significant land features, or calculating distances/speeds from a sport lesson
- Elaboration finding examples of German used at home or in the community and creating a class collection or display, for example, products, labels or words used in English language advertisements, shop signs, recipe books or menus
- Elaboration working with information to create a graph, for example, Lieblingstiere, Lieblingssport, Lieblingsserie, Lieblingsmusik
Content descriptorAC9LG4C04 Communicating meaning in German
develop strategies to comprehend and adjust German language in familiar contexts to convey cultural meaning
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration recognising that there are similarities and differences between German and English ways of showing politeness or formality, for example, the use of family names after Frau and Herr, responding to danke schön with bitte schön, using Sie in an appropriate context
- Elaboration reading simple translations in German and English, noticing similarities, differences and challenges
- Elaboration recognising that there are different and/or multiple words that communicate ideas across cultures, for example, Karneval, Fasching, Fastnacht, das Christkind, der Weihnachtsmann
- Elaboration matching parallel expressions such as Hi/Tag, morning tea/Kaffeepause and Bless you/Gesundheit
- Elaboration using cultural gestures in familiar contexts, for example, counting starting with your thumb
- Elaboration discovering how their own language use influences expectations about German language use, for example, wanting to use one word for ‘you’, and not expecting to capitalise all nouns
They use modelled language and basic syntax to create texts.
Content descriptorAC9LG4C05 Communicating meaning in German
create and present informative and imaginative spoken, written and multimodal texts using formulaic expressions, simple phrases and sentences and modelled textual conventions
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration creating and illustrating short imaginative or informative texts, such as using secure digital tools to produce Mein Traumhaus, and annotating the presentation, for example, Mein Schloss ist sehr alt, groβ und schön. Es ist rosa und lila
- Elaboration sharing an item (Schultüte, Zuckertüte, etc.), relating to German-speaking communities’ language and culture through the school newsletter, at a school assembly or in a library display, or displaying links to digitally-produced student items such as movies or photo-text collages
- Elaboration designing simple written and multimodal correspondence such as invitations or greeting cards in print or digital form, incorporating formulaic expressions, simple phrases and sentences, and modelled textual conventions, for example, an invitation to Grandparents’ Day at school
- Elaboration creating simple descriptions in German and matching them to appropriate First Nations Country/Place locations in their local area or elsewhere in Australia
- Elaboration producing and presenting illustrated or multimodal texts using a modelled structure, for example, an acrostic poem based on their first name or Elfchen (an 11-word poem) about a family member or pet
- Elaboration using modelled structures and picture prompts to retell the basic plot of a narrative, or making simple summary statements, for example, Der König und die Königin sind im Schloss.
- Elaboration creating and presenting a performance using modelled German language, for example, a puppet play involving die Maus from Die Sendung mit der Maus meeting a current Australian fictional character or an Igel meeting an echidna
- Elaboration acting out a text with a repetitive plot and/or dialogue, and adapting aspects of the story, for example, Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt or another well-known story from German-speaking countries or regions’ culture
Students imitate sound combinations and rhythms of spoken German.
Content descriptorAC9LG4U01 Understanding language and culture
recognise and use modelled combinations of sounds, pronunciation and intonation patterns of German to form words and phrases
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration recognising and using the Umlaut and Eszett to pronounce and write familiar German words, including differences in pronunciation of words with and without an Umlaut such as der Bruder, die Brüder
- Elaboration developing pronunciation, phrasing and intonation skills by singing, reciting poetry or reading a short text aloud
- Elaboration understanding and practising sounds in German words that are different from English sounds, for example, Wasser, where w sounds like an English v and Vater where v sounds like an English f and words such as ja, rot, singen, Sport, zwei
- Elaboration understanding that intonation patterns create different meanings, as in the distinction between statements, questions and exclamations, for example, Du bist acht. Du bist acht? Du bist acht!
- Elaboration identifying differences in regional accents and dialects to begin understanding language variation across German-speaking communities, for example, in everyday greetings
- Elaboration comparing the rhythms and vocal effects in German and English versions of a favourite story such as Rotkäppchen or in a game such as Wie spät ist es Herr Wolf?
- Elaboration applying learnt memory aids such as ‘when E and I go walking, the second one does the talking’, for example Reise, Riese
They demonstrate understanding that German has non-verbal, spoken and written language conventions and rules to create and make meaning.
Content descriptorAC9LG4U02 Understanding language and culture
recognise German language conventions, grammatical structures and basic syntax in familiar texts and contexts
Elaborations (15)
- Elaboration using phonic knowledge to spell and write some unfamiliar words containing, for example, ch, r, th, u and z and consonant clusters such as sch
- Elaboration applying spelling rules for high-frequency words and punctuation in modelled writing activities, for example, full stops, exclamation marks and question marks
- Elaboration comparing pluralisation of nouns in German and English, for example, der Apfel/die Äpfel, and gaining an awareness of terms referring to quantities such as mehr, viel/e, nichts and kein/e
- Elaboration recognising that indefinite/definite articles and possessive adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they precede, der Bruder, ein Bruder, mein Bruder dein Bruder
- Elaboration applying capitalisation when writing nouns
- Elaboration understanding and using pronouns to refer to people, for example, ich, du, er, sie (singular); wir, ihr, sie (plural); Sie heißt Anna. Sie heißen Ben und Sarah.
- Elaboration using gern/nicht gern in modelled sentences to express likes, dislikes and preferences, for example, Ich spiele gern Fußball, Ich esse nicht gern Erbsen
- Elaboration locating events in time such as days, months and seasons, for example, Er spielt am Freitag Basketball. Ich spiele im Winter Fußball.
- Elaboration recognising ordinal numbers for the date, for example, Heute ist der dritte Juli, Er hat am 7. August Geburtstag and noticing differences in punctuation
- Elaboration using the correct verb form associated with a noun or pronoun, for example, Ich singe gern. Singst du gern? Die Lehrerin singt ein Lied. Mein Freund und ich sprechen Englisch.
- Elaboration using present tense forms of irregular verbs such as haben and sein, and recognising similarities to the English verbs ‘to have’ and ‘to be’
- Elaboration joining words, phrases and sentences using und, oder and aber and using common time phrases, for example, heute, dann and zuerst
- Elaboration understanding and formulating questions using subject+verb inversion, for example, Magst du Sport?
- Elaboration understanding an increasing range of question words, for example, woher, welcher and wie viel
- Elaboration understanding the location or origin of a person or object using isolated prepositions such as auf, aus, hinter, in, neben and unter
They recognise that some terms have cultural meanings.
Content descriptorAC9LG4U04 Understanding language and culture
identify connections between German language and cultural practices
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration recognising that language carries cultural ideas, for example, Sommerbeginn, which is officially 1 December in Australia but 21/22 June in Europe; hitzefrei, ‘heat-free’, referring to the practice of dismissing students early from school if a certain temperature is reached or forecast
- Elaboration exploring cultural practices and language related to foods in German-speaking countries, for example, Abendbrot and Spaghettieis
- Elaboration identifying ways in which German language and culture, for example, types of food such as Sauerkraut, types of sausage, Gummibärchen, influence the lives of Australians
- Elaboration exploring representations of information used in cultural expressions of First Nations Australians and making connections with those of German language and culture, for example, discovering different regional words used by First Nations groups to identify themselves, such as Zenadth Kes, Koori, Koorie, Noongar and Nunga, and finding out if similar identification occurs in German-speaking cultural groups
- Elaboration recognising that politeness and formality may be communicated differently in German-speaking communities, for example, the use of Frau/Herr Schmidt and the use of du/Sie
- Elaboration recognising that German is an official language of multiple countries and regions, including the ‘DACHL’ countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein), Belgium, Luxembourg and South Tyrol, and identifying their locations on a world map
- Elaboration learning about the school system in German-speaking countries where the Grundschule is generally for Year Levels 1 to 4
- Elaboration recognising character traits and values and comparing them with familiar stories in English, for example, the wolf in Rotkäppchen
They identify patterns in German and make comparisons between German and English.
Content descriptorAC9LG4U03 Understanding language and culture
recognise familiar German language features and compare with those of English, in known contexts
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration comparing and matching key words in German and English, for example, names for German-speaking countries and some cities, Deutschland, Germany, Wien, Vienna; names for animals, der Hund, dog, die Katze, cat; names for family members, die Mutter, mother, der Bruder, brother; and names for leisure activities, Musik hören, listen to music, schwimmen, swimming
- Elaboration classifying a range of German texts such as fairytales, recipes, instructions, advertisements, greeting cards, maps or songs, according to their purpose(s) such as to entertain, describe or instruct, and discussing and justifying their choices in English
- Elaboration comparing the features of different types of German and English texts such as songs, a picture storybook, a cookbook or a comic, and identifying how different textual elements such as title, layout, script and images can combine to make meaning
- Elaboration comparing wall calendars from a German-speaking country and Australia in terms of structure, public holidays, pictorial representation of seasons, and cultural influences
- Elaboration listening to the way animal sounds are expressed in German, such as in Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, and comparing them with English and other languages represented within the classroom, for example, Ein Hahn macht, kikeriki, ein Hund macht, wau wau
They understand that the German language is connected with culture, and identify how this is reflected in their own language(s) and culture(s).
Content descriptorAC9LG4U04 Understanding language and culture
identify connections between German language and cultural practices
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration recognising that language carries cultural ideas, for example, Sommerbeginn, which is officially 1 December in Australia but 21/22 June in Europe; hitzefrei, ‘heat-free’, referring to the practice of dismissing students early from school if a certain temperature is reached or forecast
- Elaboration exploring cultural practices and language related to foods in German-speaking countries, for example, Abendbrot and Spaghettieis
- Elaboration identifying ways in which German language and culture, for example, types of food such as Sauerkraut, types of sausage, Gummibärchen, influence the lives of Australians
- Elaboration exploring representations of information used in cultural expressions of First Nations Australians and making connections with those of German language and culture, for example, discovering different regional words used by First Nations groups to identify themselves, such as Zenadth Kes, Koori, Koorie, Noongar and Nunga, and finding out if similar identification occurs in German-speaking cultural groups
- Elaboration recognising that politeness and formality may be communicated differently in German-speaking communities, for example, the use of Frau/Herr Schmidt and the use of du/Sie
- Elaboration recognising that German is an official language of multiple countries and regions, including the ‘DACHL’ countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein), Belgium, Luxembourg and South Tyrol, and identifying their locations on a world map
- Elaboration learning about the school system in German-speaking countries where the Grundschule is generally for Year Levels 1 to 4
- Elaboration recognising character traits and values and comparing them with familiar stories in English, for example, the wolf in Rotkäppchen
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 3 to 4 German · Foundation to Year 10 sequence. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicating meaning in German | Interacting in German | 2 | 16 |
| Communicating meaning in German | Mediating meaning in and between languages | 2 | 16 |
| Communicating meaning in German | Creating text in German | 1 | 8 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding systems of language | 3 | 27 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture | 1 | 8 |
| Total | 9 | 75 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Years 3 to 4 German?
By the end of Year 4, students use German language to initiate structured interactions to share information related to the classroom and their personal worlds. They use modelled language to participate in spoken and written activities that involve planning. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
9 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Communicating meaning in German: 5, Understanding language and culture: 4).
How does this compare to Years 1 to 2?
The Years 1 to 2 German standard (ASLANGERF10Y12) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Years 3 to 4 expectations extending what was introduced in Years 1 to 2.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.