German Letter-writing Exercises

Subject: German
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 14 - 16
Order Number: 9039

Several books exist to show students how to write letters in German. However, there is a lack of exercises written in the format in which they appear in actual examinations. This collection attempts to fill that gap. Topics covered are:

• First letter to a pen-friend
• Inviting a German student to visit Britain
• Informal letter about giving and receiving presents
• Informal, including sport and discos
• Asking someone to describe herself
• Arranging a journey as part of an exchange
• Informal, mentioning illness and accident
• Informal note left on a camping holiday
• Informal thank you letter, mentioning lost property
• Formal letter of enquiry to a holiday company
• Formal letter of complaint to a hotel
• Formal letter of complaint to a holiday company
• Formal letter booking a guided tour
• Formally reporting lost property
• Reporting an accident
• Confirming a booking and requesting further details
• Making arrangement at a Youth Hostel
• Making travel arrangements
• Altering arrangements
• Altering arrangements
• Celebrations
• Describing a concert
• Careers
• Shops and shopping
• Requesting an opinion
The letters are modeled on questions currently being set by Examining Boards, and are intended as practice for candidates in the final year of GCSE course who are aiming at the higher grades. Given a rubric in English, the candidate com>poses a letter in the target language, covering all the items in the rubric, through not necessarily in that order, and may use some imagination. Most letters need formal openings and endings, while a few are less formal. There are opportunities for using past and future tenses, because the use of such tenses is vital for students hoping for grades A-C.