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IB German can mean different Diploma Programme courses. Use the course title on the school timetable, including standard level (SL) or higher level (HL), when choosing a tutor. The language-acquisition courses combine writing, listening, reading and an individual oral, but the starting point and oral preparation differ.

A beginner can know every word and still carry English word order into German. Consider this constructed practice sentence:

Starting attempt: “Am Samstag ich spiele Fußball.”

Correction: “Am Samstag spiele ich Fußball.” — “On Saturday I play football.”

In this kind of German statement, the verb form “spiele” takes the second position. “Am Samstag” is one time phrase, even though it contains two words. It comes first, followed by “spiele” (play), then “ich” (I). Moving the time phrase does not push the verb into third position.

Try the pattern with a new day and activity: “Am Sonntag spiele ich Tennis.” — “On Sunday I play tennis.” Say it aloud, then write it without looking at the model. Making the new sentence independently shows more than copying the correction. This is useful foundation work for both short writing tasks and speaking about everyday activities.

Paper 1 practice should connect accurate German with the purpose and audience of the task. In a constructed email to an unfamiliar adult, “Schick mir Infos!” (“Send me info!”) sounds too abrupt. “Könnten Sie mir bitte Informationen schicken?” (“Could you please send me information?”) makes the request politely. The greeting, detail and closing should suit the same reader; one formal phrase does not make the whole email appropriate.

Developing a point also means making relationships between ideas clear. “Ich fahre mit dem Bus” (“I travel by bus”) becomes “Ich fahre mit dem Bus, weil es billiger ist” (“I travel by bus because it is cheaper”). The reason adds information, and “ist” (is) closes the standard clause introduced by “weil” (because).

A useful revision task is to identify the intended reader, improve one request and develop one point with a reason. Then write a fresh paragraph for a different audience. These are small practice examples; the full response still needs to answer the chosen task.

For ab initio and Language B SL, begin with the visual stimulus: distinguish what the image actually shows from an interpretation, then develop the discussion at the appropriate language level. For B SL, practise connecting the image to a course theme and responding to follow-up questions.

For B HL, use the learner’s studied works. The aim is to explore characters, events and ideas; formal literary criticism is not a Language B objective. This original mini passage illustrates how to move beyond retelling:

“Er blieb vor der Tür stehen. Endlich war er zu Hause. Warum konnte er nicht klopfen?”

“He stopped in front of the door. At last he was home. Why could he not knock?”

“Er steht vor einer Tür” (“He is standing in front of a door”) mainly reports the event. A more developed response is: “Er scheint unsicher zu sein: Er ist endlich zu Hause, aber er klopft nicht.” — “He seems unsure: he is finally home, but he does not knock.”

That interpretation uses his hesitation as evidence. The passage does not tell us its cause, so avoid inventing one as a fact. A follow-up discussion could explore another possible explanation and what more the reader would need to know. The same habit can be practised with a passage from a studied work, using the wider story where relevant.