AQA A-Level German (7662)

## Learning Outcomes

- Understand exactly what the Paper 1 translation into German task requires
- Identify what examiners reward in terms of accuracy and successful communication
- Apply key grammar rules for translation, including word order, cases and adjective endings
- Use the supporting German text strategically for vocabulary and sentence patterns
- Avoid common false friends and literal translation errors
- Build a practical German language toolkit for Social Issues and Trends topics

## AQA A-Level German (7662) Syllabus

For the AQA A-Level German (7662), you are expected to understand translation into German in Paper 1, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know that the task is a translation from English into German of at least 100 words
- Understand that the task appears in Paper 1: Listening, Reading and Writing
- Know that the translation is based on the specification themes and sub-themes
- Identify how the supporting text in German can supply useful vocabulary and structures
- Explain the difference between grammatical accuracy and successful transfer of meaning
- Apply A-level grammar confidently, including cases, adjective endings, verb position, infinitive clauses and tense control
- Use topic vocabulary linked to Social Issues and Trends, especially family, the digital world, immigration, integration and racism
- Recognise common translation traps such as false friends, English word order and weak register choices

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. What are the exact task demands for translation into German in AQA A-level German Paper 1?
2. How can the supporting German text help you during the translation?
3. What happens to the finite verb after conjunctions such as weil, dass and obwohl?
4. Why is a literal word-for-word translation often a bad idea?
5. Name three grammar areas that regularly decide marks in translation into German.

## Introduction

Translation into German is a small part of Paper 1 in terms of marks, but it can make a real difference to your overall result because it tests controlled, accurate language. You are not being asked to write a personal opinion essay or produce flashy ideas. You are being asked to transfer meaning from English into correct, clear German under exam conditions.

This means success depends on two things working together. First, your German must be accurate: verbs, cases, endings, spelling and word order matter. Second, your translation must actually communicate the full message of the English. A sentence with good grammar but the wrong meaning will not score well, and a sentence with the right idea but broken grammar will also lose marks.

> **Key Term: translation into German**
> A Paper 1 task in which students translate a passage of at least 100 words from English into German, using accurate language and clear communication.

### What the task is really testing

In the exam, the passage is based on AQA themes and sub-themes. For this topic area, that often means content linked to **Familie im Wandel**, **die digitale Welt**, **Jugendkultur**, **Einwanderung**, **Integration** and **Rassismus**. You are also given a supporting text in German. That is not there by accident. It is a clue bank.

Many students waste time trying to invent German from scratch when the support text already contains useful nouns, verbs, collocations and sentence shapes. If the support text uses **die sozialen Netzwerke**, do not replace it with an uncertain phrase. If it shows **um ... zu**, **sowohl ... als auch** or **es gibt**, those structures are ready to reuse when they fit the meaning.

> **Key Term: supporting text**
> A German text provided with the translation task that gives useful vocabulary and structures related to the topic.
>
> **Key Term: accuracy**
> Correct use of grammar, spelling, vocabulary and sentence structure so that the German is valid and precise.
>
> **Key Term: communicative quality**
> The extent to which the German successfully conveys the meaning of the English passage clearly and fully.
>
> **Test Tip:** Before writing anything, read both the English passage and the supporting German text. Circle useful verbs, noun phrases and structures in the support text that you may be able to recycle safely.

### Building accurate German: the grammar areas that decide marks

Most lost marks come from a small set of recurring grammar problems. If you improve these, your translation score usually rises quickly.

The first is **word order**. In a main clause, the finite verb goes in second position: **Heutzutage spielen soziale Medien eine große Rolle.** If you start with a time phrase like **heutzutage**, that counts as the first element, so the verb must come next. Students often write English-style order instead.

In subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end: **..., weil viele Jugendliche zu viel Zeit online verbringen.** This matters after **weil**, **dass**, **wenn**, **obwohl**, **damit** and similar conjunctions. A common weak answer shows correct vocabulary but leaves the verb in the middle, which damages accuracy.

The second major area is **cases**. You need to know who is doing the action, who receives it, and which preposition controls which case. For example:

- **mit sozialen Medien** takes dative after **mit**
- **für junge Leute** takes accusative after **für**
- **in der Schule** shows location, so dative
- **in die Stadt ziehen** shows movement towards, so accusative
  > **Key Term: case**
  > The grammatical form of a noun, article or adjective that shows its function in the sentence, such as subject, direct object or indirect object.

The third area is **adjective endings**. These are often the difference between a nearly correct sentence and a fully accurate one. Compare:

- **ein ernstes Problem**
- **eine wichtige Rolle**
- **mit digitalen Medien**
- **in der deutschen Gesellschaft**

Students often know the noun but lose marks on the ending. In translation, that matters because every small part of the noun phrase contributes to accuracy.

A fourth area is **tense control**. English often uses present forms where German does too, but not always. You must identify the time reference before translating. For example:

- “Young people spend too much time online” → **Jugendliche verbringen zu viel Zeit online.**
- “In recent years the number has increased” → **In den letzten Jahren hat die Zahl zugenommen.**

A fifth area is the **infinitive construction** with **zu**, especially **um ... zu**. This appears often in social-topic passages because English uses purpose phrases such as “in order to improve integration” or “to avoid dropping out of training”. German usually handles these with a clear infinitive structure: **um die Integration zu verbessern**, **um den Abbruch der Ausbildung zu vermeiden**.

That last type is a good example of why translation is not just vocabulary recall. You need to spot the relationship between the parts of the sentence: purpose, cause, contrast, condition, or consequence.

> **Test Tip:** In your final check, go sentence by sentence asking: Where is the finite verb? Is this clause subordinate? What case follows the preposition? Does the adjective ending match the noun phrase?

### Translating meaning, not English words

The biggest mistake in English-to-German translation is copying English structure too closely. Good translators ask, “How would German normally express this meaning?” not “What is the German word for each English word?”

Take the English sentence: “Many young people use social media to stay in contact with friends.” A strong German version is **Viele Jugendliche nutzen soziale Medien, um mit Freunden in Kontakt zu bleiben.** This works because German naturally uses **um ... zu bleiben**. A weaker student may try to mirror the English too directly and produce something awkward.

False friends are especially dangerous. Some of the most common are:

- “become” = **werden**, not **bekommen**
- “realise” is often **merken**, **erkennen** or **sich bewusst werden**, not always **realisieren**
- “know” may be **wissen** or **kennen**, depending on whether you know a fact or are familiar with a person/thing
- “since” may be **seit** for time, but **da** or **weil** for reason
- “diverse” is often better as **vielfältig** than **divers** in exam writing

Register matters too. In a formal exam translation, **Menschen** is often safer than **Leute**, unless the context clearly suits a more informal tone. Similarly, choose direct, standard vocabulary rather than risky slang.

Consider these short examples:

- “Racism remains a serious problem.”  
  Rassismus bleibt ein ernstes Problem.

- “Immigrants can make an important contribution to society.”  
  Einwanderer können einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Gesellschaft leisten.

- “Good language skills are essential for integration.”  
  Gute Sprachkenntnisse sind für die Integration entscheidend.

These work because they are idiomatic German, not because they copy English patterns exactly.

> **Key Term: false friend**
> A word that looks similar in English and German but has a different meaning or use.
>
> **Key Term: register**
> The level of formality and style used in language.

A useful rule is this: if your German sentence feels like English wearing German vocabulary, it is probably unsafe.

### Topic vocabulary and structure for Social Issues and Trends

Because translation passages come from the specification themes, topic vocabulary is a scoring tool, not an optional extra. You should build secure phrases, not isolated words.

For **Familie im Wandel**, useful items include **die Kernfamilie** (nuclear family), **die Patchworkfamilie** (blended family), **sich scheiden lassen** (to get divorced), **berufstätig sein** (to be in employment), **Kinder erziehen** (to bring up children). A sentence like “More parents are working full-time” could become **Immer mehr Eltern arbeiten in Vollzeit** or **Immer mehr Eltern sind voll berufstätig**, depending on context.

For **die digitale Welt**, know **soziale Medien**, **der Datenschutz**, **die Privatsphäre**, **Cybermobbing**, **Bildschirmzeit**, **süchtig nach dem Handy sein**. Notice how prepositions matter: **im Internet**, **in Kontakt bleiben mit**, **sich Sorgen um den Datenschutz machen**.

For **Einwanderung** and **Integration**, learn whole chunks: **vor Krieg fliehen**, **Asyl beantragen**, **Sprachkurse anbieten**, **sich in die Gesellschaft integrieren**, **am gesellschaftlichen Leben teilnehmen**, **Vorurteile abbauen**. These are far more useful than trying to build every phrase under pressure.

For **Rassismus**, secure items include **Diskriminierung**, **Vorurteile**, **Benachteiligung**, **Herkunft**, **Hautfarbe**, **gegen Hass vorgehen**, **Opfer von Rassismus schützen**.

Here is the deeper point students often miss: grammar and vocabulary are not separate. Topic phrases already contain grammar patterns. If you learn **an etwas teilnehmen** with dative, or **sich Sorgen um etwas machen** with accusative, you are revising both language and structure at the same time.

> **Key Term: collocation**
> A natural combination of words that commonly go together in a language.

### A practical method for tackling the translation in the exam

A reliable method prevents careless errors. Work in stages.

First, read for overall meaning. Identify the topic and tone. Is the passage about family change, online risks, immigration policy, or social inclusion? This helps you predict vocabulary.

Second, mine the support text. Look for nouns, verbs and phrase patterns you can reuse. If the support text includes **die Gesellschaft**, **integrieren**, **Jugendliche**, **sowohl ... als auch**, these may solve later problems.

Third, split the English into manageable sense units, not single words. For example:

“Many young people spend several hours online every day”  
→ subject: many young people  
→ verb: spend  
→ time phrase: every day  
→ quantity phrase: several hours  
→ place/context: online

Then build the German in German order: **Viele Jugendliche verbringen jeden Tag mehrere Stunden online.**

Fourth, decide what structure the sentence needs. Cause? Use **weil** or **da**. Purpose? Use **um ... zu**. Contrast? Use **obwohl** or **während** if appropriate. Reported opinion? Maybe **dass**.

Fifth, leave a few minutes to check. Translation is one of the rare tasks where proofreading can directly recover marks.

A quick worked example shows the process:

English: “Parents should spend more time with their children in order to reduce stress in family life.”

Step 1: core meaning  
Parents / should spend / more time / with their children / in order to reduce stress / in family life.

Step 2: likely German choices  
parents = **Eltern**  
should = **sollten**  
spend time = **Zeit verbringen**  
with their children = **mit ihren Kindern**  
in order to reduce = **um ... zu reduzieren**  
stress in family life = **den Stress im Familienleben**

Step 3: build the sentence  
Eltern sollten mehr Zeit mit ihren Kindern verbringen, um den Stress im Familienleben zu reduzieren.

Why this works:

- **sollten** is the finite verb in second position
- **mit** takes dative: **mit ihren Kindern**
- **um ... zu reduzieren** expresses purpose clearly
- **den Stress** is accusative as the object of **reduzieren**

Common errors would be:

- putting **verbringen** too early
- writing **mit ihre Kinder**
- using **für reduzieren**
- copying English order too closely
  > **Test Tip:** If you are unsure between a complicated phrase and a simpler correct one, choose the simpler correct one. Accuracy scores better than risky ambition.

### German Language Toolkit

#### Topic vocabulary

| German                      | English                    |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| die Übersetzung             | translation                |
| der unterstützende Text     | supporting text            |
| die Genauigkeit             | accuracy                   |
| die Wortstellung            | word order                 |
| der Fall                    | case                       |
| die Endung                  | ending                     |
| die Familie im Wandel       | changing family structures |
| die digitale Welt           | the digital world          |
| die sozialen Medien         | social media               |
| der Datenschutz             | data protection            |
| die Privatsphäre            | privacy                    |
| die Einwanderung            | immigration                |
| die Integration             | integration                |
| der Migrant / die Migrantin | migrant                    |
| der Flüchtling              | refugee                    |
| die Sprachkenntnisse        | language skills            |
| das Vorurteil               | prejudice                  |
| die Diskriminierung         | discrimination             |
| der Rassismus               | racism                     |
| die Gesellschaft            | society                    |

#### Complex sentence patterns

- **Viele Menschen behaupten, dass soziale Medien den Alltag stark beeinflussen.**  
  Many people claim that social media strongly influence everyday life.

- **Obwohl das Internet viele Vorteile hat, bringt es auch Risiken mit sich.**  
  Although the internet has many advantages, it also brings risks.

- **Jugendliche nutzen ihr Handy oft, um mit Freunden in Kontakt zu bleiben.**  
  Young people often use their phone in order to stay in contact with friends.

- **Wenn Einwanderer gute Sprachkenntnisse haben, können sie sich leichter integrieren.**  
  If immigrants have good language skills, they can integrate more easily.

- **Je mehr Zeit Kinder online verbringen, desto weniger Zeit haben sie für ihre Familie.**  
  The more time children spend online, the less time they have for their family.

- **Rassismus bleibt ein Problem, das man nicht ignorieren darf.**  
  Racism remains a problem that must not be ignored.

- **Eltern sollten darauf achten, dass ihre Kinder nicht zu viel Bildschirmzeit haben.**  
  Parents should make sure that their children do not have too much screen time.

#### Opinion and argument phrases

- **Meiner Meinung nach ...**  
  In my opinion ...

- **Ich bin der Ansicht, dass ...**  
  I am of the opinion that ...

- **Einerseits ..., andererseits ...**  
  On the one hand ..., on the other hand ...

- **Es lässt sich argumentieren, dass ...**  
  It can be argued that ...

- **Meines Erachtens ...**  
  In my view ...

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Translation into German appears in Paper 1 of AQA A-level German (7662)
- The task requires a passage of at least 100 words translated from English into German
- The translation is based on specification themes and sub-themes
- A supporting German text is provided and should be used for vocabulary and structure clues
- Strong answers combine grammatical accuracy with clear transfer of meaning
- Main-clause and subordinate-clause verb position are major scoring areas
- Cases after prepositions and within noun phrases must be controlled accurately
- Adjective endings regularly decide whether an answer is fully correct
- Literal translation often causes errors because German expresses meaning differently from English
- False friends such as werden/bekommen and wissen/kennen are common traps
- Topic vocabulary from family, digital life, immigration, integration and racism is highly useful
- Proofreading for spelling, endings and verb placement can recover valuable marks

## Key Terms and Concepts

- translation into German
- supporting text
- accuracy
- communicative quality
- case
- false friend
- register
- collocation


Translation - Translation into German