TELC stands for: The European Language Certificate

In my most recent search for an adequate practice test book for the German language proficiency test B2 for one of my students, I found only two books listed as Testbuch (practice test book) versus many more in the category Übungsbuch (workbook) on Amazon.de.

Mit Erfolg zum Goethe-Zertifikat B2. Testbuch
Mit Erfolg zum Zertifikat Deutsch: Mit Erfolg zu telc Deutsch B2, Zertifikat Deutsch Plus, Testbuch

Knowing my student would ask me about the meaning of telc Deutsch B2 (see second book), I used the search engine to locate this acronym’s meaning. After about visiting 10 websites listing the acronym, I noticed that none of them gave a proper definition.

In English class, we had learned to first spell out all the words, then add its acronym in brackets behind it. After that, one could refer to it by only using the shortened version, e.g. The European Language Certificate (TELC)

Anyway, the only website doing it the correct way, was Language Course Finder.

But now I have to wonder weather there is a big difference between the above mentioned books. One is to prepare for the Goethe Zertifikat B2, and the other for …telc Deutsch B2. With the European Framework of Reference for Language Learning and Teaching (CEF), recognizing proficiency levels became easier,  but not material selection.

ZDj stands for Zertifikat Deutsch für Jugendliche. It is set at the B1 level on the European scale of language learning and is aimed at young people between 12 and 15 years of age who are learning German as a foreign language.

Participants should be able to talk about things that interest them, eg. a television programme, and also be able to go into a shop and buy something without any great difficulty.

The certificate may be useful for teenagers moving permanently to Germany with their parents to be able to gain entry to a German school.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Fit 1/2, or to give it its full title: Fit in Deutsch 1/2 are two courses and exams set at the A1 and A2 levels respectively.

They are aimed at younger people than the previous DaF courses, and as such they concentrate on situations and subsequently the vocabulary that younger people would need when in Germany.

One problem with such target groups is the time it takes for new textbooks to appear that take account of modern trends.  Modern topics may therefore be covered using handouts rather than textbooks.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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ZDfB stands for Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf.  It is set at the B2 level on the European scale of language learning and is intended for adult learners.

The vocabulary that is taught is aimed more towards words that would be used in an office or in industry, although at a moderate level.  As such someone with ZDfB could make telephone calls or write correspondence, but it is not the highest level that may be required for more qualified jobs.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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GDS stands for Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, set at C2+ on the European Scale of language learning.

Students taking the GDS exam should be over 18 and have 1000-1500 hours of tuition behind them.  They will typically have a knowledge of specific vocabulary for particular topics, eg. technical or medical.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)

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Subscribe to the podcast | Listen by telephone