Lesson 168 · German B1

Welcome to B1

Willkommen bei B1

A1-2 is done: 167 lessons, full grammar skeleton, and dozens of practical vocabulary domains. B1 is the next step. It asks for more independence - longer sentences, your own opinions, and topics that are not just concrete daily needs.

Today's win: know what B1 actually tests, so each new lesson has a clear reason.

What changes at B1

At A1-2, most tasks used short, fixed sentences about concrete things: your name, your day, a shop, a doctor visit. At B1, three things change:

Quick check: name one way B1 topics differ from A1-2 topics.

Show answer
B1 topics are more abstract (opinions, plans, arguments), not just concrete daily needs

The four exam parts at B1

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and telc B1 both test the same four skills as A1, but each task grows in scope:

SkillWhat is new at B1
Hören (listening)Longer conversations and announcements at closer to natural speed, on both everyday and general-interest topics
Lesen (reading)Longer texts, including opinion pieces and short articles, not just notices and short messages
Schreiben (writing)A formal letter or email AND a short opinion piece giving reasons for a view
Sprechen (speaking)Describing a picture, giving a short structured talk, and taking part in a discussion (agreeing, disagreeing, planning something together)

Quick check: at B1, the Schreiben (writing) part adds which new task type, beyond a formal letter?

Show answer
a short opinion piece giving reasons for a view

How this course will build B1

The same format continues: short daily lessons, quizzes woven through each one, and periodic review checkpoints. New grammar (Konjunktiv II, Passive, Genitive, more subordinate clauses) comes first, since it unlocks everything else. Then situational vocabulary and B1-specific skills (giving opinions, describing a picture, writing a short essay) build on that grammar.

Try it out loud: say one sentence in English about why you want to reach B1 (for the exam, for daily life, or both) - you will be able to say it in German soon.

Primary source

Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.

Want a personalized sense of which B1 skill (Hören, Lesen, Schreiben, Sprechen) to prioritize first? Ask your teaching agent.