Digital Technology: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE German): Revision Note

Exam code: 8662

Lynn Griffin

Written by: Lynn Griffin

Reviewed by: Amy Bates

Updated on

  • The topic of 'Digital Technology' can appear in any of the exams - you might need to understand others talking about devices they use, or to speak, read and write about your own experiences with technology

  • Let's use the vocabulary, grammar and phonics we have seen so far to take a closer look at some typical exam questions and how you might tackle them

Digital technology: listening

  • In the listening exam, you may be asked to complete sentences in English based on what you hear

  • Read the sentence stems carefully during reading time so you know what information to listen out for, and remember you don't need to write full sentences

Foundation tier

Worked Example

Anna is talking about technology. Complete the sentences in English.

Digital Technology foundation
00:00
/
00:00
  1. She thinks her phone is …

  2. At the weekend, she …

  3. She does not like it when the wi-fi is …

Answers:

  1. practical / useful

  2. uploaded photos

  3. slow

Higher tier

Worked Example

Tobias and Anna are talking about technology. Complete the sentences in English.

Tobias
00:00
/
00:00
Anna
00:00
/
00:00
  1. He thinks that downloading films is …

  2. Last month, he bought …

  3. She is worried about …

  4. In the future, she would like to …

Answers:

  1. too slow

  2. a new laptop

  3. her personal data (being stolen)

  4. record her own videos and start a blog

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • At Higher tier, the language in the recording will be more complex - you may hear longer sentences, opinions and future plans all within one extract

  • Use the reading time to read the sentence stems carefully and think about what type of information each one is asking for: an opinion, an action, a time phrase?

  • This will help you focus on the right part of the recording

Digital technology: speaking

  • In Part 2 of the speaking exam, you will read aloud a short text in German and then answer four unprepared questions from your teacher based on the topic of the text

  • The reading aloud task lasts between two and two and a half minutes at Foundation tier and between three and three and a half minutes at Higher tier

Foundation tier

Worked Example

When your teacher asks you, read aloud the following text in German.

Ich habe ein neues Handy und finde es sehr praktisch.
Ich benutze es jeden Tag, um Musik zu hören.
Am Wochenende habe ich einen Film gestreamt.
Mein Laptop ist alt und leider sehr langsam.
In der Schule benutzen wir Computer im Unterricht.

  • You will then be asked four questions in German that relate to the topic of 'Media and Technology'

  • Answer each question as fully as you can

Example questions and answers:

  1. Wie oft benutzt du dein Handy?
    Ich benutze mein Handy jeden Tag. Ich chatte mit meinen Freunden und höre Musik.
    I use my mobile phone every day. I chat with my friends and listen to music.

  2. Was findest du an Technologie gut?
    Ich finde Technologie sehr nützlich, weil man schnell Informationen finden kann.
    I find technology very useful because you can find information quickly.

  3. Was hast du letzte Woche online gemacht?
    Letzte Woche habe ich Fotos hochgeladen und einen Film gestreamt.
    Last week I uploaded photos and streamed a film.

  4. Wie sind die Computer in deiner Schule?
    Die Computer in meiner Schule sind ziemlich alt, aber sie funktionieren gut.
    The computers in my school are quite old but they work well.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • For the questions, you cannot prepare your answers in advance, but you can use vocabulary and structures from the reading aloud text to help you respond

Higher tier

Worked Example

When your teacher asks you, read aloud the following text in German.

Die meisten Jugendlichen benutzen Technologie jeden Tag.
Ich verwende meinen Laptop, um Hausaufgaben zu machen und Nachrichten zu schicken.
Letzte Woche habe ich eine neue App heruntergeladen, die wirklich praktisch ist.
Leider gibt es auch Probleme, da persönliche Daten im Internet nicht immer sicher sind.
Meine Eltern verstehen die sozialen Medien nicht, aber ich finde sie sehr nützlich.

You will then be asked four questions in German that relate to the topic of media and technology. Answer each question as fully as you can.

Example questions and answers:

  1. Wie benutzt du digitale Technologie in deinem Alltag?
    Ich benutze täglich meinen Laptop und mein Handy. Ich streame Musik, lade Fotos hoch und chatte mit meinen Freunden. Ohne Technologie wäre mein Leben sehr anders.
    I use my laptop and phone every day. I stream music, upload photos and chat with my friends. Without technology my life would be very different.

  2. Was sind die Vorteile und Nachteile des Internets?
    Ein großer Vorteil ist, dass man schnell Informationen finden kann. Aber es gibt auch Risiken - zum Beispiel sind persönliche Daten nicht immer sicher online.
    A big advantage is that you can find information quickly. But there are also risks - for example, personal data is not always safe online.

  3. Was hast du letzte Woche mit deinem Handy gemacht?
    Letzte Woche habe ich viele Videos angesehen und meiner Freundin eine Nachricht geschickt. Ich habe auch eine neue App heruntergeladen.
    Last week I watched lots of videos and sent my friend a message. I also downloaded a new app.

  4. Wie wichtig ist Technologie für junge Leute?
    Ich denke, Technologie ist sehr wichtig für meine Generation, weil wir sie für die Schule, die Kommunikation und die Freizeit brauchen. Aber man sollte auch Zeit ohne sie verbringen.
    I think technology is very important for my generation because we need it for school, communication and leisure time. But you should also spend time without a screen.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Make sure your answers are extended and developed well

  • Add opinions and reasons to build longer responses

  • The questions are unprepared, so practise speaking about technology in general, not just the content of the text

Digital technology: reading

  • In Section B of the reading exam, you will translate five sentences from German into English

  • There are 2 marks per sentence and the total for this section is 10 marks

Foundation tier

Worked Example

Translate these sentences into English.

  1. Ich benutze mein Handy, um Musik zu hören.

  2. Mein Laptop ist neu und sehr schnell.

  3. Wir haben gestern viele Fotos hochgeladen.

  4. Das Internet ist nützlich, aber manchmal auch gefährlich.

  5. Sie möchte eine neue App herunterladen.

Answers:

  1. I use my mobile phone to listen to music.

  2. My laptop is new and very fast.

  3. Yesterday we uploaded lots of photos.

  4. The internet is useful but sometimes also dangerous.

  5. She would like to download a new app.

Higher tier

Worked Example

Translate these sentences into English.

  1. Meine Schwester hat ihr altes Gerät verkauft, weil es zu langsam war.

  2. Man sollte seine persönlichen Daten nicht online teilen.

  3. Die Technologie hat die Kommunikation zwischen Menschen verändert.

  4. Er lädt jeden Abend Videos hoch, obwohl das WLAN sehr langsam ist.

  5. Viele Jugendliche verbringen zu viel Zeit im Internet, was ihre Eltern stört.

Answers:

  1. My sister sold her old device because it was too slow.

  2. You should not share your personal data online.

  3. Technology has changed communication between people.

  4. He uploads videos every evening, even though the wi-fi is very slow.

  5. Many young people spend too much time on the internet, which bothers their parents.

Digital technology: writing

  • In the writing exam, you need to write a response in German guided by bullet points

Foundation tier

  • In the Foundation writing paper, there is a question where you write approximately 50 words in response to five bullet points

  • You must write something about each bullet point

Worked Example

You are writing a message to your German pen pal about technology.

Write approximately 50 words in German.

You must write something about each bullet point.

Mention:

  • what you use devices for

  • mobile phones

  • laptops

  • the internet

  • technology at school

Answer:

Here is an example of approximately 50 words.

Ich habe ein Handy und einen Laptop. Ich benutze mein Handy, um Musik zu hören und Nachrichten zu schicken. Mein Laptop ist alt, aber er funktioniert gut. Im Internet sehe ich Videos an und kaufe manchmal online ein. In der Schule benutzen wir Computer im Unterricht.

I have a mobile phone and a laptop. I use my phone to listen to music and send messages. My laptop is old but it works well. On the internet I watch videos and sometimes shop online. At school we use computers in lessons.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • You do not need to write equal amounts for each bullet point - a short sentence per point is enough

  • Make sure every bullet point is covered

  • There is no requirement to use past or future tenses in this task, but you can if it helps you write more naturally

Higher tier

  • In the writing paper, there is a question where you write approximately 90 words in response to three bullet points

  • The same question appears on both the Foundation and Higher papers

Worked Example

You are writing an article for your school website about streaming and online entertainment.

Write approximately 90 words in German.

You must write something about each bullet point.

Mention:

  • what you stream or watch online

  • something you did online recently

  • what you would like to do online in the future

Answer:

Here is an example of approximately 90 words.

Im Moment streame ich sehr gern Sendungen auf meinem Laptop - ich finde das praktisch, weil ich sie immer ansehen kann. Ich höre auch täglich Musik online, meistens beim Frühstück, weil das meinen Tag gut beginnt.

Letzte Woche habe ich einen neuen Film heruntergeladen und mit meiner Schwester angesehen. Das hat wirklich Spaß gemacht, und der Film war sehr spannend. Wir haben ihn beide toll gefunden.

In der Zukunft möchte ich einen eigenen Blog anfangen, um meine Erfahrungen mit Technologie zu teilen. Ich finde es interessant, online mit anderen Menschen zu kommunizieren.

At the moment I really like streaming programmes on my laptop - I find it practical because I can always watch them. I also listen to music online every day, mostly at breakfast, because it starts my day well.

Last week I downloaded a new film and watched it with my sister. It was really fun and the film was very exciting. We both thought it was great.

In the future I would like to start my own blog to share my experiences with technology. I find it interesting to communicate with other people online.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • The three bullet points always cover present, past and future

  • Make sure each paragraph clearly addresses the correct time frame

  • Develop your ideas - don't just answer the bullet point with one sentence

  • Add an opinion or extra detail wherever you can

Unlock more, it's free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Lynn Griffin

Author: Lynn Griffin

Expertise: Content Writer

Lynn is a qualified MFL teacher and English Language specialist, fluent in four languages and experienced across secondary schools in Luxembourg, the UK, and international language schools. She holds an MA in English Literature, a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages, and a Cambridge CELTA, and specialises in GCSE German, Academic English, IELTS, and Cambridge exam preparation. Lynn now works as a private tutor and education consultant in Surrey, supporting students from primary level through to advanced qualifications.

Amy Bates

Reviewer: Amy Bates

Expertise: Content Writer

Amy writes and reviews content for French, German and Spanish at Save My Exams, as well as writing and reviewing articles for the Learning Hub.