German test for immigrants
The German test for immigrants (DTZ) is a language test that was specially developed for the group of immigrants to Germany. It serves as the conclusion of the linguistic part of the integration courses , with which one of the requirements for the issuing of a settlement permit in Germany can be proven. Since the linguistic fields of action of immigrants differ significantly from those of tourists or business travelers, an examination was developed with the DTZ that corresponds to the linguistic needs of migrants . The specialty of second language tests, in contrast to foreign language tests, is that they test the language skills of learners who live in the country of the target language and that the examination content relates to this context (cf. Kniffka, 2010, p. 1299).
Legal framework
On January 1, 2005, the federal government's new immigration law came into force. The law controls and limits immigration and regulates the residence and integration of EU citizens and foreigners. Article 1 of this law is known as the Residence Act and replaced the former Aliens Act .
The Federal Republic of Germany requires non-Union citizens who want to obtain a permanent right of residence in Germany to provide proof of German language skills:
"A foreigner is to be granted a settlement permit (...) if he has sufficient knowledge of the German language." ( Section 9 (2) No. 7 AufenthG) Section 43 of the Residence Act describes the integration of migrants in Germany in general and linguistic integration in particular.
Since 2005, learning the German language has been regulated through compulsory participation in integration courses. For example, it says: "Integration efforts by foreigners are supported by a basic offer for integration (integration course)." ( Section 43 subs. 2 AufenthG) And: "Foreigners should become so familiar with the living conditions in the federal territory that they can do without the Help or mediation of third parties in all matters of daily life can act independently. "( § 43 Abs. 2 AufenthG)
content
For the target group of immigrants, the focus of learning German is action orientation, i.e. learning to cope with everyday linguistic life (cf. Perlmann-Balme et al., 2009, p. 21). In an analysis of the language needs of participants in integration courses carried out by the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich in 2007 , twelve areas of activity emerged as being particularly relevant for people with a migration background in Germany, which were therefore included in the framework curriculum for integration courses and which were also used as templates serve for the preparation of the examination tasks. These subject areas are: offices and authorities, work and job search, training and further education, banks and insurance, care and education of children, shopping, health, media use, mobility, teaching, living. Furthermore, so-called "cross-field communication areas" were defined as also relevant examination objectives: dealing with the migration situation, realizing feelings, attitudes and opinions, dealing with dissent and conflicts, creating social contacts and dealing with one's own language learning.
Furthermore, the test developers have declared subject areas unsuitable that are emotionally charged or that could trigger unpleasant feelings in the candidates. Mention should be made here: war, politics, racism, death, threatening diseases, serious social problems, triggers of phobias, drugs and religion.
Integration courses usually consist of a 100-hour orientation course in which the participants gain an overview of German history, politics, culture and traditions, as well as rights and obligations, and a language course that usually takes 600 hours. In certain cases this course can be shortened (if you already have language skills) or, e.g. B. to promote literacy among migrants , to be extended by 300 hours. The language course ends with the German test for immigrants.
Development of the DTZ
The development of the DTZ took place between 2006 and 2009. In 2006, the Federal Ministry of the Interior commissioned the creation of a framework curriculum for integration courses and the development of a corresponding language test. The tasks were: "Development of a framework curriculum that specifies the maximum possible learning objectives and content for the integration courses and serves as the basis for creating course models and material distribution plans ." and B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference . ”(Perlmann-Balme, 2009, p. 11). The term “scaled” here refers to a test format with which the candidates can be classified according to a level scale (here the CEFR levels).
The Goethe-Institut and telc GmbH (The European Language Certificates), a subsidiary of the German Adult Education Association , were commissioned by the Federal Ministry of the Interior as developing institutions for the language test. Between 2006 and 2009 they jointly developed the test construct. The first model test, as well as exam questions for the first ten exam sentences, were published in 2007. These were then checked between 2008 and 2009 for their target group suitability and their accuracy at the desired levels A2 / B1. The methods used for this benchmarking and standard setting are (the Handbook of language tests in the "Manual for Relating Examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language" Common European Framework below). This is a two-stage process, the qualitative part of which is expert judgments and the quantitative part of which statistical analyzes provide information on the extent to which the individual items , the individual tasks and the test as a whole are suitable for the target group and how differentiated the desired ones Levels are checked.
This was followed by nationwide testing of the test designs at 77 accredited institutions. The results were subjected to a statistical evaluation in which the quality of both the individual tasks and the composition of the tasks were analyzed. Those tasks that proved to be unfavorable in terms of difficulty, reliability or selectivity have been modified or removed. To ensure the high quality standards of the DTZ, the minimum standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) were used in the creation .
The frequent use of the test makes it necessary to constantly expand the available questions. Every single one of the newly created examination tasks must pass the tests successfully before it is placed in a so-called item bank. The test authors then use the holdings of this bank to compile standardized test sets for real tests, which are based on the following selection criteria: Field of activity according to the framework curriculum, language level, skill, target group, number of words in the texts, and statistical values. The strict orientation towards these selection criteria ensures that every version of the DTZ is qualitatively comparable with every other. The test is therefore developed centrally and carried out decentrally by accredited institutions. The testing institutions are authorized by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
chronology
- 2006 Federal Ministry of the Interior commissions the Goethe-Institut to develop a framework curriculum for integration courses , and the Goethe-Institut and telc-GmbH to prepare a final language test
- 2005–2007 development of the framework curriculum
- 2007 Presentation of the framework curriculum
- 2006–2009 development of the test construct
- 2007 Publication of the first model test
- 2009 Replacement of the “Zertifikat Deutsch” test by the German test for immigrants
target group
The DTZ is aimed specifically at migrants aged 16 and over who are familiar with the Latin alphabet (cf. Perlmann-Balme et al., 2009, p. 21). In the course of time, several subgroups have been differentiated, which differ in terms of their level of education and their plans for the future in Germany.
- Group A: Educational qualifications and foreign language skills are available, concrete educational and professional wishes
- Group B: low level of education and qualification, deficits in writing, future prospects within the family
- Group C: low level of education and qualification, older age, longer duration of stay in Germany, future: maintaining employment or reintegration into the world of work
A special test has been developed for young immigrants that is used in the youth integration course.
Test setup
The DTZ is divided into a receptive and a productive part (cf. Perlmann-Balme et al., 2009, p. 28ff). The receptive part includes the listening and reading comprehension subtests, while the productive part includes the written and oral expression subtests, so that the four skills listening, reading, writing and speaking are tested.
Listen
The listening subtest comprises four tasks in a closed format in which a total of 20 items are examined within 25 minutes . The aim of the test is to check the extent to which test participants are able to selectively extract information from different, everyday relevant listening texts. The following types of text are given for the tasks:
- Task 1: Loudspeaker announcement or telephone announcement
- Task 2: Brief information from the radio, e.g. B. Weather report
- Task 3: Four conversations, each of which has two tasks to be solved
- Task 4: Expressions of opinion on a topic
Read
The reading subtest includes five tasks in a closed format. A total of 25 items are queried here over a period of 45 minutes. Global and selective understanding of (semi) -authentic texts of different lengths is checked. Depending on the type of text, this means: orientation in the text and extraction of information or instructions, as well as a detailed understanding of e.g. B. Notifications. Each test consists of different types of text so that different sub-skills are checked. The following types of text are available for these tasks:
- Task 1: directories, e.g. B. Department store boards
- Exercise 2: several short texts, e.g. B. Classified ads
- Task 3: Understanding messages or letters in detail
- Exercise 4: longer text, e.g. B. Package insert
- Task 5: Completing individual words in a letter (this part contains elements of writing skills)
Write
The writing subtest is in the open format. Candidates have 30 minutes to tackle it. The aim of the test is to check whether the candidates are able to conduct relatively simple correspondence in German. The students are asked to write a message on the basis of four given key points, e.g. B. an apology for not attending a language course or similar.
Speak
The speaking subtest is carried out as a couples test. The examination of the individual candidates lasts ten minutes and includes three tasks. The test shows whether the candidates can act verbally in everyday situations, both in monological speaking and in interaction
- Task 1: Introducing the person and responding to questions from the examiner (presentation)
- Exercise 2: A text or image impulse is given as a basis. The examinee must describe the situation presented and, for example, solve a problem presented
- Task 3: Planning or negotiation in dialogic interaction between two candidates (discussion)
Intercultural aspects of the DTZ
The migrants and migrants in Germany is in many ways a heterogeneous group, primarily in terms of their national origin. The DTZ tries to take this situation into account. “The differences between the countries of origin are taken into account in the test construction insofar as a separate assessment step ensures that participants from certain countries of origin are not preferred or disadvantaged by the choice of topics and content. The productive tasks, in particular, are open enough to act as an opportunity to speak or write for diverse experiences ”(Perlmann-Balme et al., 2009, p. 19). In this way, the language test is linked to the aspect of intercultural learning . For example, topics that show cultural differences are used as an opportunity for discussion in the test. For example, in the oral part of the exam, a photograph of a German wedding celebration can be described by the candidate and then compared with a typical wedding celebration in their home country. Furthermore, in the test, in the context of cultural differences, the aspect of "communication areas across fields of action" is taken up. Topics that span fields of activity and differ interculturally are dealt with here. For example, the creation of social contacts, the realization of opinions and feelings, etc. Ä.
Test evaluation and assessment
The assessment of the test results is based on a complex catalog of criteria in accordance with the classification requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference . In the case of the written parts, it is done centrally by telc GmbH and in the case of the oral parts on site by licensed examiners. The scores achieved in the receptive listening and reading subtests are added together for some exams. The tasks in the areas of reading and listening comprehension are solved by the candidates by marking them ( multiple choice ). In the written test z. B. offered several language modules to choose from. They can therefore be described as objective in their assessment. The productive tests writing and speaking are assessed independently by two examiners and their results are averaged. The individual criteria of the oral and written part are assigned to the descriptors A2 or B1 of the CEFR. The result corresponds to the level of the most frequently assigned description. The criteria of the written test are completeness, communicative design, correctness and vocabulary. The assessment of the oral examination, which is made up of the subtests presentation, discussion and problem solving, is based on the criteria of task performance, intonation / pronunciation, fluency, correctness and vocabulary (cf. Kniffka, 2010, p. 1301) DTZ attaches great importance to the oral part. This means that the B1 level does not have to be achieved in all sub-areas. For an overall result B1, B1 must be achieved in the oral part as well as in one of the other two areas.
discussion
In a European comparison, a country-comparing study by the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) shows that eleven of nineteen European countries require a test as a condition for obtaining a settlement permit, whereby the required language levels and the number of hours estimated to achieve them vary considerably differ from each other (see Plutzar, 2010, pp. 114ff.). In seven countries migrants are required to enter into a contract or undertake a language course, and in eight countries no language requirements are imposed.
A long discussion preceded the determination of level B1 as the examination objective. It must be borne in mind that the acquisition of a second language in the context of migration shows great differences compared to the acquisition of a foreign language in educational contexts . Therefore, the level-related test results cannot provide any reliable statements about the actual functional language skills. (cf. Plutzar, 2010, p. 115) For course graduates, access to various training programs in Germany depends on the result . With the higher weighting of the linguistic part of the exam, an attempt is made to counteract this problem.
literature
- Johannes Gerbes and Frauke van der Werff: Fit for the German test for immigrants. Exercise book - tips and exercises. Level A2-B1. Hueber Verlag , Mannheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-190-51689-6 .
Web links
- Framework curriculum for integration courses - German as a second language
- Examination manual (PDF; 1.1 MB) Description of the tests and the objectives.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Gabriele Kniffka: Language tests for German as a second language. In: Hans-Jürgen Krumm, Christian Fandrych, Britta Hufeisen, Claudia Riemer (Eds.): Handbook of German as a Foreign and Second Language. Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter, Volume 2, 2010, pp. 1298–1304
- ↑ a b c d e Michaela Perlmann-Balme, Sibylle Plassmann, Beate Zeidler (2009): German test for immigrants - test objectives, test description, Berlin: Cornelsen Verlag
- ↑ German test for immigrants: model set. In: goethe.de. Goethe-Institut eV, telc GmbH, 2009, accessed on May 16, 2020 . P. 3.
- ↑ a b Plutzar, Verena (2010): Immigration and language policy of the German-speaking countries. In: Hans-Jürgen Krumm, Christian Fandrych, Britta Hufeisen, Claudia Riemer (eds.): Handbook of German as a Foreign and Second Language, Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter, Volume 1, 107–123