GM22: Television, Film and Music
TV programmes, films, music genres; opinions and justifications; comparing media; German media
📱 Television, Film and Music
TV programmes, films, music genres; opinions and justifications; comparing media; German media
Key Fact: This topic covers key vocabulary and structures for television, film and music. You need to know topic vocabulary, use it in all four skills, and express opinions with reasons.
📋 Key Vocabulary and Structures
- Topic-specific vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives)
- Key grammar structures for this topic area
- How to express and justify opinions (ich finde... weil...)
- How to describe past, present and future related to this topic
- Cultural knowledge about German-speaking countries (DACH)
❓ Practice Questions
Q1: Write 4 sentences in German about television, film and music.
Q2: Write a paragraph (40-60 words) giving your opinion on television, film and music.
Q3: Translate into German: "I think television, film and music is important because..."
✅ Answers
- Four sentences using topic vocabulary with correct case endings, verb position and adjective endings. Include at least two different tenses for Higher tier.
- A structured paragraph: Meiner Meinung nach... (in my opinion), ich finde... weil... (I think... because...), aber/allerdings... (however), zusammenfassend... (in summary). Use connecting words and varied vocabulary.
- "Ich finde, dass television, film and music wichtig ist, weil..." — ensure correct word order (verb at end after dass), correct case endings, and give a specific reason.
🎯 Exam Tips
- Use a range of tenses (present, past, future) to access higher marks
- Include opinions with reasons (ich finde... weil... / meiner Meinung nach...)
- Check case endings (nominative, accusative, dative) before finishing
- Get word order right: verb-second in main clauses, verb-at-end after dass/weil/wenn
- Use complex structures: subordinate clauses, modal verbs, separable verbs
- Include cultural references to German-speaking countries (DACH)
📝 Exam Technique
German Exam Tips — Television, Film and Music:
1. For Television, Film and Music, use a range of vocabulary and complex grammatical structures to access higher marks
2. Check verb tenses, agreements and word order carefully in your written work
3. In translation tasks, translate meaning rather than word-for-word
4. When writing about Television, Film and Music, include opinions and justifications, not just descriptions
5. For listening and reading, focus on key words and cognates to extract meaning
1. For Television, Film and Music, use a range of vocabulary and complex grammatical structures to access higher marks
2. Check verb tenses, agreements and word order carefully in your written work
3. In translation tasks, translate meaning rather than word-for-word
4. When writing about Television, Film and Music, include opinions and justifications, not just descriptions
5. For listening and reading, focus on key words and cognates to extract meaning
⚠️ Common Errors
Watch Out!
Students often translate English phrases word for word. Wrong: Ich bin einverstanden = literal "I am in agreement." Wrong: "Ich bin einverstanden mit" should be used correctly. Correct: Ich bin einverstanden / Ich stimme zu / Ich bin der gleichen Meinung.
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
Writing task: Write about tv programmes, films, music genres; opinions and justifications; comparing media; german media.
A grade 9 answer will: use at least three tenses accurately; include complex structures (subordinate clauses, modal verbs, separable verbs); show precise grammar (cases, word order, adjective endings); express and justify opinions; include cultural knowledge about DACH countries; use a wide range of vocabulary; be well-organised with connecting words (außerdem, jedoch, trotzdem, zusammenfassend).
Mark scheme: Content (relevance and detail) + Quality of language (accuracy and range) = total marks
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Focus: Television, Film and Music
AO1 — Knowledge: Show understanding of Television, Film and Music by demonstrating accurate vocabulary and grammatical structures in the target language.
AO2 — Application: Apply your knowledge of Television, Film and Music to understand and produce language in listening, reading, speaking and writing contexts.
AO3 — Analysis & Evaluation: Analyse and evaluate linguistic features related to Television, Film and Music, demonstrating critical awareness of meaning, context and cultural references.
Detailed Notes
German Television and Film
German television has both public broadcasters (die öffentlich-rechtlichen Sender) and private channels. Key terms: die Sendung (programme), die Serie (series), der Film (film), der Dokumentarfilm (documentary), die Nachrichtensendung (news programme), die Seifenoper (soap opera), die Fernsehshow (TV show), der Sender (channel/broadcaster). Major public channels include das Erste (ARD), das ZDF and Arte (Franco-German cultural channel).
In Germany, every household must pay the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting licence fee) of €18.36 per month, which funds public broadcasting. This is different from the UK TV licence system. Popular German TV shows include Tatort (crime scene — Germany's longest-running crime drama, watched by 10+ million viewers every Sunday), Die Sendung mit der Maus (children's educational programme), and Wer wird Millionär? (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?).
German cinema has a rich tradition. The Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) is one of the world's top film festivals. Recent German films and series like Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), Dark (Netflix), and Babylon Berlin have gained international acclaim. In Austria, Das Fest and Michael Haneke's films are internationally recognised. In Switzerland, Schwenggä (Swiss German comedy) has a loyal local audience.
Beispiel
Tatort ist die beliebteste Krimiserie in Deutschland. Jeden Sonntag schauen über zehn Millionen Menschen zu. Ich schaue auch gern Dokumentarfilme über Natur und Geschichte.
Tatort is the most popular crime series in Germany. Every Sunday over ten million people watch. I also like watching documentaries about nature and history.
Music in the German-Speaking World
Germany has a rich musical heritage. Key vocabulary: die Musik (music), das Lied (song), der Sänger / die Sängerin (singer), die Band (band), das Konzert (concert), das Orchester (orchestra), die Oper (opera), der Rap (rap), der Pop (pop), der Rock (rock), der Klassik (classical), die Charts (charts). Germany's classical tradition — Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner — is the foundation of Western classical music.
Today, German music is diverse. Deutschrap (German rap) has become the most popular genre among young Germans — artists like Capital Bra, Apache 207 and Kontra K dominate the charts. German pop (der Deutsche Pop) includes artists like Mark Forster, LEA and LOTTE. The Eurovision Song Contest is followed enthusiastically in all DACH countries. Austria's Conchita Wurst won in 2014, and Switzerland's Nemo won in 2024.
For the exam, express opinions about music: Ich höre gern Rap, weil die Texte interessant sind (I like listening to rap because the lyrics are interesting). Ich finde klassische Musik schön, aber sie ist manchmal zu lang (I find classical music beautiful but sometimes too long). Use anhören (to listen to — separable): Ich höre jeden Tag Musik an.
Beispiel
Ich höre gern Deutschrap, weil die Texte auf Deutsch sind und ich sie verstehen kann. Manche Leute finden Rap zu aggressiv, aber ich finde die Musik spannend.
I like listening to German rap because the lyrics are in German and I can understand them. Some people find rap too aggressive, but I find the music exciting.
Expressing Preferences About Media
To discuss media preferences at GCSE level, use comparison structures. Ich schaue lieber Filme als Fernsehen (I prefer watching films to TV). Ich höre am liebsten Popmusik (I like listening to pop music the most). Use im Vergleich zu (in comparison to) for Higher tier: Im Vergleich zu britischen Serien finde ich deutsche Serien realistischer (In comparison to British series, I find German series more realistic).
Useful opinion phrases for media: Ich finde die Sendung langweilig/spannend (I find the programme boring/exciting). Das Buch ist viel besser als der Film (The book is much better than the film). Ich bin ein großer Fan von... (I am a big fan of...). Ich kann das nicht ausstehen (I cannot stand that). The verb ausstehen is separable and means to not be able to stand something.
Statistics can strengthen your arguments: Jugendliche in Deutschland schauen durchschnittlich zwei Stunden pro Tag fern (Young people in Germany watch on average two hours of TV per day). Mehr als 80% der Jugendlichen nutzen Social Media täglich (More than 80% of young people use social media daily). Including figures shows you can use German for factual communication.
Beispiel
Ich schaue lieber Serien als Filme, weil man die Charaktere besser kennenlernt. Im Vergleich zu früher schaue ich weniger fern, weil ich mehr Zeit am Handy verbringe.
I prefer watching series to films because you get to know the characters better. Compared to before I watch less TV because I spend more time on my phone.
Key Vocabulary
| German | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| die Sendung | programme | Diese Sendung ist sehr beliebt. |
| der Sender | channel/broadcaster | Mein Lieblingssender ist ARTE. |
| die Seifenoper | soap opera | Ich schaue keine Seifenoper. |
| der Dokumentarfilm | documentary | Dokumentarfilme sind sehr interessant. |
| die Charts | the charts | Dieses Lied ist Nummer eins in den Charts. |
| der Sänger / die Sängerin | singer | Sie ist eine berühmte Sängerin. |
| das Lied (die Lieder) | song(s) | Ich kenne alle Lieder von diesem Album. |
| anhören | to listen to | Ich höre jeden Abend Musik an. |
| die Berlinale | Berlin Film Festival | Die Berlinale ist ein wichtiges Festival. |
| der Rundfunkbeitrag | TV licence fee | In Deutschland muss man Rundfunkbeitrag zahlen. |
| spannend / langweilig | exciting / boring | Der Film war sehr spannend. |
| der Krimi | crime drama | Tatort ist ein bekannter Krimi. |
Additional Practice Questions
Q1: Was für Musik und Fernsehen magst du? Vergleiche deutsche und britische Medien. (What kind of music and TV do you like? Compare German and British media.)
Q2: Übersetze ins Deutsche: I prefer watching films to TV. I find German crime dramas exciting. Music is important to me because it helps me relax.
Model Answers
- Ich höre gern Deutschrap und Popmusik. Mein Lieblingsrapper ist Apache 207, weil seine Lieder melodiös sind. Im Vergleich zu britischer Musik finde ich deutsche Texte oft tiefgründiger. Was Fernsehen betrifft, schaue ich gern Serien wie 'Dark' auf Netflix — diese deutsche Serie ist international sehr erfolgreich. In Deutschland gibt es öffentlich-rechtliche und private Sender, und man muss Rundfunkbeitrag zahlen. Ich finde das gut, weil die Programme dann werbefreier sind. Ich schaue weniger fern als früher, weil ich mehr Zeit auf Social Media verbringe.
(I like listening to German rap and pop music. My favourite rapper is Apache 207 because his songs are melodic. Compared to British music I find German lyrics often more profound. As for television, I like watching series like 'Dark' on Netflix — this German series is very successful internationally. In Germany there are public and private channels, and one must pay the broadcasting licence fee. I think that is good because the programmes are then freer of advertising. I watch less TV than before because I spend more time on social media.) - Ich schaue lieber Filme als Fernsehen. Ich finde deutsche Krimis spannend. Musik ist wichtig für mich, weil sie hilft mir zu entspannen.
📝 Exam Questions by Topic
- AQA Past Papers - Topic Questions -- AQA
- Edexcel Past Papers - Topic Questions -- Edexcel
- Eduqas Past Papers - Topic Questions -- Eduqas
- CCEA Past Papers - Topic Questions -- CCEA
🎬 Video Resources
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