German B2 topics to discuss. Telc B2 Allgemein, Goethe B2

Last Updated on December 22, 2024

I decided to collect all the German B2 topics to discuss in one place. These could be tasks for written expression of opinion (Forumsbeitrag) in Goethe B2, oral discussions in Goethe B2 or Telc B2 Allgemein. Analysis of the topics shows that these are always some problematic themes taken from the news. That is, if you regularly look at the news, you can make a list of possible topics for yourself.
C1 level is indicated because some topics can be used in both places, there is no unambiguous assignment of certain topics to a certain level, you can simply complicate/simplify the task. C1 tends to cover a broader topic and to more “acute” problems.
The topic is in the process of being written. Last updated – 22.12.2024

German test B2 (C1). German discussion phrases and statement phrases
German B2 level tests

The topic is being updated. The texts are not copyable to protect the site from disappearing, since I am in a fight for survival mode due to the people at Google who have no conscience and their “Armageddon” update.

Examples of German text for these topics are hidden under spoilers. Please write your own! Your own thoughts are remembered better, and this way you will practice typical expressions. Use the topic with phrases for discussions to create your own version, convenient for you.

German B2 topics to discuss

As a rule, the exam task is accompanied by a text that already contains some pros and cons or statistics. Since I do not have these texts, I come up with the supporting points myself. You can (usually even should) use the given text.

You will find all the phrases for discussion and for expressing your opinion in this topic: German test B2 (C1). German discussion phrases and statement phrases

In brackets it is indicated which test the topic was taken from, if I know it.
T.A. – Telc B2 Allgemein, oral part
G.B. – Goethe B2, Brief
G.D. – Goethe B2, Diskussion
C1 – topics from the C1 level exams, which in a simplified form may also appear at B2 level

Children

First, a general systematization of the discussion topics around children. Not all of these topics have already been come across, but they are possible. Then we will look at the topics that have already been encountered in exams in more detail.

Family:
– bilingualism
– TV/computers and children. Safety, computer literacy, addiction problems (Suchtprobleme)
– vegetarian food
– ban on social media until a certain age

Kindergarten:
– kindergarten compulsory
– at what age to send to kindergarten
– learning in the kindergarten
– “forest” kindergartens

School:
– Elterntaxi
– school uniform
– full-day school
– separate education of boys and girls
– digitalization in school, modern technology: phones, tablets, e-books
– introduction/cancellation of controversial subjects (religion, English from the 1st grade, Latin, works, several foreign languages)
– assessment in school in the lower grades in general, assessment of creative subjects, standards for physical education
– homework and its assessment
– mobbing, inclusion, diversity (ethnic, gender, psychological problems)
– children who do not know the language, in school
– who is responsible for success in learning
– environmental friendliness and Nachhaltigkeit in school

Rights of teenagers, especially older ones:
– rights to privacy (privacy of correspondence, social media and security)
– attending evening entertainment
– independent travel
– age of elections and driving license
– the right to hide grades and problems at school from a certain age

Children and TV / smartphone (T. A.)

Statistics here: Link

Possible points:

– children become fat
– children do not communicate
– spend little time outside
– do not study well
– cannot concentrate
– lose the habit of thinking independently
– speak poorly
– do not socialize
– become dependent

+ learn new things (in any aspect)
+ expand their horizons (popular science films)
+ get explanations of difficult situations / solve their psychological difficulties by solving these difficulties in teenagers in TV series or programs
+ get additional explanations of school material (sometimes better than the teacher)
+ learn practical skills with the help of how-to videos
+ learn foreign languages

Open sample text in German

Die meisten Kinder verbringen sehr viel Zeit vor dem Fernseher oder auf YouTube. Dies ist ein äußerst aktuelles Problem, da es zu zahlreichen negativen Konsequenzen führt. Da ich selbst einige Erfahrungen zu diesem Thema sammeln konnte, möchte ich meine Sichtweise mit Ihnen teilen.
Trotz der allgemeinen Empfehlung von Ärzten und Lehrern, den Konsum von Fernsehen oder anderen Medien auf zwei Stunden pro Tag zu beschränken, verbringen Kinder in der Regel deutlich mehr Zeit vor dem Bildschirm. Einerseits ist es nicht immer einfach, die Zeitmenge zu kontrollieren, andererseits ist es für die Eltern oft praktisch.
Dies führt zu folgenden gesundheitlichen Problemen: Übergewicht und schlechter Sehkraft. Außerdem sprechen Kinder schlecht und haben Probleme mit der sozialen Integration. Eine weitere negative Folge sind Konzentrationsschwierigkeiten und Lernprobleme in der Schule.
Ich muss jedoch auch anmerken, dass der vernünftige Einsatz von Videoquellen viele positive Ergebnisse bringt. Besonders nützlich sind Videoformate beim Erlernen einer Fremdsprache. YouTube wird nicht nur von Kindern, sondern auch von Erwachsenen genutzt, um die unterschiedlichsten Informationen zu erhalten. Dies können Erklärungen zu schulischem Material, Koch- oder Haushaltstipps, das Ausfüllen von Steuererklärungen oder psychologische Ratschläge sein.
Abschließend möchte ich sagen, dass wir nicht ignorieren können, dass moderne Kinder mehr Informationen aus Videos als aus Büchern beziehen. Ein Verbot des Konsums wäre nicht produktiv. Persönlich gefällt mir das als Bücherliebhaberin nicht, aber dagegen zu kämpfen ist sinnlos. Daher muss man diese Ressource sinnvoll nutzen, indem man für Kinder den richtigen Inhalt auswählt und ihnen beibringt, wie sie diesen sinnvoll nutzen.

Homework is unnecessary (T. A.)

– parents should control this, but they don’t have time
– parent-child relationships deteriorate
– children from disadvantaged families are in a worse position than children in prosperous families
– children have no time for sports and hobbies

+ learn to study independently
+ additional training and repetition of what has been covered
+ find their own ways to better understand the material
+ clarify what they did not understand in class
+ develop responsibility, which is important for future work

Open sample text in German

Das Thema “Sind Hausaufgaben sinnlos?” wird heute immer häufiger in den Medien diskutiert. Da ich selbst zwei Schulkinder habe, liegt mir das Thema besonders am Herzen. Gerne würde ich nun auch meine Meinung zu diesem Thema äußern.
Der zentrale Gedanke der Artikel, die ich gelesen habe, besteht darin, dass Hausaufgaben heutzutage nicht mehr zeitgemäß sind.
Es wird angenommen, dass Kinder erstens durch Hausaufgaben ohnehin nicht viel lernen können. Außerdem müssen die Eltern den Prozess kontrollieren. Entweder haben sie keine Zeit dafür, was dazu führt, dass das Kind in der Grundschule im Lernstoff zurückbleibt. Oder sie haben Zeit, aber dann verschlechtert sich die Beziehung zu den Kindern. Dies führt zwangsläufig zu einem weiteren negativen Aspekt: Kinder aus benachteiligten Familien sind schlechter gestellt als Kinder aus wohlhabenderen Familien. Auf den ersten Blick scheint alles darauf hinzudeuten, dass Hausaufgaben in unserer Zeit überflüssig sind.

Da ich jedoch über pädagogische Erfahrung verfüge, kann ich sagen, dass es eine ganze Reihe von Gegenargumenten gibt.
Das wichtigste davon ist, dass einige Dinge regelmäßige Wiederholung brauchen, andernfalls vergisst man sie schnell. Dazu gehören beispielweise mathematische Regeln, Vokabeln und Regeln von Fremdsprachen sowie die Rechtschreibung. Die Schule allein kann nicht die nötige Anzahl von Wiederholungen sicherstellen, inbesondere kann sie nicht das individuelle Lerntempo jedes Kindes berücksichtigen.
In den weiterführenden Schulen nimmt die Bedeutung von Hausaufgaben zu, da die Kinder lernen müssen, eigenständig zu arbeiten. Wenn wir über das Gymnasium sprechen, sind Hausaufgaben hier unvermeidlich, da die Lehrpläne mit unnötigem Material überladen sind und es kaum Wiederholungen gibt.

Zum Schluss möchte ich sagen, dass meiner Meinung nach das Problem nicht in den Hausaufgaben liegt, sondern in der Organisation des Unterrichts. In der Grundschule braucht es mehr Möglichkeiten, die Hausaufgaben in der Schule zu machen (Ganztagsschulen oder Hausaufgabenbetreuung). In den weiterführenden Schulen soll es ein mehrstufiges Lernen mit der Wahl von starken und schwachen Fächern geben. Außerdem muss man prüfen, was den Kindern beigebracht wird und ob sie es wirklich brauchen. Dann werden auch die Hausaufgaben kein Problem mehr.

Homework marks (G.B.?)

+ motivation to do homework
+ opportunity to compensate for bad grades in the school

– children from disadvantaged families are in a worse position
– it is not known to what extent parents interfere with the task

Open sample

Das Thema der Notwendigkeit von Hausaufgaben und deren Benotung wird häufig in den Medien diskutiert. Wie viele Probleme, die mit der Schule verbunden sind, ist auch diese Frage kontrovers. Einerseits gibt es offensichtliche negative Folgen der Benotung von Hausaufgaben. Erstens verschlechtern sich die Beziehungen zu den Eltern, da diese gezwungen sind, die Aufgaben zu kontrollieren. Zweitens weiß der Lehrer oft nicht, wer die Aufgabe tatsächlich gemacht hat. Drittens haben sozial schwächere Kinder weniger Möglichkeiten, die Aufgaben zu erledigen, und befinden sich daher von Anfang an in einer benachteiligten Position.

Andererseits, wenn Kinder keine Noten erhalten, sind sie oft weniger motiviert, die Hausaufgaben überhaupt zu machen. Eine mögliche Lösung könnte ein anderer Anreiz sein. Zum Beispiel führte eine Lehrerin meines Sohnes ein Bonussystem ein, bei dem das Erledigen der Hausaufgaben die Note verbesserte, und in Klassenarbeiten wurden gezielt Aufgaben aus den Hausaufgaben integriert. Mein Sohn hat in diesem Jahr am besten Mathe gelernt.

Multilingual raising children (T.A.)

Bilingual child speech development
Bilingual children. 1. Strategy and rules

+ knowledge of several languages ​​without having to spend a lot of energy on learning them
+ good understanding of the structure of languages, their commonalities, “feeling for language”. Potential advantages when learning the following languages
+ potential use for work
+ more sources of information
+ familiarity with different cultures

– with incorrect behavior of parents, mixing of languages ​​in speech, numerous mistakes in both languages
– if the second language is not “prestigious”, knowledge of it can cause problems for the child (the country’s problems are transferred to native speakers)
– at an early age, one language (usually mother’s) is at a higher level, which can lead to problems in learning (additional year in kindergarten, speech therapy school)

Open text

In der modernen Welt sind die Grenzen offen, und Familien, in denen die Eltern verschiedene Sprachen sprechen, sind keine Seltenheit. Wir dürfen auch die große Zahl an Migranten und Flüchtlingen nicht vergessen, die in einem anderen sprachlichen Umfeld leben müssen, aber zu Hause ihre Muttersprache sprechen. Deshalb bleibt das Thema der mehrsprachigen Erziehung von großer Bedeutung. Da meine Kinder bilingual aufwachsen, habe ich viel eigene Erfahrung in diesem Bereich und würde diese gerne teilen.

Meiner Meinung nach hat Mehrprachigkeit, abgesehen von der sozialen Situation, nur positive Aspekte. Kinder lernen andere Sprachen leichter, haben einen erweiterten Horizont und können diese Fähigkeit später im Berufsleben nutzen. Auch sprachbehinderte Kinder können zwei Sprachen beherrschen. Natürlich bedeutet das nicht, dass alles ganz einfach ist und die Eltern nichts tun müssen. Eine vollständige Mehrprachigkeit entwickelt sich, wenn die Eltern geduldig und konsequent die Sprachen trennen und nicht auf die bequemere Sprache umsteigen, wenn das Kind versucht, eine der Sprachen abzulehnen. Zudem sollten die Eltern in ihrer eigenen Rede die Sprachen nicht vermischen.

Die negativen Aspekte der Zweisprachigkeit sind immer mit sozialen Problemen verbunden. Das größte davon ist die Diskriminierung aufgrund der Sprache. Wenn ein Kind die Sprache eines bestimmten Landes spricht, wird es automatisch als Vertreter dieses Landes angesehen, unabhängig davon, was es oder seine Familie denkt. Wenn dieses Land ein negatives Ansehen hat, kann auch das Kind von anderen Kindern schikaniert werden. Darüber hinaus schenken Eltern in sozial schwachen Familien der richtigen Sprache oft wenig Aufmerksamkeit, wodurch die Kinder beginnen, beide Sprachen schlecht zu sprechen. Ein weiteres Problem sind sogenannte Ghettos, in denen sehr viele Menschen, die eine bestimmte Sprache sprechen, in einem Stadtteil leben. In solchen Fällen wird die Sprache des Landes nur unzureichend erlernt. Doch all diese Probleme lassen sich auf sozialer Ebene lösen, und die Schuld liegt nicht bei der Zweisprachigkeit selbst.

Can teenagers go out after 10pm? (T.A.)

Currently, the law regulates the evening and night stay of children in various institutions (cinema, restaurant, hotel, disco). As a rule,
up to 14 years old, this is either accompanied by parents or a ban,
for children from 14 to 16 years old – accompanied by parents or a time limit,
for teenagers from 16 years old – a time limit.
Violation of these rules entails large fines (from 1000 euros). Staying on the street or visiting is not defined by law in any way, only by the requirements of the parents.

Since I don’t have the text to discuss, I can only assume that they are proposing to discuss the introduction of a legislative ban on being outside without parents after 10 p.m.

+ potentially less juvenile crime
+ identification of problem families and children and timely assistance

-10 pm is an random limit, children get into trouble even before 10 pm
– too much effort must be spent on control with little positive influence
– most of the problematic issues are already stipulated in the legislation (drinking alcohol, drugs, too loud music, etc.), no additional restriction is needed

The need for school uniforms (T.A.)

+ It is believed that school uniforms discipline.
+ No mobbing because of clothes
+ A sense of community, belonging to one institution (this will be a plus only if the institution is worthy of pride, and this usually applies to serious private schools)
+ Children do not come to school in inadequate clothes (sweatpants, too short skirts, etc.).

– Uniforms are more expensive than everyday clothes
– Uniforms show everyone in town what school a child attends
– Children lose the opportunity to express themselves through clothing
– Uniforms are not always comfortable (skirts in winter, etc.)

Commercial breaks in children’s programs (G.B.)

Advertising in children’s programs is very valuable for producers, because children trust it and then force their parents to buy the advertised products. Therefore, in my opinion, state channels sponsored by German residents do not have the right to advertise in children’s programs (we pay them a lot of money). Non-state channels should also have a conscience and limit the amount of advertising. At the very least, not to show it in the middle of a cartoon.

Full-day school (G.D.)

Full-day school was introduced not so long ago in order to create more equal conditions for everyone, a more even workload during the day. Recently in the region I have observed a reverse trend after Kretschmann’s statement about “helicopter parents” (our school is returning to normal mode).

Full-day school can be of two main forms:

• lessons last until the evening, but in the middle of the day there are more free forms of education. Such a school always has a mandatory full day for everyone. In our region, such are Gemeinschaftsschule.
• lessons last until the middle of the day, then an optional full day. This is an improved version of after-school care, where they do homework, attend clubs, and play.

+ Full-day school should better distribute the academic load
+ Full-day school makes life easier for parents (free compared to after-school programs) and is a more stable option
+ Full-day school has clubs that regular schools don’t have

– Even if full-time school is voluntary, if you have chosen it, you cannot change your mind for this term. You cannot just pick up your child after lunch (to the doctor, to play music, etc.), you must ask the teacher for permission
– This does not suit all children, too much time at school
– The choice of clubs is limited. The child marks the pair that he likes, but it is not known whether he will get a place
– Not all children do their homework in the allotted time, so it is postponed to the evening at home
– Children eat at school, and the adequacy of the menu is a roulette. Suppliers change regularly, and some begin to experiment on children, offering, for example, spinach with cottage cheese.

Independent travel for teens (G.B.)

Your 16 year old daughter is going to Berlin with her friends, should she let her go or not?

Schools for the highly gifted – good or bad (T.A.)

For highly gifted (Hochbegabte) and talented children in various areas of Germany, there are boarding schools. A speciall school accepts children based on an intelligence test.
Highly gifted children are also offered specialized classes in gymnasiums. These classes accept children based on a regular subject exam (takes place at the beginning of the 4th grade).

The problem with the highly gifted is that at school this can manifest itself as poor performance, since these children are no longer interested in the nonsense that their classmates go over. At first they show their potential, but quickly lose interest, since they are forced to adapt to a slow pace.

Schools do not offer a real solution.
Skipping a grade is difficult for a child (psychologically – young in age in senior grades).
There is an offer of a “children’s academy”, but, as always, there are pitfalls in that it is not always possible to get the course you are interested in. In addition, only those children who are suggested by teachers can take additional classes of children’s academy, and not those who are truly interested.

Classes for the highly gifted offer to go through an already intensive program even faster, and the freed up time is spent on some kind of social rehabilitation (for example, putting on a circus performance). But there is no individual approach here, and they load them with everything they can, for example, forcibly three languages ​​(English and Latin from the 5th grade, French from the 6th grade).

Therefore, separate schools for highly gifted children are the only chance for them to go through school with an individual approach (small classes, mentors for everyone). At least the school in Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg is reviewed positively.

According to the interview I read, further on, highly giftedness also doesn’t fit in very well with German realities, since after college, a person gets into specific relationships in the scientific environment, when other qualities are more important than intellectual abilities.

That is, don’t be highly gifted, be socialized.

Banning mobile phones in schools (G.D.)

The topic is a bit late, since they are now moving from a ban to partial use. For example, they suggest a “handy hotel” – phones are placed in a drawer on the teacher’s desk.Teachers say that then children do not take their loving eyes off them the entire lesson.
However, a complete ban on phones is unlikely. Children still carry them, since they are also used in transport and for communication with parents.

+ children are not distracted from their studies
+ children do not take videos of other students or teachers and post them on the Internet
+ children do not play games or surf the Internet during breaks

– the phone cannot be used to search for educational information
– the phone cannot be used for urgent communication with parents

E-textbooks in school – good or bad (Т.А ?)

+ e-books do not tear, do not get dirty, all textbooks are in one place – easy to carry, you can increase the amount of information, add exercises
+ you can quickly search for information using the search engine. Children learn to handle electronic sources of information
+ saving trees
+ auxiliary information is quickly displayed (for example, a dictionary entry)

– children do not know how to use paper sources of information, they cannot find the necessary information on a page or in a book
– paper books are larger in format, you can see the broad picture. Electronic books are usually small in format.
– dependence on electricity
– high purchase cost and high repair cost

Ecology, animal protection

Green transport – compare different types by their impact on the environment (G.B.)

• the most environmentally friendly is a bicycle (plus there are a lot of bicycle roads now, but it is difficult to transport groceries and children. A good solution, but not available for most small cities, is free rental of cargo bicycles)

• a train (it would be great if it were not for the extremely outdated infrastructure, constant delays, overcrowding and vast regions where there is no railway)

• electric cars (there is a problem with charging, since most apartment buildings do not have the opportunity or have limited opportunities; they still produce as much CO2 during their life as gasoline cars)

• a bus (electric in cities). In villages they go so sporadically that a car is inevitable, but even in cities they go very rarely in the evenings and on sundays.

• diesel cars (more environmentally friendly in terms of CO2, but older versions pollute with other emissions, which, however, many cities solve perfectly well with filters)

Day without cars

+ Shows people how great it is to move on foot, something many have already forgotten
+ Good for nature

-People who urgently need to get somewhere do not have this opportunity: travelers with booked flights or long-distance trains, elderly people / families who are visiting relatives and cannot ride a bike, sick people who urgently need to go to the hospital
– the restrictions also affect emergency services (not only medical or police, but also urgent repairs, accidents, deliveries)

Conclusion: a good thing, but it needs to be really well organized so that unsuspecting travelers don’t get stuck in the middle of the road, services can operate, sick people can get to the hospital, etc.

City center (Innenstadt) without cars (G.B.?) / More Fußgängerzone

+ Comfortable and safe shopping
+ Historical monuments do not block the rows of cars
+ Cleaner air

-A closed section of the city means traffic jams in other parts. For example, Heilbronn closed a key road to create a car-free quarter, as a result, another part of the center is at a standstill
– If the center is difficult to get to, convenient parking is not thought out, people stop visiting the center and the stores die
– Only certain categories of residents who do not need a car can settle in the center.

Use of plastic packaging (G.B.)

Why so many, alternatives, pro/contra.

Health

Plastic surgery for teenagers should be banned (T.A.)

The ban on cosmetic surgeries for teenagers periodically excites the minds of legislators.
Most people understand them as changing the shape of the lips or increasing the size of the breasts. Therefore, of course, everyone is in favor of banning such surgeries. After all, every surgery carries a risk. At the same time, you are unlikely to find any significant number of children in Germany who have undergone senseless surgery. If they do, then most of them have significant reasons: the consequences of accidents, burns or psychological suffering due to significant defects in appearance, such as large birthmarks all over the face. Therefore, the desire for a ban is understandable, but it can only lead to unnecessary suffering for those who really need the surgery. Those who do not need it, but have the money, will do it in another country anyway if they want to.

How to manage stress level (G.B.) / Stress at work

Depends largely on what is causing the stress, as there are circumstances where you can’t do anything about the stress, such as caring for a sick/helpless family member, worrying about loved ones in a dangerous situation, etc. It’s pretty pointless to advise someone who has lost their home or whose child is in intensive care to eat well and walk more.
Let’s say that stress is not caused by something hopeless, but simply by a large number of things to do and problems.

• Set priorities and put unimportant things that bring additional stress out of the equation

• Delegate some of the work to other people

• Set aside time for yourself that nothing can disrupt

• Have a hobby, not just work and chores

• Walk more

• Don’t forget to eat and sleep

• Exercise

• Meet with friends

Laughter brings health (T. A.)

+ Laughter has a positive effect on health (reduces stress)
+ Strengthens relationships within the group

– Laughter has a negative side if it is laughing at a person

The topic can be at level C1 if it is about the culture of laughter, traditions of jesters, expressing unpleasant truths through ridicule, the boundaries of satire, etc.

Do you have any more questions? Use comments ⇓ or private communication form ⇨

Relationships with family and friends

Higher education and other adult education

Leisure and hobbies

Society

Work