German academic writing course
Annotated German academic writing: Sie-adjacent formality, hedges, model essay, error clinic, four-week plan.
Academic German glue
C1 academic German fails on calques (eine Entscheidung machen) and missing Absicherung. Use legen nahe / in gewissem Maße / gleichwohl / laut before rare Politik nouns.
Annotated model essay
Städtische Mobilität ist zu einem zentralen Thema lokaler Politik geworden. Die vorliegenden Daten legen nahe, dass ein besserer öffentlicher Verkehr die Autonutzung in den Stoßzeiten in gewissem Maße verringert. Gleichwohl sind diese Effekte nicht automatisch: Sie hängen von Takt und Preis ab. Insofern Städte Infrastruktur und bezahlbare Tarife kombinieren, werden die Ergebnisse tendenziell klarer. Laut kommunalen Berichten spielt auch die gefühlte Sicherheit eine Rolle. Es lässt sich feststellen, dass weitere Faktoren wie Wohnungsbau hier nicht vollständig behandelt werden.
Four-week plan
- Skeleton copy with new sheet facts.
- Neutralize a commentary into academic tone.
- Error clinic + collocation sprint.
- Timed 150 words + spoken summary.
Error clinic
- Entscheidung machen → treffen
- Du in Behörde contexts → Sie
- Chatty also in abstracts → ferner / darüber hinaus
Pair with academic register and German C1 guide.
Worked drill 1
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 2
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 3
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 4
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 5
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 6
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 7
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 8
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 9
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 10
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 11
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 12
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 13
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 14
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 15
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 16
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 17
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 18
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 19
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 20
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 21
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 22
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Worked drill 23
Take a 90-word news summary in german and rewrite it as an academic paragraph: add one hedge, one concession, and one attribution. Speak the paragraph once. If you cannot say a clause, simplify the written version until speech and writing agree. Score task/register/markers/control (0–2 each).
Hedge quick list
- Es lässt sich feststellen, dass… — Neutral academic opener
- Die Daten legen nahe, dass… — Soft evidence
- In gewissem Maße… — Limit
- Gleichwohl… — Formal contrast
- Insofern… — Framing
Reporting verbs quick list
- Laut… — Source
- X argumentiert, dass… — Argument attribution
- X räumt ein, dass… — Concession attribution
Output workshop Academic register pack Collocations C1 assessed tasks
FAQ
- How should I practice this course?
- Follow the four-week plan: skeleton reuse, neutralize opinion, error clinic, then a timed essay plus oral summary. Score task/register/markers/control each Friday.
- Is this only for exams?
- No. Exam manuals are a gym. This course trains academic and formal writing you can reuse in study and work.