DTZ Sprechen: the Mündliche Prüfung, and how to open it in Teil 1

Teil 1, worked: a model self-introduction (Über sich sprechen)

In Teil 1A the examiner asks you to introduce yourself. A shared task sheet shows the points to cover as keywords — name, place of birth, where you live, work, family, languages — and you speak for about a minute on your own. You do not have to hit every keyword to be counted as having managed the task, but a full, connected introduction is what reaches B1. Here is a model you can make your own; the points in the right-hand column tell you which Leitpunkt each line covers.

„Würden Sie sich bitte vorstellen? Erzählen Sie bitte etwas über sich.“

• Ja, gerne. Ich stelle mich kurz vor.

  Yes, gladly. I'll introduce myself briefly. — a one-line opener buys you a second to start cleanly instead of plunging in.

• Ich heiße Amina Yılmaz und bin 1990 in Izmir geboren.

  My name is … and I was born in … in 1990. — covers the Name and Geburtsort Leitpunkte in one sentence.

• Seit vier Jahren wohne ich in Dortmund.

  I've lived in Dortmund for four years. — the Wohnort point; seit takes the dative and the present tense (not the past) for something still going on.

• Von Beruf bin ich Krankenpflegerin und arbeite zurzeit in einem Altenheim.

  By profession I'm a nurse and I currently work in a care home. — the Arbeit/Beruf point; no article after von Beruf.

• Ich bin verheiratet und habe zwei Kinder, einen Sohn und eine Tochter.

  I'm married and have two children, a son and a daughter. — the Familie point, with one concrete detail so it isn't just a bare fact.

• Meine Muttersprache ist Türkisch, und ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch.

  My mother tongue is Turkish, and I've been learning German for two years. — the Sprachen point; naming how long you've learnt German fits the exam's own situation.

• Das war erst einmal alles von mir. Vielen Dank.

  That's everything from me for now. Thank you. — a clear close signals you've finished, so the examiner moves on to the follow-ups (1B) rather than waiting.

After your minute, Teil 1B is the examiner's follow-up questions — building on what you just said (your work, your family, your languages). Answer them a little more fully than a bare yes or no; that willingness to elaborate is exactly what the B1 descriptor for 1B rewards. Drill the openers and reaction phrases below so they come without searching.

What can come up in Sprechen Teil 1

There is no official topic list, and each exam version picks its own tasks. These are examples to practise with, not a prediction.

Teil 1 — about yourself and answering follow-ups (Über sich sprechen, auf Nachfragen reagieren)

The building blocks of the model above, plus the phrases that keep Teil 1B going when the examiner asks you to say more. These are the ones to have automatic.

• Ich heiße … und komme aus …

  My name is … and I'm from … — the compact self-introduction opener.

• Seit … Jahren wohne ich in …

  I've lived in … for … years — seit + dative + present tense for something still true.

• Von Beruf bin ich …

  By profession I'm a … — no article follows von Beruf.

• Dazu kann ich noch sagen, dass …

  I can add that … — the move for a fuller 1B answer; verb to the end after dass.

• Können Sie die Frage bitte wiederholen?

  Could you repeat the question, please? — ask for a repeat rather than guessing; it costs nothing and keeps you on track.

Teil 2 — describing the photo (Bildbeschreibung), in brief

In Teil 2A you describe a photo — what you see and what situation it shows — then talk about your own experience with the topic (2B). This page gives you the openers; the full Teil, with example photos and model descriptions, is worked on its own Bildbeschreibung page.

• Auf dem Foto sehe ich …

  In the photo I can see … — the first move: name what is there.

• Das Bild zeigt eine Situation, in der …

  The picture shows a situation in which … — answers the second printed question (what kind of situation).

• Damit habe ich schon Erfahrungen gemacht, zum Beispiel …

  I've had experience with that, for example … — bridges from the photo (2A) to your own experience (2B).

Teil 3 — planning something together (Gemeinsam etwas planen), in brief

In Teil 3 you and your partner plan something concretely from a few given points and reach a decision together — the examiners listen for whether you really negotiate and agree. These are the core negotiation phrases; the full Teil, with a model dialogue, is worked on its own Gemeinsam-etwas-planen page.

• Ich schlage vor, dass wir …

  I suggest that we … — the workhorse proposal; verb to the end after dass.

• Was hältst du davon?

  What do you think of that? — hand the turn back; the examiners want a real exchange, not two monologues.

• Einverstanden, dann machen wir das so.

  Agreed, then let's do it like that. — close the plan with a clear joint decision.