DeutschKompass · Curriculum · Stand November 2026 · v3 draft
Ten stages, from the first „Guten Tag“ to C1
Kursplan v2 stopped at B1.2. This draft carries the same module format through B2 and C1, one stage at a time,
and adds a daily practice layer chosen from four other ways of teaching: Benjamin's grammar videos, Duolingo, Tandem and DW's Nicos Weg.
The classroom stays Goethe-style; the apps only supply habits the classroom cannot.
10stages, A1.1 → C1.2, one half-level book each
5exam gates: Goethe A1, A2, B1, B2, C1
≈ 25 monthscomplete beginner to C1 on the evening track (proposal)
10′ a dayWiederholung between lessons, every stage
Decisions
What we take from each source, and what we leave
Each source is good at one thing. The curriculum uses it for that thing only.
Source
We take
We leave out
Where it lands
Goethe-Institut
Kann-Beschreibungen as stage goals; action-oriented lessons; planning from competences, not grammar items; exam formats rehearsed from week 1
Nothing of the method. Their price and location are the gap we fill
The spine of every stage
Netzwerk neu (Klett, A1–B1)
Half-level books; chapter anatomy (Sprachhandlungen, Wortschatz, Grammatik, Aussprache, Landeskunde, Film); a Plattform review after every third chapter; mediation tasks
Working through every page in class. Übungsbuch goes home
Stages A1.1–B1.2
Kontext (Klett, B1+–C1)
Same publisher and the same Kapitel 1–6 / 7–12 split; grammar taught inductively in fixed modules
—
Stages B2.1–C1.2, plus an optional B1+ bridge
Benjamin – Der Deutschlehrer
One grammar topic per sitting, explained slowly and in German, rule → examples → exercise; homework after every lesson
Lecture as the whole lesson. A video cannot hear the learner speak
The Grammatik-Clip watched before Monday
Duolingo
Lessons short enough to do daily; spaced review with growing gaps; streaks and a weekly cohort league; an explanation attached to every wrong answer; short stories; AI role-play
Grammar left implicit; translation-heavy items; chasing points over output; the app as a syllabus
The daily 10-minute Wiederholung and the weekly quiz
Tandem
Partner corrections with an agreed setting (every error, or only repeated ones); voice notes; group audio rooms; AI helpers that explain a correction or rewrite a sentence in another register
Unstructured chat as the core; depending on whoever happens to be online
Lernpartner pairs, the Sprechcafé, and a native tandem from B1.2
DW Nicos Weg
A free story that gives each chapter a context before class
—
Pre-class input, A1.1–B1.2
Two limits on this table. Benjamin's channel and playlists could not be opened during research, so his row describes the style as generally known and no playlist is assigned to a stage yet. Duolingo's blog names Spanish, French and English as CEFR-aligned and does not name German, which is one more reason it stays a habit tool here.
Method
The weekly loop, with the practice layer added
The four meetings from v2 stay. What changes is the time between them: it now has a fixed shape instead of a homework list.
Sun · 15′ · aloneGrammatik-ClipOne topic, explained in German. Learners arrive Monday knowing the rule exists.
Mon · 120′InputRule discovered from Kursbuch examples, then practised in pairs.
Wed · 120′SkillsHören, Lesen, Schreiben as jigsaw tasks; peer review of a short text.
Fri · 120′SzenarioRole-plays in exam format; weekly 10-item quiz, each wrong answer explained.
Sat · 60′SprechcaféThemed small rooms, mixed levels within a band.
Daily · 10′WiederholungSpaced flashcards from the chapter deck. The streak is visible to the cohort.
Rules for the practice layer
Ten minutes, every day, beats an hour on Sunday. The deck holds this week's words plus older cards coming due. A cohort league resets each Monday; the prize is choosing the Sprechcafé topic.
Every error gets an explanation. Quiz feedback says why the answer is wrong and points to the Kursbuch page, in the learner's language at A1, in German from A2.2.
Lernpartner agree how they correct each other. At the start of a module each pair picks “every error” or “only errors I repeat”. One 3–5 minute voice dialogue a week, as in v2.
AI is a rehearsal partner. Learners rehearse Friday's role-play with an AI character beforehand and may ask it to explain a correction. Graded writing is done without it up to B1.2; from B2.1 learners compare their text with an AI rewrite and note three differences.
Review weeks are fixed. After chapters 3 and 6 of each book the Monday lesson is a Plattform: no new material, only mixed practice and one mediation task.
Curriculum
The ten stages
A1.1–B1.2 keep their v2 content and gain a vocabulary target and a self-study line. B2.1–C1.2 are new.
Vocabulary figures are cumulative active words; A1, A2 and B1 follow the Goethe word lists, the figures above B1 are working targets.
Introduce yourself and others, spell, handle numbers, prices and times, order food and drinks, talk about family, everyday objects and a simple daily routine.
Grammar
Present tense (regular + sein/haben), W- and yes/no questions, articles and kein, plurals, accusative, possessives, separable verbs, time prepositions (am/um/im).
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 350 words. Alphabet, Umlaute, word stress, sentence melody in questions.
Writing
Forms, a profile, a short chat message.
Group project
„Unsere Klasse“: each learner interviews a partner and the class builds a shared profile wall.
Between lessons
Nicos Weg A1 episodes; daily deck with audio on every card.
Exam format practised
A1 Sprechen Teil 1 (introducing yourself to the group) from week 2.
Talk about past events, housing, directions, shopping and clothes, health and appointments, invitations and weather; write short messages and simple emails.
Grammar
Perfekt (haben/sein), modal verbs, imperative, dative with place prepositions, personal pronouns (Akk/Dat), gern–lieber.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 650 words (Goethe A1 list). Long and short vowels, ch and sch, r.
Writing
Invitation and reply, a short email to a landlord or doctor's office.
Group project
„Wochenmarkt“: groups run a market stall role-play, buying, selling and asking for directions.
Between lessons
Nicos Weg A1; first AI role-plays (ordering, making an appointment).
Exam format practised
A1 Sprechen Teil 2 and 3 in groups of four with word and picture cards.
Exam gate: Goethe-Zertifikat A1 simulation (week 7) → real exam optional (required for Familiennachzug)
Narrate past experiences, describe education and work history, compare things, describe home and neighbourhood, make plans, hold simple phone conversations.
Grammar
Präteritum of sein/haben/modals, reflexive and dative verbs, comparative and superlative, weil/dass/wenn clauses, adjective endings (Nom/Akk), Wechselpräpositionen.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 1,000 words. Verb-final rhythm in subordinate clauses, unstressed endings.
Writing
A personal email about a past event; a short description of a flat.
Group project
„Mein Weg“ class podcast: pairs interview each other about their past and edit a 3-minute episode.
Between lessons
Nicos Weg A2; one graded story a week; Grammatik-Clips now in German with subtitles.
Exam format practised
A2 Sprechen Teil 1 and 2 (questions about yourself, talking about your life).
Checkpoint: module test · speaking rating · support plan for anyone between 50–65%
A2.2
Meinung & Höflichkeit
Netzwerk neu A2.2 · Kapitel 7–12
Can-do goals
Express opinions and simple complaints, handle health services and travel planning, make polite requests, understand authentic short texts (ads, notices, service emails).
Grammar
Indirect questions, Konjunktiv II for politeness (würde/könnte/hätte), verbs with prepositions, zu + infinitive, als/wenn/bevor/nachdem, receptive genitive.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 1,300 words (Goethe A2 list). Polite intonation, consonant clusters.
Writing
A polite request, a simple complaint, a reply to an invitation with reasons.
Group project
„Klassenreise“: groups plan a weekend in a German city on a budget and present it; the class votes.
Between lessons
Nicos Weg A2; Easy German street interviews with German subtitles.
Exam format practised
A2 Sprechen Teil 3 (planning something together in pairs).
Exam gate: Goethe-Zertifikat A2 simulation → real exam optional
Argue pros and cons, hypothesize about the past, summarize texts, handle Amt and formal situations, produce a basic German CV and job-application email.
Grammar
Passive with modals, Konjunktiv II past, active genitive + prepositions, relative clauses with prepositions, receptive indirect speech, Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen, word formation.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 2,400 words (Goethe B1 list). Pace and pausing in a 3-minute presentation.
Writing
The three B1 exam texts: informal email, opinion post, formal message.
Group project
Mock job fair: learners take turns as applicants and interviewers; peers score with the speaking rubric.
Between lessons
A native-speaker tandem starts: 30 minutes a week, half in German, with the pair's correction setting.
Exam format practised
Full B1 Sprechen in pairs, including Teil 1 (planning something together).
Exam gate: two full Goethe-Zertifikat B1 Modelltests (weeks 6–8) → real exam strongly recommended
Follow longer talks and news on familiar topics, discuss work, media and society without preparation, defend a position with advantages and disadvantages, write a structured forum post and a formal enquiry or complaint.
Grammar
Two-part connectors (sowohl … als auch, weder … noch, je … desto, zwar … aber), concessive, consecutive and final clauses, passive in all tenses and its substitutes (sich lassen, sein + zu, -bar), Konjunktiv II past with modals, relative clauses with genitive and wo(r)-, verbs, nouns and adjectives with prepositions, word order in the Mittelfeld.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 3,200 words; collocations instead of single words. Sentence stress for contrast.
Writing
Forumsbeitrag, formal email, a 120-word summary of an article.
Group project
„Pro & Contra live“: a recorded panel debate on a contested topic, with a moderator, two sides and an audience vote before and after.
Between lessons
Weekly tandem; one podcast episode and one news article a week; learners compare their text with an AI rewrite and note three differences.
Exam format practised
B2 Sprechen: the discussion task in pairs. Schreiben: the forum post.
Checkpoint: module test · debate scored on the speaking rubric · one timed writing task
B2.2
Berufs- und Prüfungsreife B2
Kontext B2.2 · Kapitel 7–12
Can-do goals
Understand the main ideas of complex texts, including specialist ones in your own field; give a structured presentation and answer questions; take part in meetings and job interviews; write clear, detailed reports; pass information between people who do not share a language.
Grammar
Nominalisation and verbalisation, Partizip I and II as attributes, indirect speech with Konjunktiv I, modal verbs for assumptions (dürfte, müsste, soll, will), genitive prepositions (wegen, trotz, infolge, während), Funktionsverbgefüge, es as placeholder, modal particles (doch, ja, eben, halt, mal).
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 4,000 words plus a personal 150-word list for the learner's profession. Fluency over 5 minutes.
Writing
Bericht, Bewerbung with Lebenslauf, Stellungnahme, meeting minutes.
Group project
„Fachvortrag“: an 8-minute presentation on your own profession with questions from the floor; peers score with the rubric.
Between lessons
Tandem with a partner from the same profession where possible; AI interview rehearsal; one full Modelltest section a week from week 5.
Exam format practised
Full B2 Sprechen (short talk, then discussion) and both writing tasks under time.
Exam gate: two full Goethe-Zertifikat B2 Modelltests → real exam recommended (Pflege recognition, Ausbildung, most employers)
C1 · Proficient Kontext C1 · 2 × 12 weeks · gate: Goethe-Zertifikat C1, or TestDaF / DSH for Studium
C1.1
Präzise & angemessen
Kontext C1.1 · Kapitel 1–6
Can-do goals
Understand long, demanding texts and what they imply; follow lectures and talk shows; speak fluently without searching for words; switch between informal, formal and academic register; write a well-structured Erörterung; summarize several sources for someone else.
Grammar
Nominalstil ↔ Verbalstil in both directions, extended participial attributes and their relative-clause equivalents, the full Konjunktiv I system with reporting verbs, modal substitutes (haben/sein + zu, imstande sein), subjective modals in the past (will gesehen haben), fixed Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen, text-level connectors (demzufolge, indessen, gleichwohl), word formation.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 5,500 words; synonyms by register; idioms understood. Intonation that marks stance.
Writing
Erörterung, Exzerpt, description of a chart, formal complaint.
Group project
„Kolloquium“: a mini-conference where each learner gives a source-based talk and takes critical questions.
Between lessons
One long-form article and one lecture or radio feature a week; a weekly 250-word text peer-reviewed by the Lernpartner; tandem continues.
Exam format practised
C1 Sprechen: the prepared talk. Schreiben: the argumentative task.
Checkpoint: module test · Kolloquium talk scored · register-switch task (same message, three audiences)
C1.2
Studien- und Berufssprache
Kontext C1.2 · Kapitel 7–12
Can-do goals
Use German flexibly in social, academic and professional settings; take notes from a lecture and reconstruct it; chair a discussion; write essays and reports with a nuanced position; catch irony, idiom and regional colour.
Grammar
Style over new forms: cohesion (reference words, theme and rheme), impersonal and passive alternatives in academic writing, irreal comparisons (als ob), advanced concessives (so … auch, wenngleich), written-register genitive prepositions (angesichts, hinsichtlich, zugunsten), collocations and Redewendungen, a personal clinic for fossilized errors.
Wortschatz · Aussprache
≈ 7,000+ words; academic word families; idioms used. Near-natural rhythm and reductions.
Writing
Essay or Stellungnahme of 350 words, Thesenpapier, Protokoll, a professional or academic application.
Group project
„Fachtagung“: a moderated podium discussion, each speaker backed by a one-page Thesenpapier handed in beforehand.
Between lessons
Authentic media only; a reading log; one full Modelltest section a week from week 6.
Exam format practised
Full C1 Sprechen in pairs (talk, then discussion) and both writing tasks under time.
Exam gate: two full Goethe-Zertifikat C1 Modelltests → Goethe C1; for university entry TestDaF or DSH preparation instead
The Kapitel 1–6 / 7–12 split is confirmed for Kontext and was already flagged in v2 for Netzwerk neu. Chapter titles and the per-chapter grammar of the current editions could not be retrieved (the publisher's contents PDFs were not reachable), so the grammar lists above follow the CEFR progression and must be mapped to chapters from the printed Inhaltsverzeichnis before a syllabus is printed. The same applies to exam task names: check them against the current Goethe Modellsätze.
Pacing
Hours and timeline
A1–B1 keep the v2 load of 7 hours a week. B2 and C1 stages run longer at the same weekly load, because each half-level covers more ground.
Stage
Book
Weeks
Live hours
≈ UE
Ends month
Gate
A1.1
Netzwerk neu A1.1
8
56
75
2
Module test
A1.2
Netzwerk neu A1.2
8
56
75
4
Goethe A1
A2.1
Netzwerk neu A2.1
8
56
75
6
Module test
A2.2
Netzwerk neu A2.2
8
56
75
8
Goethe A2
B1.1
Netzwerk neu B1.1
8
56
75
10
Module test
B1.2
Netzwerk neu B1.2
8
56
75
12
Goethe B1
B2.1
Kontext B2.1
10
70
93
14½
Module test
B2.2
Kontext B2.2
10
70
93
17
Goethe B2
C1.1
Kontext C1.1
12
84
112
20
Module test
C1.2
Kontext C1.2
12
84
112
23
Goethe C1 / TestDaF / DSH
UE = Unterrichtseinheit of 45 minutes. Months count teaching weeks only; with one-week breaks between stages and exam dates the full path is about 25 months. The B2 and C1 lengths are a proposal: Goethe's own hours per level could not be retrieved, so benchmark them against the Karachi brochure as v2 did before fixing them. Learners who pass B1 narrowly can take an optional four-week bridge with the Kontext B1+ express edition (8 chapters) before B2.1.
Assessment
What changes above B1
Advance gate stays as in v2: ≥ 65% on the module test plus a passing speaking rating.
Rubric gains a sixth line from B2.1: register and appropriateness, 0–3. Pass moves to ≥ 11/18.
Goethe B2 and C1 are modular. Lesen, Hören, Schreiben and Sprechen are scored out of 100 each and can be passed separately, so a learner who fails one module repeats only that one. Simulations are run and reported per module.
Writing is assessed on two drafts from B2.1: the timed first draft and the revision after peer feedback. Both count.
Placement: the DeutschKompass test needs B2 and C1 items before it can place anyone above B1.2. Until then, entry to B2.1 requires a B1 certificate or the B1.2 module test.
Pathways
Course path by goal
Goal
Usual requirement
Path
Duration (evening track)
Familiennachzug
A1 certificate
A1.1 → A1.2 + Goethe A1
≈ 4 months
Ausbildung
B1, often B2 by employer
A1.1 → B1.2, ideally through B2.2
≈ 12–17 months
Pflege / nursing
B2 for recognition
A1.1 → B2.2 + Goethe B2
≈ 17 months
Skilled work in German
B2 in most offices
A1.1 → B2.2, C1.1 for client-facing roles
≈ 17–20 months
Studium
C1 level via TestDaF or DSH
A1.1 → C1.2, exam training in the last stage
≈ 25 months
Requirements differ by Bundesland, authority and university. Confirm the exact certificate with the receiving institution before a learner books an exam.
Open points
Before this replaces v2
Map grammar to chapters from the printed contents pages of Netzwerk neu A1–B1 and Kontext B2–C1.
Pick the Grammatik-Clips. Go through Benjamin's Playlists tab and assign one video per grammar topic per stage, or record our own in the same style.
Decide the practice tool. The daily deck, league and explained quiz can run on Anki plus a spreadsheet for one cohort; building them into DeutschKompass is worth it only once two cohorts run in parallel.
Source tandem partners for B1.2 upward: German learners of Urdu or English, or a partner school. Tandem's free tier covers text, voice and calls.
Teaching decks and grammar pages exist to B1.2 and A2.2. B2.1 onward have none yet.