German | Goethe-Zertifikat B2 Exam Preparation Materials
In this post, I would like to summarize the materials I have gathered to prepare for the Goethe-Zertifikat B2 exam.
1. Vocabulary
Although the official number of words required for the Goethe-Zertifikat B2 does not seem to be explicitly stated, the general benchmark for the B2 level is said to be around 4,000 to 5,000 words or more.
Furthermore, at the B2 level, you are required to understand not just simple word counts, but also abstract vocabulary, idioms (phrasal verb-like expressions, verb + preposition sets, etc.), conjunctions, and paraphrasing with synonyms. Another characteristic is that many vocabulary items leaning toward written language appear on the exam.
Up to B1, there are official word lists available and vocabulary books published in Japanese, so I never had trouble choosing materials. However, from B2 onwards, you need to look for German-language materials or steadily collect vocabulary and expressions on your own.
With that in mind, I have gathered the following materials.
"Deutscher Wortschatz fuer Fortgeschrittene: Niveaustufe B2-C2"
By Ihor Kolesnykov
A German textbook that collects the vocabulary necessary for the B2-C2 levels.
"365 German Fixed Expressions Useful for Conversation and Writing"
By Masayoshi Hashimoto (2016), Sanshusha
This book contains many fixed expressions and important sentence structures that are frequently used in daily life. The content is useful not only for daily conversation but also for exam preparation.
"Learn 4000 German Words Through Dialogues by Situation"
By HJ Knaup and Izumi Mori (2018), Beret Publishing
The big difference between this and a general vocabulary book is that it contains a huge number of dialogues and example sentences. You can learn vocabulary and expressions useful for daily conversation within a context. It is structured so that it is easy to imagine in what situations they are actually used.
2. Grammar
"Grammatik aktiv B2/C1"
I also love the A1-B1 books in this series.
Just like in English, the B2 level is said to be the level where you have almost all the grammar necessary for daily life. I bought this because I thought it was important to solidify my grammar here.
"Sprachbausteine Deutsch B2: Teil 1 & 2 (Deutsch mit Schmidt)"
By Sascha Schmidt
This is a textbook that allows you to practice grammar through fill-in-the-blank exercises. It is useful for solidifying the grammar you have learned.
(3) Practice in exam format, mock tests
I have used these two series since B1, so I trust them. They are very easy to use and are created in line with the actual exam format, so you can study efficiently. I believe it is a good idea to prioritize picking up the vocabulary and expressions that appear in these textbooks.
Thank you for reading until the end. To everyone studying German, let's do our best together! ☺︎