German | Vocabulary Book Review 📚 #Goethe Exam Prep
This time, I would like to summarize the vocabulary books I use regularly, as well as how I actually used them for Goethe-Zertifikat exam preparation.
<For Beginners to Intermediate (A1–B1)>
"German A1/A2 Vocabulary List" Hakusuisha
"German B1 Vocabulary List" Hakusuisha
By Michio Mitsugi and Eriko Nakano
Edited based on the vocabulary list published by the Goethe-Institut. The content is useful not only for Goethe-Zertifikat exam preparation but also for daily study.
• Listed in alphabetical order from A to Z
• A1/A2 are structured by level, so it is possible to study only the range you need.
• All text is in black.
(Since I use a red sheet, I used a special marker to hide the parts I wanted to memorize.)
• Example sentences: ◯
• Audio: None
I made it a point to write down any words not included in these books while working through my Goethe exam textbooks. By doing this, I avoided having information scattered everywhere. Then, I went through the vocabulary books multiple times, and finally, I picked out only the words I still couldn't remember to create a custom list. I think this is a convenient method because you can still use the books like a dictionary even after the exam is over.
Personally, I would be even more grateful if they included phonetic symbols and the frequency of appearance for each word.
That said, there are very few vocabulary books that allow you to study by CEFR level like this, so I found them very useful. I hope they publish versions for B2 and beyond... *tears*
<For Intermediate and Above>
"4000 German Words to Master Through Dialogues by Situation"
By HJ Knaup and Izumi Mori (2018), Beret Publishing
The biggest difference from general vocabulary books is that there are a huge number of dialogues and example sentences included. 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.
• Example sentences: ◎
• Related vocabulary included: ◯
• CD: ◯
• Audio download: ◯
• Index: German
• Use of red sheet: ×
"365 German Fixed Expressions Useful for Conversation and Writing"
By Masayoshi Hashimoto (2016), Sanshusha
Many frequently used fixed expressions and important sentence structures in daily life are included. The content is useful not only for daily conversation but also for exam preparation.
Personally, I thought it would be good to incorporate this from the intermediate level onwards, especially around B2 for Goethe. The vocabulary used in the example sentences is not difficult, so it is possible to read it at an earlier stage, but I was busy enough just memorizing the official vocabulary list until B1. *sweat*
• Example sentences: ◎
• CD: ◯
• Audio download: ◯
• Index: None
→ Listed in alphabetical order
• Use of red sheet: ×
<As a Dictionary>
"4000 Essential German Words"
By Shigeo Hatori and Hisahiro Hiratsuka (2003), Hakusuisha
This feels more like a compact dictionary than a typical vocabulary book. It is a companion to "that famous grammar book." Like the grammar book, it has a sturdy cover, which is nice.
・Part 1 (First half) Alphabetical order
・Part 2 (Second half) By category
・Phonetic symbols ◯
・Example sentences ◯
Thank you for reading until the end ☺︎
I have summarized exam preparation tips in a separate article.