AP German Language and Culture study guide

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**For all these themes and subthemes link them back to their cultural significance and
their impact in German society**

Unit 1 - Familie und Gemeinschaft

Families and Communities

Unit 2 - Persönliche und Öffentliche Identität

Personal and public identities

Unit 3 - Alltag
Contemporary life

Unit 4 - Globalisierung
Global challenges

Unit 5 - Schönheit und Ästhetik

Art and beauty

Unit 6 - Wissenschaft und Technologie

Science and technology

Unit 1 - Familie und Gemeinschaft

Families and Communities
Essential questions:
● Wie versteht man den Begriff „Familie“ in deutschsprachigen Regionen?
○ In Deutschland gibt es normalerweise kleine Familie und auch Menschen,
die keine Kindern haben. Viele Deutsche haben Kinder, als sie älter als
Amerikanischen sind. Sie gründen ihre Familie später als in Amerika, weil
sie sich mehr auf ihre Karriere konzentrieren
● Was sind einige wichtige Aspekte und Werte des Familienlebens in
deutschsprachigen Regionen?
○ In der deutschen Kultur sind Familien grundlegend und sehr wichtig. In
einer deutschen Familie ist es wichtig, immer ehrlich zu sein und die
Familie zu schätzen
● Welchen Herausforderungen müssen sich Familien heutzutage stellen?
○ Deutsche Familien müssen sich mit Generationsproblemen
auseinandersetzen, da zwischen den Generationen ein größerer
Altersunterschied besteht.

Erklären Sie, wie die deutsche Kultur diese Bräuche, Traditionen und Werte
geschaffen und beeinflusst hat.

Unit 1 sub themes and keywords

Familienstruktur:
● Family structure in German societies does not just mean how many people, on
average, live in one household in German speaking countries or the normal age
 gap between generations in families. The more cultural aspect of family structure
means understanding the perceived roles of each family member and how these
roles are particular to german societies.
● Whether or not most German families have pets in their house and how it relates
to their culture/traditions
● German families tend to be pretty small, usually only one kid or none at all

Important vocabulary for family structure:

● Die Rolle -- role, in this case, one’s role and “duties” within a household
and for the family
● Das Haustier -- pet, literal translation is house animal

Vielfältigkeit:
● There is a lot of diversity in German speaking countries because they are a prime
destination for immigrants and refugees. There were guest workers coming from
Turkey and other countries after World War II and which created diversity. With
their aging population and big economy there is a great need for new young
workers to join the workforce.
● Germany and other german speaking regions are open to immigrants and
encourage them
● Turkish guest workers are considered to have transformed German society
following the war

Important vocabulary for diversity:

● Die Vielfältigkeit -- diversity
● Der Gastarbeiter -- guestworker, after WWII in Germany there was a high
request for workers to bring back the economy which attracted many young
workers (mostly men) in search for a better life and better job. They would
 then send most of their money back to their families who stayed in their
homeland
● Der Einwanderer -- immigrant
● Der Flüchtling -- refugee, forced to leave homeland for fear of armed
conflict, violation of human rights, religious persecution,...

Beziehungen:
● The traditions and characteristics of friendships in German speaking regions and
how they are different than the United States/other communities.
● Dating life in german societies is another major part of personal relationships and
to understand German culture, in particular contemporary life in German
countries.
● An important aspect of culture in personal relationships is an acceptable age to
have a first boyfriend/girlfriend in society and in families

Important vocabulary for personal relationships:

● Der Lehrer -- male teacher
● Die Lehrerin -- female teacher
● Der Partner/ der Lebensgefährte -- different terms to say boyfriend,
Lebensgefährte is least common, mostly used by older generations in a
formal setting.
 ● Die Partnerin / die Liebhaberin -- different terms for girlfriend. Die
Liebhaberin is more formal
● Der beste Freund -- best friend (male)
● Die Freundin -- female friend
● Die Beziehung -- the relationship or bond, this can be used for a romantic
relationship or a simple acquaintance
Jugendkultur:
● Youth culture means cultural traditions involving the young generations in
German culture
● The youth culture category comprises the types of activities most popular in
German societies for example sports, video games, makeup, social media
○ Almost all the boys play soccer, the most popular sport in Germany and
other German speaking countries. Teenagers also follow soccer games
between big European teams (Juventus, Milan, Borussia Dortmund,..). The
sport is a source of entertainment and something to talk about between
teens but also with other generations which follow soccer as well. Teens
watch the Bundesliga with their families or friends
○ Compared to the United States, very few German teenagers use Snapchat,
as they prefer Instagram or other social media platforms. Teens also use an
online messaging platform, Whatsapp, as opposed to iMessages, as do most
other german speaking areas
● Examples could be: which kind of phones youth mostly likes compared to the U.S.
○ As opposed to American teenagers, who almost always have Apple
iPhones, German, Swiss and Austrian teenagers have other brand phones
and rarely are Apple phones considered popular or prevalent. This shows a
big cultural difference.

Important vocabulary for youth culture:

● Der Fußball -- soccer, the most popular sport among young boys
 ● Das Handy -- mobile phone

Leben in der Stadt, Vororten und auf dem Land:

● People in German societies live in urban, suburban and rural areas, compare the
reasons for living in these areas with the United States and find cultural/
traditional significance
○ Sometimes rural houses with hills and fields stay in the same family for
generations because they have sentimental value but also because the
younger generations carry along the culture and traditions of farming. This
factor plays a role in the distribution of people in rural, suburban or urban
homes. It is important to note that people might have a house in an urban
area, which is beneficial for the economy and education but also might have
a second home in the periphery.
● The amount of people living in urban, suburban and rural areas also depends on
what region of Germany/Austria/Switzerland they live in.
● A very high percentage of German population is clustered in cities and urban areas
because of the many economic and career opportunities.

Important vocabulary for urban, suburban and rural life:

● Der Bauer -- farmer (male)
● Die Bauerin -- farmer (female)
● Ländlich -- rural
● die Peripherie -- periphery
● Die Stadt -- city or urban area
● Der Bauernhof -- farm or farmland
Unit 2 - Persönliche und Öffentliche Identität
Personal and public identities
Essential questions
● Wie entwickelt sich die Identität eines Menschen?
○ Die Identität einer Person ändert sich mit persönlichen Erfahrungen und
Menschen in ihrem Leben. Es verändert sich auch in der Umgebung, in der
man lebt, weil die Erfahrungen, die man gemacht hat, von der Umgebung
abhängen. Die gesellschaftlichen Ideale können auch die eigene Identität
verändern.
● Welchen Einfluss hat Sprache auf unsere kulturelle Identität?
 ○ Sprache hat einen sehr großen Einfluss auf die eigene Identität, da es in der
deutschen Kultur viele verschiedene Dialekte gibt, die für jede Region und
jedes Land spezifisch sind. Das Sprechen eines bestimmten Dialekts kann
die Heimat und Kultur eines Menschen identifizieren.
● Wie spiegelt lokale Kunst die öffentliche Identität einer Region wider?
○ Die Kunst in einer Gemeinschaft spiegelt ihre Kultur wider, weil Kunst
eine Methode des Selbstausdrucks ist und Künstler in der Gemeinschaft
ihre Kultur zeigen und bewahren.

Erklären Sie, wie die deutsche Kultur diese Bräuche, Traditionen und Werte
geschaffen und beeinflusst hat.

Unit 2 sub themes and keywords:

Sprache und Identität:
● In Germany there are really many different variations and dialects of the German
language making them a source of extreme pride for those who speak them. For
the population, speaking in a certain dialect reminds them of their homeland even
if they have moved and therefore makes these dialects a large part of their identity.
○ All the areas have their own slightly different accent and dialect making
them all very unique and meaningful
○ To a certain extent the dialect you speak determines your social class/
economic status
○ Distinction between East and West Germany’s dialects
 Important vocabulary for language and identity:
● Die Heimat -- homeland, strong cultural significance especially in the older
generation.
● der Dialekt -- dialect

Stereotypen:
● There are many stereotypes regarding German and German speaking people such
as being very punctual (mostly Swiss), other stereotypes are being stern and cold
and seemingly without emotion. Germans also like to be straightforward and avoid
small talk.
● There are also many stereotypes for Turkish guest workers and immigrants that
live in Germany, for example for having bigger families compared to the average
German family
○ I recommend the movie Almanya which discusses the cultural impact of
guestworkers and clearly outlines stereotyping against them

Important vocabulary for personal technology and communication:

● Das Stereotyp --stereotype
● pünktlich -- punctual
● streng -- stern or strict

Integration:
● German speaking countries have been home to many immigrants and guest
workers in recent history so it is important to understand the difficulties to fit in
into the culture. Sometimes your accent defines your identity not to yourself but to
others, indicating that one is not a native german speaker
● As mentioned above there are also stereotypes surrounding immigrants in some
societies making the transition even more difficult
 Important vocabulary for integration:
● Die Integration-- integration
● der ausländische Akzent -- foreign accent, sometimes meant with a negative
connotation

Geschlechtliche Identität :
● Sexuality is another main aspect of identity and one must understand the social
opinions on the topic to see how culture influences identity.
● One’s gender identity may be influenced by culture and the environment
surrounding them and is and important part of one’s personal identity
● Understand societal ideas regarding sexuality and how it affects the population
and everyday life

Important vocabulary for gender identity:

● die Bisexualität -- bisexuality
● die Homosexualität -- homosexuality
● die Heterosexualität -- heterosexuality

Nationale Identität:
● The German national identity is hard to explain because there are so many parts. It
is hard for Germany to develop a national identity after WWII and the Cold War.
● To this day there is still a certain extent of division between East and West
Germany society, beliefs and customs.
● This represents how past experiences and events can greatly affect identity even at
such a large scale like a national scale.

Important vocabulary for national identity:

● Die Nationalität -- nationality
● Das Ostdeutschland -- East Germany
 ● Das Westdeutschland -- West Deutschland
● Die kulturelle Spannung -- cultural tension
● Die nationale Identität -- national identity, an identity that falls over all
german residents/citizens

Unit 3 - Alltag
Contemporary life
Essential questions
● Welche Aktivitäten und Aspekte des Alltags gibt es dank der deutschen
Kultur?
Es gibt Sport, religiöse Stätten, Autos und andere Dinge.
● Wie beeinflussen und beziehen sich Aspekte des täglichen Lebens auf die
Lebensqualität?
Aspekte des Alltags wie Sport, Kunst und Arbeit verbessern die Lebensqualität,
indem sie den Menschen Ablenkung und Spaß machen. Die Schule bietet Kindern
die Möglichkeit, andere Menschen kennenzulernen und Spaß zu haben, indem sie
ihre Lebensqualität verbessern.
● Welchen Einfluss hat die deutsche Kultur und Sprache auf den Alltag?
Die deutsche Kultur hat die Identität der Bevölkerung am Beispiel der Dialekte der
verschiedenen Regionen stark beeinflusst. Kultur verändert Schule und Aktivitäten
außerhalb der Schule (Beispiel Sport)
Unit 3 sub themes and keywords:
Unterhaltung, Reisen und Freizeit:
● German speaking countries cherish celebrations and holidays dearly as it gives
families a place and time to reunite. These celebrations, however small, are always
subject to big family reunions and kids have days off from school
● The German holiday Oktoberfest is known worldwide and is one of the most
popular holidays/celebrations in Germany. That is a cultural event and a time for
many people to get together and be off work
● During summer break Germans and Austrians usually travel to southern Italy
because it is close and affordable while at the same time still be breathtakingly
beautiful

Important vocabulary for entertainment, travel, and leisure :

● Das Oktoberfest -- a 16 day folk festival held in Germany between the last 2
weeks of September and the 1st week of October
● Die Ferien -- holidays, used as vacation but also for being off from work or school
(i'm on a holiday)
● Reisen -- to travel
 ● die Feier -- celebration

Ausbildung und Karriere:

● To understand German culture it is important to understand the school system,
rules and customs that are involved and the path to working. The customs around
schooling and education and what is the most common path that leads to working
and what does society praise the most
○ Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, Gymnasium/other
institutions that are specific to a work field, sometimes university but not
always
○ After middle school, transitioning into high school people must take an
exam and either go into gymnasium (high school) or another career specific
institution
○ University tuition is free in Germany and Switzerland
○ The grades go to 1-6 (1 being the best A/A+ range) 6 is the worst grade,
failing and 1 is the best and grades are in between every .5.
○ All tests taken in school must be signed by parents or legal guardians to
inform them of scholastic progress

Important vocabulary for education and careers:

● Die Schule -- school
● Die Note -- grade
 ● Der Planer-- planner, given by the school most times, to help students plan
homework and test dates but also write their grades and schedule down.
Teachers also write bad conduct on these planners which must be then
signed by parents or legal guardians

Sport und Gesundheit:

● Soccer is the biggest sport among boys and also men, both for playing but also for
entertainment. Sometimes there are even promotions in supermarkets where
people can collect pictures of famous soccer players and trading these stickers at
school is very popular especially in elementary and middle school.
● All sports are club sports and are completely independent from the school system
resulting in less school spirit and less spectators at games and competition. Most
girls compete in volleyball and but no sports is as prevalent and popular like
soccer is, however, it is not as socially acceptable for girls to play soccer as it is
considered a men’s sport

Important vocabulary for sports and well-being:

● Der Sport-- sports, any physical activity, also used to say PE or any in-
school gym class
● Die außerschulische Aktivität -- extracurricular activities, also meaning
sports as they are independent from school system
● Die Freizeit -- free time
Transportmitteln:
● In contrast to the United States where everything is privately owned and most
families have at least one car, German culture is strongly based on public
transportation making it the common way of commutation. Many families in
German communities do not even own a car as they use busses and trains to get
around. The public transportations system is much more developed and elaborate
than the American one, making it more popular and used. They like public
transportation for cleaner energy.
● Busses and trains are the most common public transportation but in big cities there
are also underground metros.

Important vocabulary for transportation:

● Das Verkehrsmittel -- means of transportation
● Die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel-- public transportation
● Das Auto -- car
● Das Taxi -- cab or taxi, only present in very big urban areas to commute
from train or bus station to home or hotel,
● Der Verkehr -- traffic

Liefern:
● The main nutritional sources vary from region to region however Germans take
pride in their food and cooking as it has cultural significance. Their food is a huge
 part of their culture and pride. Some foods that are of German origin are
Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Spätzle, Apple Strudel and many more
● Their culture has diffused all across Europe and the Western Hemisphere making
Germany famous especially for their homemade food with recipes that have been
in the family for decades.

Important vocabulary for nutrition:

● Das essen -- food
● die Mahlzeit -- meal
● Das Frühstück -- breakfast
● Das Mittagessen -- lunch
● Das Abendessen -- dinner
● Der Bratwurst -- german sausage
● Der Currywurst -- a german sausage with curry seasoning
Unit 4 - Globalisierung
Global challenges
Essential questions:
● Wie wirken sich ökologische, politische und soziale Herausforderungen
positiv und negativ auf die Gemeinden aus?
Herausforderungen bringen manchmal Gemeinschaften zusammen, da sich jeder
auf die Herausforderung konzentrieren und zusammenhalten muss. Dies führt
jedoch häufig zu Konflikten innerhalb einer Gesellschaft, wodurch diese
Herausforderungen zum Grund für das Auseinanderbrechen werden. Überlegen
Sie, wie die deutsche Gesellschaft mit globalen Herausforderungen umgeht und
wie sie sich auf die Kultur auswirkt.
● Welche Rolle spielen Menschen bei der Bewältigung der komplexen Probleme
der Gesellschaft?
Erläutern Sie beispielsweise den kulturellen Aspekt der Frage, wie die
Gesellschaft mit Herausforderungen umgeht, die jeder kennt, ohne fragen zu
müssen, und in welcher Beziehung sie zur Kultur steht.
● Wie wirken sich herausfordernde Herausforderungen auf die
Unternehmenskultur aus?
Herausforderungen sind immer schwer zu bewältigen und es ist schwer, sich nach
der Erfahrung nicht zu ändern. Konzentrieren Sie sich und denken Sie darüber
nach, wie deutsche Gemeinden mit Herausforderungen umgehen und wie sich die
Kultur dadurch verändert
● Welche Aspekte des Alltags beeinflussen die Lebensqualität?
 Die Lebensbedingungen beeinflussen direkt die Lebensqualität, da dies der
wichtigste Teil ist. Unser Zuhause ist das, worauf wir nachts zurückkommen und
morgens aufwachen. Wenn wir in unserem Haus unglücklich sind, hat dies große
Auswirkungen auf unsere Lebensqualität
● Was beeinflusst Ihre Interpretation und Wahrnehmung in Bezug auf die
Lebensqualität?
Kultur hat großen Einfluss darauf, was man als gute Lebensqualität wahrnimmt,
indem man Standards setzt. Um die deutsche Kultur zu verstehen, muss man
verstehen, welche Standards und Vergleiche in Bezug auf die Lebensqualität
gemacht werden.

Unit 4 sub themes and keywords:

Migrationen und Grenzen:
● Given its geographic location, the German speaking area receives many
immigrants from Southern or Eastern countries. The borders and immigration
policies are also accepting of immigrants.
● Sometimes it is hard for immigrants and refugees to integrate in German societies
and often are even discriminated against.
● There is also a lot of internal migration to urban areas in search of economic
prosperity

Important vocabulary for migration and borders:

● Der Einwanderer -- male immigrant
● Die Grenze-- the border
● Der Ausländer -- foreign person
● Die Integration -- integration
● Die Staatsbürgerschaft -- citizenship
Umweltschutz:
● There are many environmental issues regarding global warming in Germany and
the german speaking area however they all make an effort to utilize sustainable
energy sources as much as possible.
● Almost every city and town is using some form of renewable energy because they
believe it is important to support their land and environment. They use sustainable
energy sources including
○ Solar energy
○ Hydro power
○ Geothermal
● They have many windmills in areas that are flat and where the wind picks up
because they want to use as much renewable energy as is possible to keep a clean
environment and sustainable energy

Important vocabulary for alternative energy resources:

● Die Wasserkraft -- hydropower
● Die Solarenergie -- solar energy
● Das Solarpanel -- solar panel
● Die Windmühle -- wind mill
● Die Nachhaltige Energie -- sustainable energy
● Der Klimawandel -- climate change

Umwelt:
● Germans love their environment, especially the sea, rivers, lakes, and try to
preserve as best they can since they attract a lot of tourism from all around the
world. In fact they are considered to be outside most of the time either hiking or
swimming or walking.
 Important vocabulary for environment:
● Die Umwelt -- environment
● Der Klimawandel -- climate change
● das Klima -- climate

Wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten:
● There are many economic difficulties arising in the german speaking region
challenging society to overcome them. First, there is a big difference between the
West and East Germany, the West being the richer more prosperous part

Important vocabulary for economic difficulties:

● Das Geld -- money
● Die Münzen -- coins
● Der reiche Mann -- a rich male
● Die Armut -- poverty

Unit 5 - Schönheit und Ästhetik

Art and beauty
Essential questions:
● Wie beeinflussen Schönheit und Ästhetik den Alltag?
Schönheitsideale haben großen Einfluss auf das tägliche Leben, insbesondere
junge Mädchen, die sich mit diesen Schönheitsidealen vergleichen und traurig
werden, wenn sie sie nicht erreichen. Dies verändert das tägliche Leben, weil alles,
was ein Mensch tut, über die Ideale der Schönheit nachdenkt und wie man sie
erreicht. Dies verschlechtert die Lebensqualität, weil sich ein Mensch mehr auf
Schönheit als auf das Leben im Moment konzentriert.
● Inwiefern reflektiert und hinterfragt Kunst kulturelle Perspektiven?
Kunst fordert kulturelle Perspektiven heraus, weil moderne Kunst oft eine weniger
kulturelle und manchmal sogar kontroverse Bedeutung hat, was sie zu einer
Herausforderung für gegensätzliche kulturelle Ideen macht. Gleichzeitig ist Kunst
eine Ausdrucksform und spiegelt manchmal kulturelle Perspektiven wider, die der
Kultur helfen, in der Neuzeit zu überleben und Kunst mit kontroversen Ideen
herauszufordern.
● Wie legt eine Gesellschaft Wert auf Schönheit und Ästhetik?
Die Gemeinde schätzt Kunst und Schönheit so sehr, dass alle Menschen hoffen,
das Schönheitsideal ihrer Gesellschaft zu erreichen. Schulen schätzen Kunst und
nehmen Kinder mit auf einen Ausflug in Museen und Parks, damit auch Kinder
diese Kunst schätzen können.
● Was ist die Verbindung zwischen Kunst und Geschichte?
In der Vergangenheit wurde Kunst verwendet, um Geschichten oder historische
Momente wie alte Schlachten zu erzählen. Dies zeigt, wie Kunst kulturelle
Bedeutung hat und hilft den Menschen heutzutage, die Vergangenheit ihrer
Gesellschaft zu sehen.
Unit 5 sub themes and keywords:
Ideale der Schönheit:
● In German culture there are very specific beauty standards that cause people to go
to great lengths to achieve them. It is considered beautiful to be very thin causing a
recent exponential increase in eating disorders in Germany alone. These beauty
standards are unhealthy but still praised in society because they are deeply
embedded in culture and portrayed in art.

Important vocabulary for beauty standards:

● Die Ideale der Schönheit -- beauty standards
● Die Scönheit -- beauty (external)
● Der Körper -- body
● Die Haut -- skin
● Das Gesicht -- face
● Das Körperbild -- self perception

Literatur:
● Literature is also a big part of German culture as all kids in school ever since
middle school, read literature masterpieces and are explained the cultural
significance. There are also German fairy tales that are a big part of German
children’s childhood, for example the Grimm’s Brothers fairytale (Hansel and
Gretel is one of them). The literature can also be classics written in the last
centuries which show culture to a great extent. Literature is a good insight on the
historical aspect and how it has influenced culture to how it is today.

Important vocabulary for literature:

● Das Buch -- book
● Die Literautur -- literature
● lesen -- to read
 ● Die Schule -- school
● Das Märchen -- fairytale

Musik:
● Many small German artists are prevalent but most teenagers listen to American
music. There are also a couple popular German rappers that are popular in parents
and older generations because they can understand the words

Important vocabulary for music:

● Die Musik -- music
● Der Rhythmus -- rhythm or beat
● Der Text-- lyrics of the song
● Die Poesie-- used to refer to a song script that has cultural meaning and implicit
metaphors
● Der Klang -- sounds or noise

Arkitektur:
● Architecture is a main part of German culture as it is present in churches and other
historical buildings with religious and cultural meaning. Germany is the religious
hearth of Protestantism which means that there are many sacred sites. Churches
have simple architecture but continue to be restored.
 ● German houses and buildings also have unique architecture that attracts tourism
from around the world. The traditional houses in the mountains are called
“Fachwerkhäuser”. Fachwerk is the unique material they are made of. These
houses have cultural significance because they have been there for decades and it
shows how the environment and the available resources determine the landscape
to a certain extent

Important vocabulary for architecture:

● Die Kirche -- church, cultural significance
● Das Fresko -- wall painting representing cultural event in the past,
usually in churches or cathedrals
● Das Haus-- house
● Das Gebäude -- a building
● Die Arkitektur -- architecture
● Das Gemälde-- painting

Darstellende Kunst:
● Visual arts are a popular entertainment in German culture, in the past these
performances were used by the german community to express oneself. These arts
are usually of some cultural significance making them a means by which the
culture is preserved. There are acting/theater performances, musicals and bands.

Important vocabulary for visual arts:

● Das Theater -- theatre
● Die Ausstellung -- performance
● Die Visuelle Kunst -- visual arts
● Die Musik -- music
● Der Schauspieler -- actor
● Die Schauspielerin -- actress
Unit 6 - Naturwissenschaft und Technologie
Science and technology
Essential questions:
● Welche Rolle spielen Erfindungen und Entdeckungen in Wissenschaft und
Technologie?
Politiker haben ein großes Mitspracherecht im Bereich Innovation und
Technologie, weil sie Finanzmittel freigeben oder zurückhalten können. Andere
 Faktoren könnten die Gemeinschaft sein und entscheiden, wohin die Finanzierung
geht.
● Welche Rolle spielt Ethik in wissenschaftlichem Fortschritt?
Ethik spielt eine große Rolle in der Entwicklung der Wissenschaft, weil Ethik zu
Regeln wird, gegen die Menschen nicht verstoßen.
● Was sind die gesellschaftlichen Konsequenzen von wissenschaftlichem und
technologischem Fortschritt?
Berücksichtigen Sie die kulturellen Aspekte und Konsequenzen, die eine erhöhte
wissenschaftliche Forschung für die Gemeinschaft hat.

Unit 6 sub themes and keywords:

Entdeckungen und Erfindungen:

● There are many new inventions in Germany that influence culture and society.
Consider how these inventions and new discoveries will affect the economy and
society itself in the process.
● Many researches are being conducted regarding engineering, their discoveries
have been the most recent and extremely effective. There are also studies at Swiss
and Austrian universities.
Important vocabulary for discoveries and inventions:
 ● Der Pionier -- pioneer
● Die Entdeckung -- discovery
● Die Erfindung -- invention
● Die Naturwissenschaft -- science
● Die Technologie -- technology

Ethische und moralische Entscheidungen:

● Ethics greatly impact the manner in which people study technology, engineering
and science as it pushes researchers to find sustainable ways to make discoveries.
● There are big consequences for unethical decisions and researches which is also
incentive to be ethical and moral

Important vocabulary for ethical and moral choices:

● Die Entscheidung -- choice
● Die Ethik -- ethics
● Die Moral -- morality
● Die Integrierung -- integrity

Gesundheit und Medizin:

● The German health care system is very good and well organized giving people the
option and opportunity to seek medical attention when necessary without having
to worry about the cost of it. Societal values promote this health care because they
want everyone to be healthy and have equal chances.
● Once again here we can see how societal and cultural values influence modern life
and medicine and health.

Important vocabulary for health and medicine:

● Die Gesundheit -- health
● Das Krankenhaus -- hospital
 ● Der Hubschrauber -- helicopter
● Der Krankenwagen -- ambulance
● die Gesundheitsversorgung -- health care

Das Netzwerk und seine sozialen Auswirkungen:

● The internet helps many people from different German speaking areas interact and
share ideas. This helps promote local culture and preserve it as well as preserving
the language.
● It impacts society also negatively because sometimes teens will spend time on
social media rather than interacting with people around them
● However generally the impact of social media and local culture is good and
beneficial in preserving it. Teens will speak in traditional german or in their dialect
which either way preserves it
● They notice the many differences especially between Swiss German, Austrian
German and German.

Important vocabulary for the network and its social impact:

● Das Netz -- the internet
● Die sozialen Medien-- social media
● Das Handy/das Telefon -- phone
● Die Sprache -- language
Sources:
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-german-language-and-culture/exam
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-german-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-
description.pdf?course=ap-german-language-and-culture