What we can talk about (B1)...
Here you will find topics for your speaking practice. Open a group, choose a topic and practise it with Johannes or with another participant.
Personal details, life path and personality
Introducing yourself in detail
origin, living situation, family, education, job, languages, hobbies; not just listing things, but telling and explaining
Getting to know each other
asking the other person questions, following up, responding to answers, keeping the conversation going
My CV, spoken
telling the stages of your life in the right order, time expressions, simple past and perfect
Turning points in life
an important decision, a move, a new start: what happened, how I felt, what I would do differently today
Character and qualities
describing yourself and others in more detail, naming strengths and weaknesses, giving examples
Role models
who my role model is and why, what I learned from this person
Childhood memories
what it was like back then, what has changed, simple past and past perfect
Moments of happiness
talking about a particularly beautiful experience and commenting on it with emotion
Missed opportunities
what I regret, "Hätte ich doch …", expressing disappointment and reacting to it
Dreams and wishes
what I would like to do one day, unreal wishes with Konjunktiv II
Plans and goals
what I plan to do in the next few years, naming conditions and doubts
Showing feelings
describing joy, anger, fear and stress and saying what helps you
Happiness
what happiness means to me, lucky charms, superstition
Stress and relaxation
what stresses me, how I deal with it, giving tips
Family, friendship and living together
Family models
nuclear family, patchwork family, single parents, extended family; comparing and giving your own opinion
Roles in the family
who does what in the household and with the children, roles of women and men then and now
Parental leave and childcare
nursery, grandparents, childminder; experiences, advantages and disadvantages
Bringing up children
what children may and should do, rules at home, differences from your home country
Friendship
what makes a good friend; keeping and losing friendships
Love and relationships
how people meet, online dating, moving in together, getting married
A wedding – big celebration or private party?
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Living with your parents
"Hotel Mama": how long people stay at home, advantages and disadvantages
Generations
young and old together, grandparents, growing old
Resolving conflicts
describing an argument, criticising politely and accepting criticism, finding a compromise
Misunderstandings
talking about a misunderstanding, asking back, making sure you have understood
Pets
animals in the family, responsibility, animals and people
Housing and neighbourhood
My living situation
how and where I live, what I like and what is missing, how I used to live
Looking for a flat
ads, viewings, rent and additional costs, experiences of searching
Forms of housing
flat share, multi-generation house, tiny house, temporary housing; giving reasons for your opinion
Town or country
advantages and disadvantages, where I would rather live and why
Neighbourhood
contact with neighbours, helping each other, differences from your home country
House rules and regulations
quiet hours, rubbish, staircase; explaining and discussing rules
Trouble with neighbours
raising a problem politely, apologising, finding a solution together
Moving house
planning a move, organising helpers, everything that needs to be done
My part of town
presenting where you live, what there is, what should change
Order and tidying up
how tidy am I, arguments about tidiness, proverbs
Everyday life, shopping and services
Shopping habits
where and how I shop, market, supermarket, online shop; advantages and disadvantages
Shopping online or in a shop?
experiences, the situation in your home country, opinion
Making a complaint
a product is broken or the wrong item was delivered, complaining, reacting to a complaint
Customer conversations and advice
getting advice, asking questions, making a decision
Describing a product
function, appearance, material, price, what I like
Advertising
ads that appeal to me or annoy me, advertising tricks, advertising for children
Consumption
do we need so many things? Buy Nothing Day, second-hand, swapping, repairing
Money and saving
pocket money, household budget, saving, avoiding debt
Bank and insurance
opening an account, having a card blocked, comparing insurance policies
Consumer protection
subscription traps, cancelling a contract, getting advice
Tradespeople and repairs
arranging an appointment, describing a problem, asking questions
Services in everyday life
hairdresser, dry cleaner, parcel service: stating what you want, making complaints
Offices, authorities and life in a new country
An appointment at a public office
explaining your request, clarifying documents, asking questions, asking for an explanation
Forms and applications
discussing an application orally, clarifying anything unclear
Arriving in a new country
first experiences, difficulties, what helped
Being a stranger
feeling like a stranger, homesickness, experiences of being foreign
Home
what home means to me, old and new home, what I miss
Cultural differences
punctuality, hospitality, greetings, taboos in small talk; comparing without judging
What I like here and what I don't
giving reasons for positive and negative things
Naturalisation
advantages and disadvantages of citizenship, documents, experiences
Separating rubbish
how it works here, how it works in your home country, what I think of it
Health and well-being
Living healthily
diet, exercise, sleep; what I do and what I should do
At the doctor's
describing symptoms precisely, asking questions, understanding and discussing a treatment
Giving advice
"Wenn ich du wäre …", "Du solltest …": tips on health, stress, problems
Calling in sick
reporting sick at work or in your course, handing over tasks
An accident
talking about an accident, what happened, who helped
A hospital visit and help afterwards
planning together: when to visit, how to get there, what to bring, how to help
In hospital
a stay, visits, reporting an emergency; from the point of view of the patient and the family
Prevention
check-ups, vaccinations, what you can do for your health yourself
Sport and fitness
which sport I do, why, gym or outdoors
Laughter is healthy
what makes me laugh, humour in different cultures
Food and drink
Eating habits
what, when and how I eat, how this has changed
Healthy eating
what is healthy, fast food, vegetarian and vegan; giving reasons for your opinion
Going to school without breakfast?
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Explaining a recipe
ingredients, preparation step by step, passive voice
Specialities from my home country
presenting a typical dish, festivals and food
At the restaurant
ordering, special requests, complaining, rating a visit to a restaurant
An invitation to dinner
inviting, accepting and declining, a gift for the host, table manners
Planning an evening with friends
cooking together: who brings what, who cooks what
School meals and canteen
what there is, what should be better
Food and where it comes from
regional, organic, fresh; what I pay attention to when shopping
Work and jobs
My job
tasks, working hours, colleagues, what I like and what I don't
Presenting a job
tasks, advantages and disadvantages, special features, why it interests me
An employer
describing a company: what it does, how big it is, where, what I like
My professional development
stages, what I learned, important decisions and reasons
Career wishes
dream job, interests, strengths; what I have to do for it
What I want from a job
money, meaning, security, time: what is important to me?
Looking for work
how to find a job, advice, networks; in a country of my choice
Applications and job interviews
introducing yourself, naming strengths, asking and answering questions
Small talk with colleagues
talking about work, breaks, the weekend, holidays; "Und du?"
Working hours, part-time, half days
sharing experiences, what I prefer
Work clothes, new tasks, after work
short conversations between colleagues
Du or Sie?
offering to use du, manners in the office, manners at work
Arranging and postponing appointments
on the phone and in person, cancelling, suggesting alternatives
Sharing out and turning down tasks
politely turning down a request, dividing up work
Problems at work
describing a problem, giving and taking advice
Travelling to work together
planning a car pool: means of transport, time, meeting point, advantages
A celebration at work
company outing, a colleague's birthday: planning together
Further training
courses, lifelong learning, what I would like to learn and why
Business ideas
presenting your own idea, self-employment, advantages and disadvantages
Side jobs
earning money alongside school or university, experiences, advantages and disadvantages
Private surfing at work
what should be allowed, giving reasons for your opinion
Recognition and a new start at work
having your qualifications recognised, experiences of starting work
Learning, school and languages
Learning German
my learning path, what is difficult, what helps me, how I continue learning
Language learning tips
giving tips and reasons, learner types, learning strategies
Multilingualism
which languages I speak, raising children bilingually, advantages and disadvantages
School days
remembering my school days, marks, teachers, comparing school systems
School system
explaining the school system in your home country and comparing it with here
All-day school
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Lifelong learning
adult education centre, further education in old age, learning with your phone
Reading
what I read, presenting and recommending a book, e-book or paper
Winning a language course
planning together: a trip to Cologne, when, how, where to stay, what to take
Celebrating the end of the course
organising a party with the German course: where, food, music, who pays, who does what
Media and technology
Do children need mobile phones?
experiences, the role of phones in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Do children watch too much TV?
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Computers in everyday life
what I use one for, advantages and disadvantages, computer games
Social networks
what I share, private photos online, data protection
Digital media in everyday life
apps, smartphone addiction, a digital break
TV, series, streaming
what I watch, presenting my favourite series, TV habits
News
how I get information, newspaper, radio, internet; fake news
Explaining a device
how something works, explaining instructions orally
Technology then and now
what has changed, inventions
The virtual world
internet friendships, virtual romance, online games
Free time, culture and events
Free time and hobbies
what I do, how often, with whom, why it matters to me
Time and wasting time
what I have too little or too much time for, punctuality
Culture in my town
museum, theatre, concert, library, festivals; recommending and rating
Planning an event
putting together a cultural programme and agreeing on it
A concert, a festival, a film
telling what it was like and recommending it
Music
what I listen to, music in my country, music while learning and working
Art
describing a picture, what I like, graffiti: art or not?
Festivals and customs
presenting a festival from your home country, comparing festivals here and there
Planning a party
farewell party, birthday party: when, where, food, drinks, who pays for what
Clubs and associations
being a member of a club, what you do there, club life here and in your home country
The weekend
how I spend it, what I would like to change
Travel and mobility
Holidays
how I go on holiday, the best and the worst holiday experience
Group travel or travelling alone?
reporting two opinions, your own experiences, opinion
Planning a trip
destination, transport, accommodation, budget, programme; deciding together
Visiting a friend in another town
planning together: when, how long, train or car, activities
A trip with the course
planning a hike: where to, what to visit, where to stay overnight
Problems when travelling
delays, lost luggage, a hotel room that isn't right; complaining
Travelling differently
travelling cheaply, travelling without money, couchsurfing, sustainable travel
Tourism
advantages and disadvantages for a place, presenting a region and answering questions
Presenting a town
sights, tips for visitors
Into town with or without a car?
reporting statements, how I get around town, opinion
Living without a car
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
Traffic and traffic problems
traffic jams, parking, public transport, bikes
Road rules
wrong behaviour, comparing rules with your home country
Environment and nature
Protecting the environment in everyday life
what I do: separating rubbish, saving energy, less plastic
Climate change
what can be done about it, making suggestions and expressing doubts
Bike, bus or car
environmentally friendly travel, expressing agreement and indifference
Water
a precious resource: saving water, water in my country
Experiencing nature
nature in my home country, trips into nature, animals and plants
Singles as an environmental problem
living alone and resources, opinion
Describing a chart
describing and commenting on a simple statistic on an everyday topic
Society, involvement and living together
Social involvement
volunteering, donations, aid projects; whether and how I get involved
Getting socially involved
planning together: area, activity, where to find information, how much time
Neighbourhood help
advantages and disadvantages, what it is like in your home country
Good manners
politeness, etiquette, what is considered impolite
Questions of conscience
"Was würdest du tun, wenn …?", defending a point of view
Politics in everyday life
having a say, voting, democracy; expressing and justifying your opinion
The history of my country
telling about a historical event, biographies
Europe
what Europe means to me, the EU in everyday life
The future
how we will live in 20 years, guesses and forecasts
Rules
sensible and pointless rules, at school, at work, in society
Discussing, presenting, planning
Giving and justifying your opinion
"Ich finde …, weil …", giving examples
Agreeing and disagreeing
disagreeing politely, counter-arguments, making restrictions
Making and rejecting suggestions
counter-proposals, reaching agreement
Weighing advantages and disadvantages
naming both sides of an everyday topic
Giving a short presentation
introduction, structure, your own experience, home country, advantages and disadvantages, conclusion and thanks
Giving feedback and asking questions
saying something positive about a presentation and asking a question; answering questions
Reporting statements
reporting in your own words what another person said or wrote
Describing and commenting on a photo
what you see, what situation it is, your own experiences with it
Telling a story
retelling and rating a picture story or the plot of a film or book
Phoning
formal conversations, asking for information, passing on a message
Making guesses
"Wahrscheinlich …", "Es könnte sein, dass …"
Exam preparation B1
Goethe/ÖSD Zertifikat B1, Speaking part 1
planning something together using four guiding points, making suggestions and reacting
Goethe/ÖSD Zertifikat B1, Speaking part 2
presenting a topic with five slides, about three minutes, speaking freely
Goethe/ÖSD Zertifikat B1, Speaking part 3
giving feedback, asking a question, reacting to questions
ÖSD Zertifikat Deutsch Österreich B1
making contact, a conversation on a topic with newspaper statements, solving a task together (e.g. childcare in the last week of the holidays)
telc Deutsch B1
getting to know each other, talking about a topic (two opinions), planning something together
Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer
introducing yourself, describing a photo and talking about experiences, planning something together
Deutsch-Test für den Beruf B1
talking about a topic with follow-up questions, talking to colleagues, planning something together
B1 exam simulation
going through a complete oral exam once, with feedback
Integration and everyday life in Austria/Germany
Calling the card-blocking hotline
card lost or stolen, giving details
Discussing a damage report
talking to the insurance company about damage
At the employment agency / AMS
an advice meeting, asking questions about looking for work
Biometric passport photo and documents
what you need for applications, asking questions
Childcare in the holidays
organising with other parents who looks after the children when
Parents' council and school
discussing an application, getting involved at school
Information event
getting information at an event, asking questions
Rights and duties at work
holidays, sick notes, working hours: what applies?
Expressing (dis)satisfaction
saying what is going well and what is going badly, at work and in everyday life
Presenting yourself at a job fair
introducing yourself in two minutes
Describing what job you are looking for
saying orally what I am looking for and what I can do
Negotiating something
negotiating a price, a date, working hours
Advertising a flat
describing your own flat
Police and a criminal case
describing an incident, being a witness
Conversations at reception
asking questions at a hotel, stating wishes, reporting problems
Sport for a good cause
a charity run, organising a sports event
Contacts, opinions, everyday world
Describing people
friends, colleagues, famous people, retelling a life story
Evaluating something in the past
looking back on an internship, a job, a trip
Talking about statistics
commenting on figures about housing, free time, media
Guessing about the future
household, work, town in 20 years
Semi-formal invitations
accepting an invitation or declining politely, how to behave as a guest
Recommending something
recommending a course, a book, a restaurant and giving reasons
Promoting something
advertising an event, a product
Expressing wishes
"Es wäre schön, wenn …"
Persuading
convincing someone of an idea, refuting counter-arguments
Appearance and reality
"Er tut so, als ob …", showing off, the social media facade
Mishaps and misfortunes
talking about an embarrassing or annoying experience
Crowdsourcing and taking part
collecting ideas together, internet projects
Reading and reading strategies
reading habits, giving reasons for choosing a book
Museums
choosing a museum and giving reasons, comparing what museums offer
Punctuality
punctuality here and in your home country, when being late is OK
Good wishes
congratulating on occasions, condolences, get well soon
Heroic
everyday heroes, who is a hero for me
Trouble on the nicest days
arguments on public holidays and on holiday
Games
board games, computer games, games without borders
For ever and ever
great love, faithfulness, long relationships
Body and mind
well-being, mindfulness
Works of art
art, artists, being creative
Money makes the world go round?
money and happiness, cash or card
For teenagers: school and free time
Class party and farewell present
planning together: when, where, whom to invite, food, present
An article for the school website
planning together: topics, who writes what, photos, support
Holiday camps
experiences, the situation in your home country, advantages and disadvantages, opinion
A party at home alone
organising a party, sharing out responsibilities, flash mob
What would you never do?
situations in which you have to decide
School trip
planning the programme, giving advice, deciding the order
Bullying and arguments at school
describing conflicts, suggesting alternatives
Having a say at school
student council, what you would like to change, giving a talk
Student initiatives
projects at school, getting involved
Exchange students
a year abroad, host family, homesickness
Town twinning and visitors from abroad
negotiating a programme for guests
Fashion and appearance
trends, ideals of beauty, giving advice when buying clothes
Records and extreme sports
talking about records, convincing someone, dares
Science fiction and dreams of the future
life on Mars, making predictions
Flat shares and housework
who takes out the rubbish, arguments about tasks
Talking to animals
animals and people, body language, dog stories
I find that funny!
laughter, schadenfreude, describing situations and asking questions
Masters of deception
communication strategies, disagreeing, naming goals
Original and fake
unreal conditions, "Wenn das wahr wäre …"
Good and evil
describing film characters, giving advice
That is your right
annoying situations, expressing criticism, rights as a customer
The limits of sport
guilt and responsibility, chances and mistakes in the past
Cities of the future
forecasts, intentions, promises
Back then in Austria
telling about famous people and history
People and lifestyles
how people live, what is important to me
This is how it's done!
explaining processes and procedures
In the mood for reading?
teenagers' reading habits, discussing a survey
I'm new here
new school, new town, making friends
That's how we do it
comparing habits and traditions
Sounds and pictures
music, photos, videos, creativity
Buying and giving
present ideas, buying decisions
German three times
typical things from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, languages and where they are spoken
Favourite place
describing your own favourite place
