AURAL - Phone Call

Two Exam Formats: German Keywords vs English Answers

Phone-based listening tasks appear in different sections of the examination paper, and they do not use the same answering format. You must always read the question rubric before the recording starts.

1. The German Telephone Note (Telefonnotiz)

In recent papers, a phone dialogue or voicemail left on an answering machine (Anrufbeantworter / Mailbox) requires you to fill out a printed message slip. The rubric explicitly demands German key phrases (Stichworte), not full sentences. Writing complete sentences wastes time and increases the risk of grammatical errors. A follow-up question tests language awareness by asking for expressions or phrases showing a specific attitude or emotion, which you can answer by quoting the German words or giving an accurate English translation.

2. General Phone Questions Answered in English or Irish

Elsewhere on the paper—such as helpline interviews (Nummer gegen Kummer), emergency calls, or personal arguments—questions must be answered in English or Irish. When a question says Give details, What arguments does he use? or Why…?, the marking scheme allocates marks for three distinct factual points (usually 3 × 2 marks).

• Write three clearly separated points using dashes, not one long flowing sentence.
• Each point must be a genuinely different fact. Stating "it is free" and "it costs nothing" counts as one point.
• Keep answers concise; full sentences and English spelling are not penalised, but vague guesses attached to correct points can cloud your answer.
• Never write German answers in an English section, and never write English on the German Telefonnotiz.

The Anatomy of a Call: Managing Register and Clarification

German telephone conversations follow a clear pattern. Paying attention to register and conversational management cues keeps you oriented.

Register and Relationships

Listen immediately for the pronoun used. A call using Sie and Ihnen signals a formal interaction with a business, school, clinic, or hotel; the speakers will introduce themselves with surnames (Hier spricht Frau Weber). A call using du and dir signals friends or family members; here you should expect personal news, an excuse, a dispute, or a social arrangement rather than a commercial transaction.

Standard Phrases

• Hier spricht Katrin Pfeiffer. – Katrin Pfeiffer speaking.
• Am Apparat. – Speaking. (Used when you are the person the caller is looking for.)
• Ich rufe wegen unserer Buchung an. – I am calling about our booking.
• Es geht um die Lieferung. – It concerns the delivery.
• Könnten Sie mich bitte verbinden? – Could you put me through, please?
• Bleiben Sie bitte dran. – Please hold the line.
• Die Leitung ist besetzt. – The line is busy / engaged.
• Kann ich etwas ausrichten? – Can I take / pass on a message?
• Bitte richten Sie ihm aus, dass… – Please tell him that…
• Auf Wiederhören! – Goodbye! (Used exclusively on the telephone.)

Polite inquiries standardly use the subjunctive (Konjunktiv II): Wäre es möglich, den Termin zu ändern? (Would it be possible to change the appointment?) or Gäbe es die Möglichkeit …? (Would there be any chance / would it be possible …?). These structures signal that an important request or proposal is coming.

Clarification Cues as Listening Alarms

Speakers regularly use conversational management phrases when details are difficult to hear:

• Wie bitte? – Sorry, what?
• Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? – Could you repeat that, please?
• Könnten Sie den Namen bitte buchstabieren? – Could you spell the name, please?
• Ich habe Sie nicht ganz verstanden. – I didn't quite catch that.
• Die Verbindung ist schlecht. – The connection is bad.
• Also, um das noch einmal zusammenzufassen: … – So, just to sum up: …

Treat these phrases as an alarm bell. When a speaker asks for repetition or spelling, the critical name, number, or arrangement is about to be said a second time. A closing summary (Also, Sie kommen am Sonntag um 18 Uhr…) gives you the final agreed arrangement.

Mastering Numbers, Dates, Times, and Spelled Names

Names, contact numbers, and dates are evaluated on an all or nothing basis in the marking scheme. A single misplaced letter or digit loses all marks for that item.

The German Alphabet Traps

When unusual surnames are dictated, watch out for high-frequency phonetic confusions:

• E is pronounced like English "ay" [eː].
• I is pronounced like English "ee" [iː]. Confusing E and I is the most common error on the paper.
• A sounds like "ah"; J is pronounced "yot"; V is pronounced "fow" (rhyming with cow); W is pronounced "vay".
• C sounds like "tsay" [tseː], while Z is pronounced "tset" [tsɛt]. Distinguish these carefully: writing Schmitc instead of Schmitz loses the mark.
• G sounds like "gay" [geː] (never "jee"); K is "kah"; Q is "koo"; H is "hah"; R is "err"; Y is Ypsilon.
• Umlauts are dictated as A-Umlaut, O-Umlaut, U-Umlaut or directly as Ä, Ö, Ü. You must include the dots (Müller, not Muller).
• German speakers often use phonetic cues: M wie München, B wie Berta, F wie Friedrich. Write down only the initial letter.
• Double letters are flagged as Doppel-L or zwei F. The sharp S (ß) is dictated as Eszett or scharfes S.

Digits, Dialling Codes, and Teens vs Tens

Any two-digit German number that is not a round ten says the units before the tens: fünfunddreißig (35) is literally "five-and-thirty". Listen for the whole pair before writing, or jot down the unit and ten in order as you process them. On crackly lines, callers frequently say zwo instead of zwei so that it is not confused with drei (3).

All German dialling codes begin with 0. Numbers starting with 015, 016, or 017 are mobile numbers (Handynummern), such as 0173 or 0165. Landline numbers begin with an area code (die Vorwahl), such as 030 for Berlin or 089 for Munich. Write digits down pair by pair as you hear them.

Do not confuse teen numbers ending in -zehn with tens ending in -zig or -ßig:

• dreizehn (13) vs dreißig (30)
• vierzehn (14) vs vierzig (40)
• sechzehn (16) vs sechzig (60)
• siebzehn (17) vs siebzig (70)

Dates, Times, and Prices

• halb vier means 3:30 (halfway towards four), never 4:30. Viertel nach acht is 8:15; Viertel vor acht is 7:45.
• Ordinal dates: am Montag, dem dritten Mai = Monday 3 May; am achtundzwanzigsten Juli = 28 July. Write dates as digits in your notes (e.g. 28. Juli). Watch übermorgen (the day after tomorrow) and Mitte August (mid-August).
• Prices: neunzehn Euro neunzig = 19,90 €; pro Person = per person; die Anzahlung = deposit.
• Contrast markers: nicht…, sondern… (not…, but rather…). If a caller says „Nicht am Dienstag, sondern am Donnerstag“, cross out Tuesday immediately; Thursday is the valid appointment.

Crafting German Keywords (Stichworte)

When completing the Telefonnotiz, use the golden grammatical rule: reduce what the caller says down to noun + past participle or noun + infinitive.

• Noun + infinitive expresses what the caller wants, proposes, or requests.
• Noun + past participle expresses an action that has already happened or has been agreed.

Direction of the Call

Be careful with return calls: Ich rufe Sie zurück means the caller will ring again later, whereas Rufen Sie mich bitte zurück means the recipient must make the call (Rückruf erwartet / soll zurückrufen).

If you hear reported speech using Konjunktiv I—such as Frau Schmidt hat gesagt, dass sie um 18 Uhr ankomme (Mrs Schmidt said she would arrive at 6:00 pm)—treat it simply as a factual statement about arrival time, not an attitude or request.

What NOT to Do in the German Note

• Do not write out full sentences. An ungrammatical sentence often obscures the exact fact being tested.
• Never write in English on the German note.
• Never leave a box empty. A single recognisable German noun (Wasserschaden, Doppelbuchung) can secure the mark where a blank scores zero.

Thematic Vocabulary: Emergencies, Bookings, Voicemail, and Excuses

Phone recordings draw directly from the communicative syllabus areas: emergencies, consumer complaints, recorded greetings, and personal excuses.

1. Emergency Calls (der Notruf)

Emergency numbers in Germany are 112 (fire and ambulance: Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst) and 110 (police: Polizei).

• der Unfall (accident), die Panne (breakdown), der Abschleppdienst (towing service)
• der Krankenwagen / Rettungswagen (ambulance)
• verletzt (injured), schwer verletzt (seriously injured), bewusstlos (unconscious)
• Es ist etwas passiert. (Something has happened.)
• Mein Auto hat eine Panne. (My car has broken down.)
• Kommen Sie bitte sofort! Beeilen Sie sich! (Come immediately, please! Hurry!)

Emergency reports frequently use the passive voice: Mein Portemonnaie ist gestohlen worden (My purse has been stolen) or Er wurde überfallen / geschlagen (He was mugged / hit). Recognising the passive confirms that the caller is reporting a crime that happened to them, not committing one.

2. Bookings, Complaints, and Remedies

• sich beschweren / die Beschwerde (to complain / complaint), reklamieren (to make a complaint about faulty goods)
• die Buchung / buchen (booking / to book), stornieren (to cancel a booking completely)
• verschieben (auf + acc.) (to postpone / move to a later date). Note the distinction: verschieben means the event still happens later; stornieren or absagen means it is called off.
• die Doppelbuchung (double booking)
• einen Termin ausmachen / bestätigen / absagen (to make / confirm / cancel an appointment). Watch absagen (cancel) versus zusagen (accept).
• die Rückerstattung / das Geld zurückbekommen (refund / to get one's money back)
• der Ersatz / umtauschen (replacement / to exchange), die Ermäßigung / der Rabatt (discount)
• die Rechnung (bill/invoice), abbuchen (to debit from an account)
• sich melden (to get in touch), Bescheid geben (to let someone know), erreichen (to reach by phone)

3. Answering Machines and Voicemail (der Anrufbeantworter / die Mailbox)

Standard greeting: „Sie haben den Anschluss der Firma Weber gewählt. Wir sind im Moment leider nicht erreichbar. Bitte hinterlassen Sie eine Nachricht nach dem Signalton, wir rufen Sie zurück.“

• der Anschluss (line/connection), erreichbar (reachable/available)
• hinterlassen (to leave behind), der Signalton (tone/beep)
• die Öffnungszeiten (opening hours), außerhalb der Sprechzeiten (outside office/surgery hours), im Notfall (in an emergency)
• Urgency markers to listen for: dringend (urgent), wichtig (important), umgehend (immediately / by return), sofort (at once), möglichst schnell (as quickly as possible).
• A caller may say Es ist ziemlich dringend or Bitte rufen Sie umgehend zurück — note this as dringend / Rückruf dringend on the pad.

Voicemail messages follow an orderly sequence: caller name → reason for call → action needed → return contact number. This mirrors the layout of the exam note sheet.

4. Mobile Phone Faults and Excuses (das Handy)

In personal dialogues where a speaker defends themselves against accusations:

• der Akku ist leer (battery is dead), aufladen (to charge)
• das Display / der Bildschirm ist kaputt / gesprungen (screen is broken / cracked)
• kein Netz / keinen Empfang haben (to have no network / reception)
• sich verwählen (to dial the wrong number), falsch verbunden sein (to be put through to the wrong number)
• ich habe mein Handy fallen gelassen (I dropped my phone)
• ich musste das Handy meines Vaters ausleihen (I had to borrow my father's phone)
• Reproaches: Du hast mich angelogen (You lied to me); Warum hast du dich nicht gemeldet? (Why didn't you get in touch?)
• Excuses: Das war nur meine Cousine (That was only my cousin); Es war ein Überraschungsbesuch (It was a surprise visit); Das war nicht meine Absicht (I didn't mean to do that).

Decoding Tone, Attitude, and Spoken Idioms

This question tests whether you can identify a speaker's attitude from the actual words they use. You are asked for three expressions or phrases from the call that show a specific feeling. Describing how the speaker sounded (such as "she was shouting" or "he sounded annoyed") earns zero marks on its own. You must quote the German expression or provide an accurate English translation.

Shock and Disbelief

• „Mich hat (fast) der Schlag getroffen!“ – I was completely stunned / dumbstruck / I nearly had a stroke!
• „Ich bin aus allen Wolken gefallen!“ – I was bowled over / flabbergasted / taken completely by surprise!
• „Ich habe noch nie einen solchen Schreck bekommen!“ – I have never had such a fright!
• „Das kann doch nicht wahr sein!“ – That simply cannot be true!

Annoyance and Anger

• „Das ist doch die Höhe!“ – That really is the limit / the last straw!
• „So geht das nicht!“ – That is simply not on / acceptable!
• „Ich bin (völlig) sauer.“ – I am (completely) annoyed / fed up.
• „Das lasse ich mir nicht gefallen!“ – I won't put up with that!
• „Ich habe die Nase voll davon.“ – I've had it up to here / I'm sick of it.

Relief

• „Da fällt mir ein Stein vom Herzen.“ – That is a huge weight off my mind / such a relief.
• „Zum Glück ist nichts passiert.“ – Luckily nothing happened.
• „Ich bin heilfroh, dass…“ – I am heartily / mighty glad that…

Apology and Accepting Responsibility

• „Der Fehler liegt ganz auf unserer Seite.“ – The mistake is entirely on our side / our fault.
• „Das haben wir aus Versehen gemacht.“ – We did that by mistake / accidentally.
• „Es tut mir schrecklich leid.“ – I am terribly sorry.
• „Das geht natürlich auf Kosten des Hauses.“ – That is on the house / at our expense, of course.
• „Wir kümmern uns sofort darum.“ – We will take care of that right away.

Calm, Reassurance, and Being in Control

• „(Jetzt ist wieder) alles unter Kontrolle.“ – Everything is under control (again).
• „Es gibt keinen Grund zur Panik (mehr).“ – There is no (longer any) reason to panic.
• „Es ist alles wieder in bester Ordnung.“ – Everything is back in order / completely fine.
• „Sie brauchen sich keine Sorgen zu machen.“ – You don't need to worry at all.

Gratitude and Disappointment

• „Ich bin Ihnen sehr dankbar.“ – I am very grateful to you.
• „Das ist sehr entgegenkommend von Ihnen.“ – That is very accommodating / obliging of you.
• „Ich bin enttäuscht.“ – I am disappointed.
• „Damit habe ich nicht gerechnet.“ – I wasn't expecting that.

Listening Strategy Across Three Hearings

In the Leaving Certificate aural examination, phone recordings are typically played three times, preceded by a reading pause. Note that the layout of the paper can vary, so always confirm the exact instructions on the cover of your exam booklet.

1. Reading Pause

Scan the questions and message pad headings. Underline the required targets (Name, Problem, Vereinbarung/Outcome, Nummer). Then you know what you are listening for, and words like wegen, Problem, or erreichen will jump out at you.

2. First Hearing: Context and Core Facts

Establish the register (formal Sie vs informal du) and the main reason for the call. Write digits down as you hear them, pair by pair, straight into the answer space—never try to store an entire nine-digit phone number in your memory until the end of the sentence. If a letter in a name slips past, leave a small gap and keep listening; do not freeze while the audio continues.

3. Second Hearing: Keyword Precision

Consolidate the German message slip. Check the spelling of the surname letter by letter. Convert the problem and proposed action into clean Stichworte (noun + participle or noun + infinitive). Check the digits of telephone numbers and prices.

4. Third Hearing: Attitude Phrases and Final Verification

Focus your attention on the attitude question. Listen for vivid idioms (Stein vom Herzen, Schlag getroffen, unter Kontrolle) and transcribe the German phrase or write its precise English meaning. Verify any corrected dates or times against contrast words like nicht…, sondern….

Key terms

die Telefonnotiz

A structured written telephone memo recording key details of a call (caller, problem, outcome, contact number).

Stichworte

Key phrases or bullet points (noun + verb/participle), strictly required when completing the German telephone note.

der Anrufbeantworter / die Mailbox

An answering machine or voicemail service where recorded phone messages are left.

zurückrufen / der Rückruf

To call back (separable verb) / a return telephone call (e.g. 'einen Rückruf erwarten').

ausrichten

To relay or pass on a message to an absent person (e.g. 'Kann ich etwas ausrichten?').

verschieben

To reschedule or postpone an event to another date or time (usually followed by 'auf' + accusative).

absagen

To cancel an appointment or event completely (contrast with 'zusagen', to accept/confirm).

die Doppelbuchung

A double booking, a frequent source of complaint and negotiation in exam telephone scenarios.

die Vorwahl

The telephone area dialling code for landlines (e.g. 030 for Berlin, 089 for Munich).

umgehend

Promptly, without delay, or by return; signals high urgency in business and emergency calls.

Auf Wiederhören

The formal German farewell formula used exclusively when concluding a phone call.

Konjunktiv II

The subjunctive mood used for polite requests and inquiries on the phone (e.g. 'Wäre es möglich...?', 'Könnten Sie...?').