Personal Accounts (Leaving Cert German): Revision Notes
Personal Accounts
What are personal accounts?
Personal accounts are a common text type in the Leaving Cert German Reading exam. These texts are written from a first-person perspective where someone shares their personal experiences, thoughts, or opinions. You might encounter stories about school life, holidays, work experiences, family situations, or personal challenges.
The key feature is that these accounts combine both factual information and the writer's personal feelings or viewpoints about their experiences.
Your task is to demonstrate understanding of both the events described and the writer's attitudes towards them. Questions will test your ability to extract specific details, understand emotions, and recognise opinions versus facts.
Essential vocabulary
Personal accounts rely heavily on specific vocabulary patterns. Learning these key terms will help you understand the context and meaning more quickly during the exam.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ich habe erlebt | I experienced |
| ich erinnere mich an | I remember |
| ich fand es... | I found it... |
| ich habe ... gelernt | I learnt... |
| meine Meinung nach | in my opinion |
| das Erlebnis | experience |
| die Erfahrung | experience |
| die Reise | trip/journey |
| die Schule/das Studium | school/studies |
| der Job/die Arbeit | job/work |
| das Praktikum | work placement/internship |
| die Familie | family |
| die Freunde | friends |
| die Schwierigkeiten | difficulties/problems |
| die Vorteile/die Nachteile | advantages/disadvantages |
| glücklich | happy |
| traurig | sad |
| aufgeregt | excited |
| gestresst | stressed |
Common themes in personal accounts
Personal accounts typically focus on significant life experiences. You'll often read about:
- A school pupil describing their daily routine or exam experiences
- A student sharing their exchange programme or gap year adventures
- Someone discussing their summer job or internship
- Travel experiences and cultural discoveries
- Personal achievements in sports or music
- Social issues from the writer's personal viewpoint
Understanding these common themes helps you predict vocabulary and context, making comprehension easier during the exam.
Question types you'll encounter
The exam will test different aspects of your comprehension through various question formats:
| Question type | English example | German example |
|---|---|---|
| Detail | What did she do in Berlin? | Was hat sie in Berlin gemacht? |
| Opinion | How did he find the experience? | Wie fand er das Erlebnis? |
| Reason | Why did she go abroad? | Warum ist sie ins Ausland gegangen? |
| Emotion | How did he feel? | Wie hat er sich gefühlt? |
| Outcome | What did she learn? | Was hat sie gelernt? |
| Comparison | What was different from home? | Was war anders als zu Hause? |
Effective reading strategies
Success with personal accounts requires specific reading techniques. First, determine whether the content is purely factual, opinion-based, or a mixture of both.
Look out for time markers like zuerst (first), dann (then), später (later), and schließlich (finally) to follow the sequence of events.
Pay particular attention to adjectives that reveal emotions such as glücklich (happy), traurig (sad), or nervös (nervous). Notice verbs in the past tense like hat gemacht (did/made) or ist gegangen (went) to understand when events occurred.
Learn to distinguish between factual statements like Ich habe in einem Hotel gearbeitet (I worked in a hotel) and opinion statements like Es war langweilig (It was boring).
Exam techniques and tips
During the exam, read the questions first to understand what information you need to find. This focused approach saves time and helps you identify relevant sections quickly.
When questions ask for opinions, quote or paraphrase the writer's actual thoughts rather than making assumptions. Translate carefully, as some emotional vocabulary doesn't have direct English equivalents - use context clues to determine the best interpretation.
Avoid copying entire sentences as answers. Instead, select only the relevant information that directly answers the question. If you're unsure about a word's meaning, consider its context - words like langweilig (boring) usually become clear from the surrounding description.
Practice with past comprehension texts that include diary entries or student blogs, as these mirror the personal account format you'll encounter in the exam.
Common mistakes and tips
Students often struggle with distinguishing between facts and opinions in personal accounts.
Remember that phrases beginning with Ich finde... (I find...) or Meiner Meinung nach... (In my opinion...) signal personal viewpoints rather than objective facts.
Another frequent error is misunderstanding past tense constructions. German uses both haben and sein as helping verbs, so Ich bin gefahren means "I travelled" while Ich habe gearbeitet means "I worked." Familiarise yourself with these patterns.
Don't translate word-for-word, as this often leads to confusion. Instead, focus on understanding the overall meaning of phrases and sentences within their context.
Common Error Example: Word-for-word translation
❌ Wrong approach: "Ich bin sehr aufgeregt gewesen" → "I am very excited been"
✅ Correct approach: Understand the complete phrase → "I was very excited"
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Personal accounts combine facts with personal opinions and emotions - look for both types of information
- Master key vocabulary for experiences, emotions, and time sequences to improve your comprehension speed
- Read exam questions first to focus your attention on the most relevant parts of the text
- Distinguish between factual statements and personal opinions by identifying opinion markers like ich finde or meiner Meinung nach
- Use context clues when you encounter unfamiliar vocabulary rather than getting stuck on individual words