Textsorten B - Letter to the Editor, Newsletter, Report, Review, Summary

Write a 250-word letter to the editor responding to a pro-uniform article.

1. 01Anrede + Subject

   Dear Editor,

2. 02Einleitung

   "I read with interest your article 'Why we should reintroduce school uniforms in Austria' (12 March). While the author makes a number of valid points, I respectfully disagree with the central premise that uniforms would benefit Austrian secondary education."

3. 03Body 1

   "For one thing, the evidence cited - improved discipline in select UK schools - is far from conclusive. A 2022 meta-analysis published in the British Educational Research Journal found that uniform policies had a negligible effect on academic outcomes once socio-economic factors were controlled for."

4. 04Body 2

   "More importantly, mandatory uniforms run counter to the spirit of the Austrian Lehrplan, which explicitly fosters individual expression as part of social and emotional learning. Stripping students of the chance to develop a personal style sends precisely the wrong signal at a time when teenagers are urged to think for themselves."

5. 05Schluss + Forderung

   "Rather than importing a borrowed solution, I would urge your editorial team to look at home-grown initiatives - such as anti-bullying programmes and inclusive dress codes - which tackle the real issues without curtailing personal freedom. Yours faithfully, Markus Hofer"

6. 06C1 markers

   Hedging: "far from conclusive", "I respectfully disagree", "I would urge". Kollokationen: socio-economic factors, negligible effect, curtail personal freedom. Idiom: "borrowed solution".

Ergebnis: Gerüst ca. 175 Wörter (für die Abgabe auf rund 250 Wörter ausbauen, sonst Punktabzug wegen Unterlänge); klare Position, evidenzgestuetzt, formeller Brief. Bei voll ausgebautem Text erreichbar: Inhalt 5/5, Aufbau 5/5, Sprachgebrauch 5/5, Sprachrichtigkeit 5/5.

Write a 250-word newsletter for an English Club.

1. 01Titel + Datum

   English Club Newsletter - Spring 2026 Edition

2. 02Einleitung

   "Dear members, welcome to our spring edition! With exam season looming, we have packed plenty of inspiration into the next few pages. Here is what is happening."

3. 03Section 1 - Edinburgh recap

   Edinburgh Recap: A Trip to Remember "Twenty-eight of us returned from Edinburgh in early April, voices hoarse from karaoke and rucksacks full of shortbread. Highlights included a ghost tour of the Royal Mile and a meeting with students from George Watson's College, our new partner school. A heartfelt thank-you to Ms Sander for organising the entire week."

4. 04Section 2 - Debate competition

   Save the Date: National Debate Final "The Austrian Schools Debating Final will take place on Saturday, 18 May, at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. Our team has reached the quarter-finals - come along and cheer us on. Doors open at 9 a.m.; tickets are free for club members."

5. 05Section 3 - New members

   Calling All Word Lovers "Are you the kind of person who finishes a book and immediately starts the next one? Or someone who watches Netflix without subtitles? We need you. Our next open meeting is on Thursday, 25 April, 4 p.m., room A203."

6. 06Schluss

   A Word from the Coordinator "Whether you are joining for the laughs, the fluency or the snacks, you are very welcome. Looking forward to seeing many of you very soon! Warm regards, The English Club Team"

7. 07C1 markers

   Hedging: "with exam season looming". Idiome: "voices hoarse", "save the date". Präzise Lexis: heartfelt thank-you, quarter-finals, partner school.

Ergebnis: Endtext ca. 250 Wörter, vier Sections mit Überschriften, eindeutige Termine + Orte, einladender Ton. Erwartet: 5/5/5/5.

Write a 400-word report on a canteen survey.

1. 01Header

   To: Ms Wagner, Principal From: Student Council Date: 15 May 2026 Subject: Report on Canteen Satisfaction Survey 2026

2. 02Introduction

   "1. Introduction This report sets out the findings of a survey conducted among 412 of the 460 students at Bundesgymnasium Wien West in the first week of May 2026. The objective was to assess satisfaction with the school canteen and to propose targeted improvements."

3. 03Findings (multi-paragraph)

   "2. Findings 2.1 Overall satisfaction. Just 38 % of respondents rated the canteen as 'satisfactory' or above. Dissatisfaction was sharpest among vegetarian and vegan students, of whom 72 % felt their dietary needs were inadequately addressed. 2.2 Pricing. While prices were widely regarded as fair (74 %), 21 % of students noted that the smallest portion remained unaffordable on the days their parents did not provide pocket money. 2.3 Waiting times. The bottleneck at the main counter, especially during the short break, was the most frequent complaint (mentioned by 318 students)."

4. 04Conclusion

   "3. Conclusion The survey reveals two interconnected problems: a narrow menu and an inefficient queueing system. Both issues disproportionately affect younger and dietary-restricted students."

5. 05Recommendations

   "4. Recommendations It is recommended that the school: (1) introduce at least two daily vegetarian/vegan main courses; (2) install an additional self-service counter for cold dishes during the morning break; (3) trial a pre-order app, possibly developed in cooperation with the computer-science elective, to reduce queue length by an estimated 20 %. A follow-up survey after the autumn term would allow for an evidence-based evaluation of these measures."

6. 06Register markers

   Passive Voice (it is recommended, was conducted), Nominalisierung (the objective, dissatisfaction was sharpest), Präzise Lexis (bottleneck, dietary-restricted, pre-order app), Modal "would" (would allow for) und Mandativ-Konjunktiv ("It is recommended that the school introduce ..." - Grundform ohne -s).

Ergebnis: Endtext ca. 245 Wörter (Gerüst; für die Abgabe auf rund 400 Wörter ausbauen), vier Blöcke, drei konkrete Empfehlungen, datengestützt. Erwartet: 5/5/5/5.

Write a 250-word review of "Past Lives" (2023, dir. Celine Song).

1. 01Hook + Identification

   "What if the love of your life were a childhood friend you have not seen in twenty-four years? That is the deceptively simple premise of 'Past Lives', Celine Song's 2023 debut feature - a quiet, semi-autobiographical drama that has already established itself as one of the year's most talked-about films."

2. 02Plot (spoiler-free)

   "The film follows Nora, a Korean-Canadian playwright in New York, who reconnects online with Hae Sung, the boy who was her closest friend in Seoul. When Hae Sung eventually visits, the reunion forces both characters - and Nora's patient husband Arthur - to examine paths not taken."

3. 03Strengths

   "The strengths of the film lie in its remarkable restraint. Song trusts long, contemplative takes; her camera lingers on small gestures - a touched hand, a held breath - rather than chasing melodrama. Greta Lee's lead performance is a quiet revelation: she conveys a lifetime of choice with little more than a glance."

4. 04Weaknesses

   "That said, viewers expecting conventional romantic tension may find the pacing testing. The middle act, in particular, drifts almost meditatively, and not every dialogue scene fully earns its silences. It is a film that asks for patience, not just attention."

5. 05Recommendation

   "If you are drawn to films that haunt you for days afterwards rather than thrill you in the moment, 'Past Lives' is well worth your evening. Four stars out of five - a bittersweet meditation on the lives we did not live."

6. 06C1 markers

   Präzise Lexis: contemplative takes, quiet revelation, bittersweet meditation. Idiomatisch: paths not taken, haunt you for days. Hedging: "may find", "almost meditatively".

Ergebnis: Endtext ca. 250 Wörter, ausgewogen, klare Empfehlung mit Sterne-Rating, lebendig. Erwartet: 5/5/5/5.

Summarise a 600-word article titled "Why four-day weeks are catching on" by Tom Lewis, The Guardian, 14 February 2026.

1. 01Source + Thesis

   "In 'Why four-day weeks are catching on' (The Guardian, 14 February 2026), Tom Lewis argues that the four-day working week, once dismissed as utopian, is rapidly entering the mainstream of European labour policy."

2. 02Key Point 1

   "Lewis first points out that recent trials in Iceland, Belgium and the UK have produced consistently positive results, with productivity either holding steady or rising by an average of 4 per cent."

3. 03Key Point 2

   "He goes on to highlight three reasons for the shift: tightening labour markets, rising mental-health concerns, and a generational expectation that work should not consume all available time."

4. 04Counter + Conclusion

   "While acknowledging legitimate worries about implementation in customer-facing industries, Lewis concludes that the change is here to stay and that policymakers - rather than firms alone - will need to set the terms of the new working week."

5. 05Reporting verbs used

   argues, points out, highlights, acknowledges, concludes - variiert und kontextpassend.

Ergebnis: Endtext ca. 145 Wörter, Quelle identifiziert, Hauptpunkte paraphrasiert, keine eigene Meinung. Erwartet: 5/5/5/5.

Decodiere diesen Prompt, ohne den Text zu schreiben: "Write a report (400 words) for the headteacher about the results of a survey on homework load. Suggest two improvements."

1. 01Textsorte + Adressat markieren

   Genre: "report" -> sachlich-formell. Adressat: "the headteacher" -> formelles, unpersönliches Register, keine Ich-Meinung.

2. 02Zweck + Bullet points

   Zweck: über Umfrageergebnisse berichten UND verbessern. Pflichtinhalte: (a) results of the survey, (b) two improvements - beide müssen erkennbar vorkommen, sonst Inhalt-Abzug.

3. 03Register auf der Skala verorten

   Auf der Register-Skala (Abb. 6) liegt der Report ganz rechts (formal): Passiv ("it was found"), Nominalisierung, keine contractions, keine persönliche Wertung.

4. 04Konventionsmarker festlegen

   Zwei Pflichtmarker: Header-Block (To/From/Date/Subject) und die Vier-Block-Struktur (Introduction, Findings, Conclusion, Recommendations). Empfehlungen mit "should".

Ergebnis: Decodierung: Report -> formal, Adressat Schulleitung, Pflicht: Ergebnisse + 2 Verbesserungen, Marker: Header + Vier-Block-Struktur. Erst dieser 60-Sekunden-Scan, dann schreiben - so verfehlt man weder Textsorte noch Register.