News and Updates
Houstonfest Scholarships:
Winners Announced
Scholarships at State
NEW:
Houstonfest history
Changes and updates for 2024
Contest
promo video #1 (students from one school tell why they
love contest)
Contest promo
video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)
State promo video contest
Teacher-to-teacher tips
Tips for Pair Discussion
Arrival at Kingwood High School
Lunch options
Photo gallery
Daily log of changes to
State-qualifier list
Important Dates
Mon. Jan. 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.: Application for
transportation grants from Houston Saengerbund opens (teachers will be sent a
link to a Google Form).
Thur., Jan. 18, 2024, 11:59
p.m. (extended by 2 days, previous deadline 1/16): Houstonfest registration
spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have
to be mailed until 1/22).
Mon., Jan. 22, 2024, 11:59
p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet
due
for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.
Sat., Jan. 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to
Google Form from your teacher - it was sent to them on Wed., Jan. 24).
Tue., Jan. 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote
judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.
Wed., Jan. 31, 2024, 9:30 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds,
drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.
Sat., Feb. 3, 2024:
Houstonfest,
Heights High School, Houston.
Fri., Feb. 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: State
online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not
have to be mailed until 2/14).
Wed., Feb. 14, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: State
online registration due
for
regular price of
$15/student. Deadline to postmark your State payment.
Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get
the link to a
Google Form from your teacher; it was emailed to them on 2/7 by the State
director). Also,
Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship and Sandra Dieckman GTHS Memorial
Scholarship
applications due (to submit the application, get the link to a Google
Form from your teacher; it was emailed to them on 2/10 by the State director).
Mon., Feb. 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.:
Entries in
State promotional video
contest
due to State director.
Tue., Feb. 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote
judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.
Sat., Feb. 24, 2024:
Texas State German Contest, Texas State
University, San Marcos.
Sat., Mar. 2, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.
Sun., Mar. 10, 2024: Gail Cope
State Scholarship applications due.
rolling basis but no later than Tue., Apr. 30, for payment
this school year: submit
Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.
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Rules:
Written Testing
Events
Notes for all contestants in written testing:
-
You are
responsible for bringing as many No. 2 pencils as you may need to take these
tests. Scantron answer sheets will be used for
all tests except Spelling and Timed Writing. Pencils MAY be on sale on site, not
guaranteed.
-
The written tests (except Advantaged Speaker Test
and Timed Writing) will all be given
during 9 testing windows: 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00,
1:30. Thus, the written tests start one hour after the rest of the competition and continue after all other events have finished. Students who are signed up for a lot of events can get their non-testing
events done in the morning and take advantage of the four post-noon testing
sessions to wrap up their testing events.
-
Tips on preparing for the written tests
(revised on January 26, 2015)
Advantaged Speaker Test:
3 entries per school (Advantaged
Speakers only). Multiple-choice, scantron test (100 questions, 20 each
in the areas of culture, grammar, listening comprehension, reading
comprehension, and vocabulary) plus spelling test (20 questions). The test will be given ONE time
on the day of contest and will take approximately 90 minutes. It must be
completed in one sitting.
Culture:
3 entries per
school per level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The level
3 and 4 tests will be in German.
Culture: Sample
Questions
Grammar:
3 entries
per school per
level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test.
Grammar: Sample
Questions
Listening Comprehension:
3 entries
per school per
level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. Listen to recorded items in German and answer questions about
the information you heard. Levels 1 and 2 take the same test and
Levels 3 and 4 take the same test, but they are ranked separately for each
level.
Reading
Comprehension:
3 entries
per school per
level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The test will consist of questions about a series of short
readings. Questions will generally be in German.
Spelling:
2 entries
per school per
level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). A series of words
will be called out in German (the speaker will say the word, its part of speech,
a sentence using the word, and the word again). The words will probably be
recorded, not called live. Contestants write the called words on their answer
sheets. Spelling (including umlauts) and capitalization (nouns
capitalized, other parts of speech not capitalized) must be perfect in order to
receive credit for a given item. Levels 1 and
2 take the same test and Levels 3 and 4 take the same test, but they are ranked
separately for each level.
Timed Writing:
2
contestants per
school per level (Levels 1 and 2 only). The contestants will have 25 minutes
to write a response to a prompt that is appropriate for their level of German.
All contestants in each level will have the same prompt, but the prompts will
change from year to year. The contestants may not use any print or electronic
aids (phones, dictionaries, etc.). Either one or two writing sessions will be
offered early in the day to allow sufficient time for judging.
Download critique sheet.
Vocabulary:
3 entries
per school per
level (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Multiple-choice, scantron test. The test will consist of items in which you choose the
English equivalent for a given German word, choose the German equivalent for a
given English word, choose the German opposite of a given German word, choose
the German synonym of a given German word, determine which item does not belong
in a group, determine which item fits into a given category, and choose the word
that best completes a sentence. Other formats are possible
as well.
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When is the next Houstonfest?
Saturday,
February 8, 2025 Where
is Houstonfest?
Kingwood High School
2701 Kingwood Dr.
Kingwood, TX 77339
(new location in 2025!)
Link to Texas State German Contest
Texas
State German Contest on Facebook
Texas
State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group |