Level of German knowledge
The legal requirements for the level of language proficiency are not too strict. The applicant must understand German speech and be able to conduct a simple conversation on ordinary everyday topics. Knowledge of one of the dialects of the German language is not a mandatory condition for admission to Germany, although, of course, it confirms family-hereditary transmission. Answers to the examiner's questions must be grammatically correctly structured and formatted into sentences. Individual sentences must be united by a common thought and be logical. Understanding German speech and one-syllable answers consisting of individual words and gestures are not a sufficient prerequisite for successfully passing the exam. For clarity, it can be said that the applicant must be able to speak at the level of a three- or four-year-old child.
The range of topics on the test is limited: family, children, work, home, daily life, household, relatives, holidays. Almost all examiners are interested in what the applicant intends to do in Germany and whether they have relatives there. I recommend always answering questions in detail and not being monosyllabic. It is not necessary to go into epic breadth and moralizing, but what is said should make sense and look like speech. My advice for those who have caught only one key word of the question, for example, "How many children do you have?" Having understood that the question is about children, it is recommended to give a detailed answer in four or five sentences, rather than limiting oneself to a one-syllable indication of their number. Those who are in a state of nervous excitement or feel unwell must inform the examiner about it and ask for a break. This is allowed by the rules.
Newfangled vocabulary
Often, embarrassment during the exam is caused by repatriates' ignorance of German equivalents of specific words from Russian bureaucratic language and many concepts of modern life. In the German dialect of 250 years ago, there are no concepts such as spaceship, mobile phone, academy, institute, etc. It is clear that instead of German lexical coinages, examinees use the corresponding Russian words.
There is also the opposite situation, when the examiner uses words from the modern political lexicon of the Federal Republic of Germany that are unfamiliar to the examinee, or mentions relations for which there are simply no words in the language of Russian Germans, since 200 years ago these relations or political parties simply did not exist. Examinees should not be afraid of such a situation. I recommend pointing out to the examiner the features of long-term linguistic isolation and the detachment of speech from the general trends of German language development. Interested persons should point to their knowledge of everyday, colloquial speech and ask the examiner to remain within these limits.
Half an hour that decides fate
The assessment of the results of the German language exam is almost always very subjective. Even such seemingly clear situations, when the examinee does not utter a word during the test, upon closer examination are not so simple. After all, during the 30 minutes that the test lasts, the fate of several generations of an entire family is decided. There are people who, in such a stressful situation, become blocked and cannot speak, lose the ability to understand, think logically, and communicate with others. There are poorly educated people who are embarrassed by their lack of education, simply shy and problematic individuals who have difficulty in contact with strangers. It may very well be that such applicants have a good command of their native German speech. Decisive in the process of reviewing their application is the examiner's note about the applicant's complete inability to communicate in German.
Over the years of my work in the field of legal relations of Russian Germans, I have familiarized myself with thousands of test protocols. In each protocol, the personality of the examiner is felt. Some approach applicants with an overly strict yardstick and "cut" potential settlers to Germany, while others show more understanding of the difficult fate of Russian Germans in general and the applicant in particular.
The kind judge from Cologne
I would also like to point out the possibility of taking a second language test. The Federal Administrative Office gives only one attempt to pass the test. But the refusal of the office can be contested in the manner prescribed by law, including in court. The court process gives the plaintiff a chance to personally come to the Federal Republic of Germany and communicate with the judge. In this conversation, the applicant for late resettler status has the opportunity to personally prove to the judge his ability to speak German at the required level.
In essence, the court hearing is a second attempt at taking the test. Now the Russian German must try not to miss the second and, most likely, last chance to achieve the status of late resettler. I almost always recommend this course of action to my clients. In my opinion, the judges of the administrative court in Cologne approach Russian Germans more benevolently than the examiners on the spot. Within the framework of the judicial process, it is often possible to find an acceptable solution to problems.
Thomas PUE,
German lawyer.