Language course
Englisch
When I first saw the telc B1 Lesen Teil 2 task, it seemed almost friendly. A short text, only five questions, three answer options. Nothing threatening. But the more I observed my students, the clearer it became: this task is not really about reading.
Lesen Teil 2 is a psychological portrait of a person who tries to “guess” and an examiner who already knows that the guess will be wrong.
I have seen far too many people who were sure: “I understood everything, the text is easy,” and then were shocked at how they managed to make mistakes in three out of five questions.
This is never accidental. It is the architecture of traps.
In the official documents, I came across a neat phrase: “Reihenfolge der Aufgaben folgt nicht immer der Reihenfolge des Textes.” But in reality this means much more than just “not always”.
It means: do not rely on the usual order — it doesn’t exist here.
You read an answer option and think: this sounds logical! And that is exactly why it is wrong.
I have seen many students choose the “logical” option, even though the text doesn’t contain the slightest hint of it.
This is the most elegant form of deception: a sentence almost matches the meaning of the text, but the nuance is changed.
And that is enough for the answer to be incorrect.
The exam likes to replace words in a way that keeps the meaning similar but not identical.
The text says: “praktische Erfahrungen sammeln.” The answer option says: “eine Ausbildung machen.” I have seen countless students choose based on “almost the same”. But “almost” is always wrong here.
This is the most human thing. We add things. We fill gaps with our own knowledge. The exam knows this — and uses it.
I developed a technique for my students that has more journalism in it than linguistics. Not sensationalism — but the ability to observe and verify.
The text may appear simple — that is part of the trap. Simplicity is a curtain hiding the details.
I have seen how the confidence of “I remember it” ruined many tests. In B1 telc Lesen Teil 2, memory is the most treacherous tool. Always return to the text.
If you cannot find a specific passage supporting the option, the option is wrong. This simple rule has saved my groups dozens of times.
Imagine: if the author had written this sentence in the article — would it sound like that? If not, discard it.
Easy answers exist only in our minds. The exam is not a place for intuition.
After several years of working with students, it became clear to me: telc wants to know whether you can distinguish atmosphere from fact, opinion from information, context from concrete detail.
Lesen Teil 2 is a small training for real life: the text says one thing, your impression says another. And you must decide whom to believe.
Those succeed who read more carefully than they think. Who verify instead of assume. Who search for facts, not feelings.
This is what Lesen Teil 2 teaches. And once you learn it — you will never read the same way again. That is probably the most valuable part of this exam.
Author: Olena Bazalukova
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