News and Updates

Houstonfest Scholarships -  winners announced!

Changes and updates for 2022 including procedures for online contest

State Promo Video Contest

"Texas State German Contest at 40" newsletter series (full of tips for contest prep and Pass auf! study material)

"Leidenschaft der Aussprache" Pronunciation Contest

Scholarships at State

Contest Promo Video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

Contest Promo Video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

Teacher-to-Teacher Tips

Tips for Pair Discussion

Photo Gallery

Arrival at Heights High School

Lunch options

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

Important Dates

Sat., Jan. 15, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $10/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/24).

Tue., Jan. 18, 2022, 4:00 p.m.:  Registration opens for pronunciation contest "Leidenschaft der Aussprache" (teachers who submit a Houstonfest registration by the regular deadline will receive a link to register for this special contest)

Mon., Jan. 24, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $12/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Wed., Feb. 2, 2022, 8:00 p.m.:  Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 5, 2022:  Houstonfest (virtual) -  submissions of art and recordings due by 9:00 a.m., some events conducted live via Zoom

Tue., Feb. 8, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote Houstonfest judging ends

Fri., Feb. 11, 2022, 4:45 p.m.:  Houstonfest results announced via live-stream (see Results page for a recording of the awards show)

Wed., Feb. 16, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for "early bird" price of $10/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/18).

Fri., Feb. 18, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for regular price of $12/student. Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship applications due. Deadline to postmark State payment.

Wed., Feb. 23, 2022, 8:00 p.m.:  Deadline extended: Entries in promotional video contest due to State director Jennifer Christianson.

Sat., Feb. 26, 2022:  40th Annual Texas State German Contest (virtual) -submissions of art and recordings due by 9:00 a.m., some events conducted live via Zoom (ask your teacher for the sheet with all the links!)

Tue., Mar. 1, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote State judging ends

Sat., Mar. 5, 2022, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest Scholarship applications due. State awards video released.

Fri., Mar. 11, 2022:  Gail Cope Scholarship applications due.

Sat., April 30, 2022:  Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.

Advantaged Speakers

"Advantaged speakers" are students who meet one or more of the following criteria:

• They have lived in a German-speaking country six weeks or more at one time since the age of 13.

• They reside with a native speaker of German who regularly speaks German at home.

• They speak German at home.

• They regularly (annually or biannually) visit or have visited a German-speaking country, visiting German-speaking homes.

• They have attended a school where all subjects were taught in German for one or more years.

No exchange students from German-speaking countries may enter any event at Houstonfest, including the "advantaged speaker" categories.  (They are, however, welcome to help out as judges.)  Exchange students from non-German-speaking countries may enter events for which they qualify (regular or advantaged, depending on their circumstances).

It is left to the professional judgment of the teacher to determine the eligibility of students.  Questions of eligibility should be addressed to the contest director prior to the contest registration deadline.  If a student is designated advantaged in one event, he/she must be entered as advantaged in all events.

Advantaged speakers may compete ONLY in the following events:

• Advantaged speaker test

• Extemporaneous speaking, advantaged category

• Poetry memory, advantaged category

• Prose memory, advantaged category

• Skit, level 4 (inform judges as to which actors are advantaged)

• Puppet show, upper level (inform judges as to which actors are advantaged)

• Most cultural events:  chorus, classical ensemble, club album, contemporary music (as instrumentalists only, not as vocalists), crafts, digital logo design, doll costume, folk dance (Einzeltanz or group), gingerbread house, needlework, original model, photography, polka band, poster, research paper, shirt design, video.  Advantaged speakers may NOT compete in photo essay or vocal solo.

Just to be perfectly clear, advantaged speakers are NOT allowed to enter the following events: contemporary music as vocalists (but OK as instrumentalists), culture, directed dialogue, duet acting, grammar, listening comprehension, oral presentation, Pass auf!, pair discussion, photo essay, poetry reading, prose reading, puppet show (lower level), reading comprehension, scavenger hunt, sight reading, skit (levels 1-3), spelling, timed writing, vocabulary, and vocal solo.