This text offers the user a guide to the vocabulary of contemporary German. The wordlists are graded and arranged in over 60 topics - from animals to the weather and from the calendar to youth hostelling - for easy reference. The layout allows the user to become familiar with the presentation of information. Use of colour helps the user to identify the vocabulary in each topic, while the typography gives maximum assistance in memorizing genders and meanings. Plurals are shown in the text. The wordlists, which cover all the essential vocabulary for GCSE and SCE exams, are complemented by examples and phrases to illustrate constructions and usage. Supplementary wordlists give common adverbs, prepositions, adjectives and other words. The practical, everyday vocabulary has been selected to cover contemporary issues and interests and lays a foundation for effective communication in written and spoken German.