In 1996, a new curricular framework for vocational education in schools called "Lernfelder" (learning arenas) was implemented in Germany. In the concept of learning arenas learning situations in schools have to be related to work activity in a particular occupation. For this reason work process orientation currently plays a significant role in German curriculum development. However, there is not just one approach on how to transform work activity into vocational curricula, but various competing approaches. In this paper two important approaches are characterised and strengths and weaknesses of each are identified. Summing up, it may be said that the work-oriented turnaround in German curriculum development has not yet fully happened. Problems of analysing work situations in companies, transforming work process knowledge into curricula and assessing competences which students or apprentices have acquired are still being solved. (Contains 6 figures and 15 footnotes.)