Chapter 1: Hallo
Table of Contents
Hallo A
Learning Objectives
In these activities, you show that you can:
give information about yourself in German
identify similarities between English and German when asking questions
greet and say goodbye in German
interpret short texts and/or videos and identify relevant information for your use
communicate by addressing an audience and by interacting with others in spontaneous spoken conversation on both very familiar and everyday topics, using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions
interact at a survival level in some familiar everyday contexts
Scenarios
You are meeting someone from a German speaking country.
You introduce yourselves to each other by name, clarifying by spelling it, and ask how you are.
You share about your interests, using high-frequency words.
You ask and answer questions using informal German.
Tools
Vocabulary
Hallo! Guten Tag/Morgen/Abend!
Wie heißt du? – Ich heiße… Und du?
Wie bitte? Wie schreibst du das? – Ich schreibe das…
Wie geht’s? / Wie geht es dir? - Und dir?
Es geht mir… / Mir geht’s… (sehr) gut/so lala/nicht (sehr) gut.
Ahh… Interessant! Wirklich? Ohh… das tut mir leid!
Spielst du....? Arbeitest du? Studierst du...? – Ja/Nein, ich .....e
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen! Bis bald!
Grammar and Structures
| Structure | Usage |
|---|---|
| Informal address | Wie geht es dir? Wie geht’s? – Mir geht’s… |
| Questions & answers | Spielst du ...? – Ja/Nein, ich spiele ... |
Cultural Knowledge
| Fact | Effect |
|---|---|
| Using the “du” form | Standard among students; shows friendliness |
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen! Bis bald! | Auf Wiedersehen is a bit more formal; Bis bald suggests that you’ll see each other again. |
| Using high-frequency words | Identifying high-frequency activities and experiences |
Tasks
Activity 1: Interpreting Information
Listening/viewing
In preparation for the upcoming conversational part, please listen to and view these videos and take written notes using the questions below:
Interpreting Information
Please write down notes to the following prompts:
In which of these videos do the individuals communicate with which formal and informal addresses?
What relevant information is shared about the people involved?
What relevant information do you want to share about yourself (name, how you spell it, how you are)?
These notes will naturally lead you to do the following speaking activities. Use the vocabulary, grammar and structures, and cultural knowledge to talk about yourself and to engage with your partners.
Activity 2: Presenting Information
Present pertinent information about yourself.
Using your notes from the previous activity, please record yourself giving pertinent information about yourself (name, how you spell it, how you are).
This activity should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your presentation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Activity 3: Exchanging Information
Practice with partner(s) (interpersonal activity).
Taking the previous activity as a guide, engage in a brief conversation with a partner covering the following topics:
Greet your partner(s) and introduce yourselves
Ask and also answer about name, how that is spelled, and how you and s/he are
Ask about relevant activities
Show interest and enthusiasm / empathy
Say goodbye, depending on whether you’ll see each other again
This activity should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your conversation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Take-Aways
Self-Reflection
Ask yourself what went well, where you or your partner(s) struggled to communicate, and how you could improve next time. To help you keep speaking in German, try these strategies:
| Problem | Strategies |
|---|---|
| I don’t know a word | Use gestures, Pantomime |
| I don’t understand my partner | Ask for repetition with the phrase “Wie bitte?” |
Digging Deeper: Follow-up Activities
Research on how / when it’s appropriate to use the formal or the informal form.
Look up more phrases to express interest, enthusiasm, and empathy
Ask for your partner’s contact information (Facebook, Instagram, email etc.) so that you can keep in touch.
Identify gestures for each of the high-frequency words; then quiz each other
Look up more verbs for high-frequency activities and ask your partner(s)
Hallo B
Learning Objectives
In these activities, you show that you can:
give information about yourself in German
identify similarities between English and German when asking questions (in regards to language and culture)
greet and say goodbye in German
interpret short texts and/or videos and identify relevant information for your use
communicate by addressing an audience and by interacting with others in spontaneous spoken conversation on both very familiar and everyday topics, using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions
Scenarios
You are meeting someone from a German speaking country in a context that is not clearly informal, e.g. a career fair, a lecture hall, or where there is a significant age or status difference between you and the other person.
You introduce yourselves to each other by name, clarifying by spelling it, and ask how you are.
You determine if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
You share about your origin, where you live, what you do, using high-frequency words.
You exchange phone numbers.
You say goodbye depending on whether you’ll see each other again; note: “Bis später” only works if you really will see each other again. If you use it, the other person will likely say “Ach ja? Wann?”
Tools
Vocabulary
Wie heißen Sie? Wie heißt du? - Mein Name ist… Ich heiße…
Freut mich! Angenehm!
Woher kommen Sie? Woher kommst du? –
Ich komme aus…
Wo wohnst du? Wo wohnen Sie? –
Ich wohne in… – Wo ist das? – Das ist…
Ist das eine Stadt oder ein Dorf?
Arbeiten Sie? – Ich arbeite / studiere…
Sagen wir du?
Ahh… Interessant! Wie schreibt man das?
Was ist Ihre/deine Telefonnummer?
Meine Telefonnummer ist…
Wirklich?
Ist das klein oder groß?
Haben Sie eine Visitenkarte? – Ja, ich habe…
Ja, bitte… Vielen Dank!
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen!
Grammar and Structures
| Structure | Usage |
|---|---|
| Familiar vs. formal way of addressing | Wie geht es dir? vs. Wie geht es Ihnen? – Es geht mir… Woher kommst du? Woher kommen Sie? - Ich… komme |
| Verb conjugations | Ich heiße… woher kommst du / woher kommen Sie? Meine Telefonnummer ist… |
| Statements and questions | Ich habe eine Frage. Ist das ok? Sagen wir du? |
Cultural Knowledge
| Fact | Effect |
|---|---|
| kommen… aus vs. wohnen in | Expresses origin vs. current residence |
| Asking questions and showing interest | Expresses sincerity in making conversation |
| Asking questions about personal information | Expresses interest, but may be perceived as forward; ask your partners if it’s ok to ask about what you want to know. |
Tasks
Activity 1: Interpreting Information
Listening/viewing
In preparation for the upcoming conversational part, please listen to and view these videos and take written notes using the questions below:
Interpreting Information
Please write down notes to the following prompts:
How do the individuals express greetings and farewells?
What relevant information do they share about themselves / the people involved?
What relevant information do you want to share about yourself (name, origin, address, age, what you do, how you are, phone contact)?
These notes will naturally lead you to do the following speaking activities. Use the vocabulary, grammar and structures, and cultural knowledge to talk about yourself and to engage with your partners.
Activity 2: Presenting Information
Present pertinent information about yourself.
Using your notes from the previous activity, please record yourself giving pertinent information about yourself (name, how you spell it, age, how you are, your origin, where you live, what you do, and your address and phone number, using high-frequency words).
This activity should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your presentation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Activity 3: Exchanging Information
Practice with partner(s) (interpersonal activity).
Taking the previous activity as a guide, engage in a brief conversation with a partner covering the following topics:
Greet your partner(s) and introduce yourselves
Ask and also answer about name, how that is spelled, where you and s/he is from, what they do, and how you and they are.
Decide if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
Ask about relevant activities
Show interest and enthusiasm / empathy
Ask for their telephone number and give yours
Say goodbye, depending on whether you’ll see each other again; note: “Bis später” only works if you really will see each other again. If you use it, the other person will likely say “Ach ja? Wann?”
This activity should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your conversation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Take-Aways
Self-Reflection
Ask yourself what went well, where you or your partner(s) struggled to communicate, and how you could improve next time. To help you keep speaking in German, try these strategies:
| Problem | Strategies |
|---|---|
| I don’t know a word | Use gestures, Pantomime |
I don’t understand my partner | Ask for repetition with the phrase “Wie bitte?” |
Digging Deeper: Follow-up Activities
Research further on how / when it’s appropriate to use the formal or the informal form, to ask about personal information (age, address, phone number, origin).
Look up more phrases to express interest, enthusiasm, and empathy
Ask for your partner’s contact information (Facebook, Instagram, email etc.) so that you can keep in touch.
Identify gestures for each of the high-frequency words; then quiz each other
Look up more verbs for high-frequency activities and ask your partner(s)
Hallo C
Learning Objectives
In these activities, you show that you can:
give information about your likes and dislikes in German
identify similar/different likes and dislikes with your peers
speak about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities
speak about your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences
interpret short texts and/or videos and identify relevant information for your use
communicate by addressing an audience and by interacting with others in spontaneous spoken conversation on both very familiar and everyday topics, using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions
Scenarios
You are meeting someone from a German speaking country in a context that is not clearly informal, e.g. a career fair, a lecture hall, or where there is a significant age or status difference between you and the other person.
You introduce yourselves to each other by name, clarifying by spelling it, and ask how you are.
You determine if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
You share about your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities, and/or your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences using high-frequency words.
You exchange phone numbers.
You say goodbye depending on whether you’ll see each other again; note: “Bis später” only works if you really will see each other again. If you use it, the other person will likely say “Ach ja? Wann?”
Tools
Vocabulary
Wie heißen Sie? Wie heißt du? - Mein Name ist… Ich heiße…
Freut mich! Angenehm!
Woher kommen Sie? Woher kommst du? –
Ich komme aus…
Wo wohnst du? Wo wohnen Sie? –
Ich wohne in… – Wo ist das? – Das ist…
Ist das eine Stadt oder ein Dorf?
Arbeiten Sie? Arbeitest du? – Ich arbeite / studiere…
Was machst du gern am Wochenende? -
Ich sehe gern…
Sagen wir du?
Ahh… Interessant! Wie schreibt man das?
Was ist Ihre/deine Telefonnummer?
Meine Telefonnummer ist…
Wirklich?
Wie findest du… ? Was machst du gern?
Ist das klein oder groß?
Wie finden Sie / findest du… ? Haben Sie eine Visitenkarte? – Ja, ich habe…
Ach ja? Ich auch!
Nein! Das finde ich …
Ja, bitte… Vielen Dank!
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen!
Grammar and Structures
| Structure | Usage |
|---|---|
| High-frequency verbs | Ich habe viel Arbeit. Hast du…? Wie findest du deine Kurse? Ich arbeite / studiere / komme aus schreiben / lesen / arbeiten / lernen / spielen / gehen / essen / meinen / finden |
| High-frequency nouns | Das Buch ist interessant! Die Aufgabe ist gar nicht lang. die Arbeit / die Aufgabe / das Buch / das Essen / der Kurs / die Prüfung / die Universität / das Wort |
| High-frequency adjectives and adverbs | ein bisschen / etwas / ganz / gar nicht / gern / interessant / kurz / lang / schlecht / viel |
Cultural Knowledge
| Fact | Effect |
|---|---|
| studieren… vs. lernen | Both translate to “study”, but studieren is used with your Major/Minor while lernen is used in the context of a Prüfung or test. |
| Answering questions with details and contrasts | Expresses sincerity in making conversation |
Tasks
Activity 1: Interpreting Information
Listening/viewing/reading
Visit these sites to see what Germans are watching in their leisure time
View these videos:
Interpreting Information
Please write down notes to the following prompts:
What do Germans like to see for fun – how does this compare to your own likes / dislikes?
How do the individuals ask questions and respond to each other?
What relevant information do you want to share about yourself (about your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities, and/or your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences) using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
These notes will naturally lead you to do the following speaking activities. Use the vocabulary, grammar and structures, and cultural knowledge to talk about yourself and to engage with your partners.
Activity 2: Presenting Information
Present pertinent information about yourself
Please record yourself giving pertinent information about yourself (e.g. about your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities, and/or your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences) using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
This activity should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your presentation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Activity 3: Exchanging Information
Practice with partner(s) (interpersonal activity)
Taking the previous activity as a guide, engage in a brief conversation with a partner covering the following topics:
Greet your partner(s) and introduce yourselves, sharing information on name, origin, what you do, like /dislike etc.
Decide if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
Show interest and enthusiasm / empathy / sincerity by responding with details and contrasts to discuss the topics (of your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities, and/or your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences) using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
Take-Aways
Self-Reflection
Ask yourself what went well, where you or your partner(s) struggled to communicate, and how you could improve next time. To help you keep speaking in German, try these strategies:
| Problem | Strategies |
|---|---|
| I don’t know a word | Use gestures, Pantomime |
I don’t understand my partner | Ask for repetition with the phrase “Wie bitte?” |
Digging Deeper: Follow-up Activities
Look up more phrases to express interest, enthusiasm, and empathy as well as likes / dislikes and simple ways to agree or disagree.
Look up more words for high-frequency experiences (about your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about your favorite series on Netflix etc., and/or your favorite music, or other leisure time activities, and/or your favorite / ideal work, studies, and/or college experiences) using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
Ask your partner(s) about these topics.
Hallo D
Learning Objectives
In these activities, you show that you can:
give information about your likes and dislikes in German
speak about websites and how they present information (differently from a site in the US), considering conventions of how dates and times are listed.
interpret what short texts and videos communicate about what individuals like / dislike doing.
Communicate relevant information about yourself and about your favorite leisure time activities, your daily or weekly routines, etc. using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
communicate by addressing an audience and by interacting with others in spontaneous spoken conversation on both very familiar and everyday topics, using a variety of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions
Scenarios
You are meeting someone from a German speaking country in a context that is not clearly informal, e.g. a career fair, a lecture hall, or where there is a significant age or status difference between you and the other person.
You introduce yourselves to each other by name, clarifying by spelling it, and ask how you are.
You determine if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
You share about your origin, where you live, what you do, what you like / dislike about information about yourself and about your favorite leisure time activities, your daily or weekly routines, etc. using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
In looking at German and American websites for events, you share about how the websites present information differently, considering conventions of how dates and times are listed.
You exchange phone numbers.
You say goodbye depending on whether you’ll see each other again; note: “Bis später” only works if you really will see each other again. If you use it, the other person will likely say “Ach ja? Wann?”
Tools
Vocabulary
Wie heißen Sie? Wie heißt du? - Mein Name ist… Ich heiße…
Freut mich! Angenehm!
Woher kommen Sie? Woher kommst du? –
Ich komme aus…
Wo wohnst du? Wo wohnen Sie? –
Ich wohne in… – Wo ist das? – Das ist…
Ist das eine Stadt oder ein Dorf?
Arbeiten Sie? Arbeitest du? – Ich arbeite / studiere…
Was machst du gern am Wochenende? / in der Woche? -
Ich sehe gern… immer / viel / gern / gar nicht gern
Am Abend / am Sonntag / am Morgen / samstags / in der Nacht gehe ich…
Sagen wir du?
Ahh… Interessant! Wie schreibt man das?
Was ist Ihre/deine Telefonnummer?
Meine Telefonnummer ist…
Wirklich?
Wie findest du… ? Was machst du gern?
Ist das klein oder groß?
Wie finden Sie / findest du… ? Haben Sie eine Visitenkarte? – Ja, ich habe…
Ach ja? Ich auch!
Nein! Das finde ich …
Um 12 Uhr / um halb acht / später
Ja, bitte… Vielen Dank!
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen!
Grammar and Structures
These grammatical structures can help you in this conversation.
| Structure | Usage |
|---|---|
| Word order | Montags gehe ich gern in die Uni. Die Kurse sind gar nicht schwer, aber ich habe viele Aufgaben und Prüfungen. Dienstags gehe ich auch in die Uni, und ich gehe da später ein bisschen joggen. Mittwochs und Freitags habe ich Arbeit. Ich lese am Abend das Buch. Ich schreibe die Aufgabe und lerne viele Wörter auf Deutsch. |
| High-frequency verbs | Ich habe heute nicht so viel Arbeit. Hast du…? Wie findest du Atlanta? Ich komme aus… schreiben / lesen / arbeiten / lernen / spielen / gehen / essen / meinen / finden / studieren / |
| High-frequency nouns, adjectives and adverbs | Die Stadt ist interessant! Das Wetter ist gar nicht schlecht. die Arbeit / die Aufgabe / das Buch / das Essen / der Kurs / die Prüfung / die Universität / das Wort ein bisschen / etwas / ganz / gar nicht / gern / interessant / kurz / lang / schlecht / viel |
Cultural Knowledge
Note the following information:
| Fact | Effect |
|---|---|
| Student life and routines | In the US, many students have a job in addition to going to school, and they have frequent assessments throughout the semester. In Germany, many students don’t work and assessments are much more infrequent; attendance is not mandatory in most universities. Germans have, generally speaking, a lot more leisure time, incl. vacation time. |
| Answering questions with details and contrasts | Expresses sincerity in making conversation |
Tasks
Activity 1: Interpreting Information – Medien
Listening/viewing/reading
Take a look at these websites:
Münster Termine (once you are at the site, click on “Heute” (under the header “Wann?”) and then on “Suchen” (in the lower right hand corner).
Was machen wir am Wochenende (Once you are at the site, click on the link to open the slide show and describe things that are relevant to you)
View these videos:
Interpreting Information
Please write down notes to the following prompts:
How do the websites present information (differently from a site in the US)? Consider conventions of how dates and times are listed.
How do the texts and videos communicate about what individuals like / dislike doing.
What relevant information do you want to share about yourself and about your favorite leisure time activities, your daily or weekly routines, etc. using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
These notes will naturally lead you to do the following speaking activities. Use the vocabulary, grammar and structures, and cultural knowledge to talk about yourself and to engage with your partners.
Activity 2: Presenting Information – Professionelles
Present pertinent information about yourself.
Please record yourself giving pertinent information about yourself (e.g. your favorite leisure time activities, your real or ideal routine during the week, at night, in the mornings, on the weekend, and your job or college experience, etc.), using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
These activities should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your presentation and conversation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Activity 3: Exchanging Information – Rollenspiel
Practice with partner(s) (interpersonal activity).
Taking the previous activity as a guide, engage in a brief conversation with a partner covering the following topics:
Greet your partner(s) and introduce yourselves, sharing information on name, origin, what you do, like /dislike etc.
Decide if you should ‘duzen’ (using the informal ‘du’) or ‘Siezen’ (using formal ‘Sie’); note: in German the person of higher rank or older age will determine.
Show interest and enthusiasm / empathy / sincerity by responding with details and contrasts to topics such as your favorite leisure time activities, your real or ideal routine during the week, at night, in the mornings, on the weekend, and your job or college experience, etc.), using high-frequency words and as much detail as possible.
These activities should take you 3-5 minutes to prepare and your presentation and conversation should last about 1-2 minutes.
Take-Aways
Self-Reflection
Ask yourself what went well, where you or your partner(s) struggled to communicate, and how you could improve next time. To help you keep speaking in German, try these strategies:
| Problem | Strategies |
|---|---|
| I don’t know a word | Use gestures, Pantomime |
I don’t understand my partner | Ask for repetition with the phrase “Wie bitte?” |
Digging Deeper: Follow-up Activities
Look up more phrases to express interest, enthusiasm, and empathy as well as likes / dislikes and simple ways to agree or disagree.
Look up more words for high-frequency experiences (work, college, leisure time activities) and ask your partner(s)