| Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | | Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | |
| - Words and phrases used for greetings, farewells, and introductions
- Formulaic expressions using simple forms of the verbs ‘sein’, ‘haben’, and ‘heißen’.
- The German alphabet has 26 letters, same as English.
- German has some distinct features, such as:
- the Umlauts ä, ö, ü which change pronunciation of these vowels
- ß (except in Switzerland)
- the diphthongs au, ei/ai, eu/äu.
- German spelling is largely phonetic, meaning that the pronunciation of a word is predictable from its spelling once the spelling rules are known.
- German has long and short vowels. A double vowel or a vowel followed by a silent 'h' indicates a long vowel (e.g. Haasen, Bahn). A vowel followed by a double consonant indicates a short vowel (e.g. hassen).
| - Using basic greetings and farewells in different contexts
- Introducing themselves and others and responding to introductions appropriately
- Asking others how they are and responding appropriately when asked
| Greetings and farewells - Hallo/Hi! (informal)
- Guten Tag (formal)
- Tschüs (informal)
- Guten Morgen
- Guten Tag (formal)
- Guten Abend (after around 5pm)
- Gute Nacht
- Auf Wiedersehen (formal)
- Tschüs (informal)
- Moin, Servus, Grüß Gott, Grüezi, Salut (regional)
Introductions - Wie heißt du?/Wie heißen Sie?
- Ich heiße…
- Wie heißt er/sie?
- Er/sie heißt…
- Wer ist das?
- Das ist...
Asking how someone is doing - Wie geht es dir?/Wie geht’s?
- Mir geht’s gut/nicht gut/nicht so gut/schlecht
- Ich bin müde/Ich bin krank
- Ich habe Hunger/Durst.
| - Formal greetings, farewells, and introductions
- Identifying nationalities and ethnicities.
- German has different forms for ‘you’, depending on the familiarity between the speakers:
- ‘du’ for someone you know well or for children
- ‘Sie’ for teachers, an adult you meet for the first time or don’t know well or for an adult in the workplace.
- the formal ‘Sie’ and ‘Ihnen’ are capitalised.
| - Using greetings, farewells, and introductions and exchanging basic personal information in a formal context
- Communicating about nationality or ethnicity in formal and informal context
| Formal greetings Formal introductions - Wie heißen Sie?
- Wie geht es Ihnen?
- Woher kommen Sie?
- Wo wohnen Sie?
- Welche Sprachen sprechen Sie?
Nationalities/Ethnicities - Ich bin Neuseeländer(in).
- Ich bin aus Neuseeland.
- Ich bin aus Tonga.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - German is the official language in six countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland) and an official language in certain areas of some countries (South Tyrol in Italy).
- There are other German speaking communities around the world (e.g. in Brazil, Namibia).
- There are some places in New Zealand where German is considered a community language.
- German is closely related to English, Dutch, Afrikaans, and the Scandinavian languages, and they share many cognates.
- The use of the language and cultural norms, such as handshake and kissing on the cheek, vary across those countries.
| - There are many languages with the equivalent du/Sie forms to indicate levels of respect or familiarity, such as Spanish and French. Other languages convey formality through different linguistic features (e.g. registers in Pacific languages).
- Using the informal ‘du’ when the formal ‘Sie’ is required could come across as rude.
- The du/Sie politeness conventions are still used but are shifting because of the influence of the internet, popular English-speaking culture, and globalisation.
- Students in German speaking countries are addressed with the informal ‘du’ by their teachers until they turn 16 and then their teachers ask them if they would like to be addressed with the formal ‘Sie’ as a sign of respect.
- English used to have the equivalent to Du/Sie but this gradually changed.
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| - Basic classroom instructions, questions, and comments
- Common politeness expressions
- Receptive knowledge of verbs for classroom actions
- Classroom instructions change depending on whether a single person or a group is being addressed.
| - Responding to and using simple classroom language and politeness conventions
- Recognising the words for common classroom objects and expressions of location
| Classroom instructions - Hört zu!/Hör zu!
- Setzt euch bitte!
- Steh auf!/Steht auf!
- Pass auf!/Passt auf!
- Heb deine Hand!
- Ruhe bitte!
- Schreib es auf!/Schreibt es auf!
- Kannst du das bitte wiederholen?/Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
- Habt ihr verstanden?
Classroom questions - Wie sagt man?
- Was bedeutet das?
- Wie heißt das auf Deutsch?
- Kann/darf ich bitte…?
- Versteht ihr/verstehst du?
- Ich verstehe das nicht. Kannst du das bitte wiederholen?
- Stimmt das? Ja, das stimmt.
- Bist du fertig? Ja, ich bin fertig.
Common phrases and politeness conventions - Ja/Nein
- Natürlich
- Danke/Danke schön
- Bitte/Bitte schön
- Gern geschehen!
- Herr...
- Frau...
- Entschuldigung
- Es tut mir Leid.
- Gesundheit!
Classroom comments - super
- toll
- genial
- fantastisch
- gut gemacht
- sehr gut
- nicht schlecht
| - Classroom instructions and interactions
- Classroom objects including stationery
- The verbs ‘schreiben’, ‘arbeiten’, ‘haben’, ‘brauchen’
- The verb ‘haben’ (to have) and ‘brauchen’ (to need) take accusative objects, but only the accusative singular for male nouns is indicated by changes to the endings of articles and adjectives (e.g. ‘Der Hund ist klein’, but ‘Ich habe einen kleinen Hund’).
- The conjugation of the verb ‘haben’ (to have) in the singular is ich habe, du hast, er/sie hat.
- The conjugation of the verb ‘brauchen’ (need) in the singular is ich brauche, du brauchst, er/sie braucht.
- All German nouns are capitalised.
- In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, either masculine, feminine, or neuter. There are very few rules about gender, so students need to learn the gender of each noun along with its article.
- Articles in German use grammatical gender and number (ein/eine/ein; der/die/das; die) that agrees with the noun.
- The indefinite article (ein/eine) and the negative indefinite article (kein/keine) change according to case and gender of the noun they refer to (e.g. ‘Ich habe einen Bleistift’ vs ‘Ich habe ein Buch’).
- German has four grammatical cases — nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive — which are used to indicate a word's function within a sentence, such as subject, direct object, indirect object, or possessive object.
- German nouns have different plural forms that need to be learnt through exposure and practise.
| - Communicating in a classroom environment using an extended repertoire of instructions and short interactions
- Identifying and communicating about classroom and school objects
| Classroom instructions - Arbeitet zu zweit.
- Arbeitet in Gruppen.
- Räumt eure Sachen weg.
- Stellt die Stühle auf die Tische.
Classroom interaction - Ich habe eine Frage.
- Ich habe etwas nicht verstanden.
Classroom objects - der Stuhl
- der Tisch
- die Tasche
- das Buch
Classroom and school objects - Hast du / brauchst du ein Buch?
- Ich habe / brauche einen Bleistift.
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| - Numbers 1–15 to count and express age
- Basic questions and answers to identify where you are from, where you live, and what languages you speak
- In German the most common questions words are known as ‘W-Fragen’: wer, was, wo, wann, warum, wie, woher, welche.
- Singular forms of the verbs sein, kommen, wohnen, sprechen
- In German, verbs in the present tense change their endings to agree with the subject in terms of person and number (e.g. ‘ich spreche’ vs ‘du sprichst’).
- The conjugation of the verb ‘sein’ (to be) in the singular is ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist.
- Cognates are words in different languages that share the same origin and have a similar meaning, pronunciation, and spelling. They can significantly accelerate language learning by allowing learners to activate existing knowledge, making it easier to build vocabulary and comprehend texts.
| - Exchanging basic personal information
| Numbers (1-15) - 0-10: null, eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn
- 11-15: elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn
Age - Wie alt bist du?
- Und du?
- Wie alt ist er/sie?
- Ich bin … Jahre alt
- Er/sie ist … Jahre alt
- Ich auch.
- Ich bin auch.../Er ist auch...
Where they are from - Woher kommst du?
- Ich komme aus…
Where they live - Wo wohnst du?
- Ich wohne in…
- Woher kommt er/sie?
- Er/sie kommt aus…
- Wo wohnt er/sie?
- Er/sie wohnt in…
Languages they speak - Welche Sprache(n) sprichst du zu Hause?
- Ich spreche Deutsch.
- Er/sie spricht Spanisch.
| - Vocabulary for expressing preferences depending on the chosen context.
- Questions and answers to express preference and basic reasons for preferences using adjectives
- The verb ‘mögen’
- An easy way to express preferences is by creating a compound noun with 'Lieblings' and the item you favour (e.g. Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist rot).
- Another easy way to express preferences is to use the word ‘lieber’ and ‘am liebsten’.
- In German, a compound noun takes on the grammatical gender of its final noun, (e.g. die Farbe = die Lieblingsfarbe vs der Sport = der Lieblingssport).
- Possessive adjectives change depending on the gender of the noun they refer to (e.g. die Farbe = meine Lieblingsfarbe vs der Sport = mein Lieblingssport).
- Likes and dislikes are expressed using the conjugated verb ‘mögen’ + noun [optionally] ‘gern(e)’/’nicht gern(e)’.
- The conjugation of the verb ‘mögen’ (to like) in the singular is ich mag, du magst, er/sie mag.
- Strong likes are expressed using the conjugated word ‘lieben’ + noun.
- The conjugation of the verb ‘lieben’ (to love) in the singular is ich liebe, du liebst, er/sie liebt.
| - Expressing preferences, likes and dislikes in familiar contexts, giving reasons in a simple way, where appropriate
| Suggested topics: colours, food, school subjects, after-school activities, sports, music. Preferences - Was ist dein/e Lieblingsfarbe?
- Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist blau.
- Hast du ein Lieblingsfach?
- Mein Lieblingsfach ist Deutsch.
- Ich mag Fußball, aber ich mag Tennis lieber.
Likes and dislikes - Magst du Hunde?
- Ich mag Hunde gerne, aber ich liebe Katzen.
- Er mag Musik.
- Sie mag Fleisch.
Simple reasons - Sie mag Fisch nicht, denn es schmeckt nicht gut.
- Ich mag Sozialkunde. Ich finde es interessant.
- Ich mag das Buch. Es ist spannend.
- Es is toll/super/genial/spannend/gut/ lecker.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - There are many regional dialects and varieties of German spoken in German-speaking countries.
| - Preferences in areas such as food, school subjects, after-school activities, sports, and music may vary between New Zealand and German-speaking countries due to cultural influences and regional traditions.
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| - Numbers 16-31
- Days of the week, months of the year
- Expressing dates and birthdays
- In German numbers after 20 follow a set pattern (e.g. one and twenty = 21 = einundzwanzig).
- In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, either masculine, feminine, or neuter. There are very few rules about gender, so students need to learn the gender of each noun along with its article.
- The days of the week and the months are all masculine nouns.
- In German, the days of the week and months of the year are capitalised, as in English.
- To form German ordinal numbers, they have to add –te to the cardinal number for 1–19 and –ste for 20 and above, with exceptions for the irregular forms of ‘first’ (erste) and ‘third’ (dritte).
- The sentence structure to express which day it is, is the same as in English (e.g. Es ist Montag/Heute ist Montag.).
| - Communicating about the days of the week, months, dates, and birthdays
| Numbers (16-31) - sechszehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn, zwanzig
- 21-31: einundzwanzig, zweiundzwanzig, dreiundzwanzig,..., dreißig, einunddreißig
Days of the week - Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Sonnabend/Samstag, Sonntag
- Welchen Tag haben wir heute?
- Heute ist Montag/Es ist Dienstag.
- Heute ist Donnerstag, der 12. Mai.
Months of the year - Januar, Februar, März, April, Mai, Juni, Juli, August, September, Oktober, November, Dezember
- Welchen Monat haben wir?
- Es ist Januar.
Date - Welches Datum haben wir heute?
- Heute ist Dienstag, der 10. Juni.
Birthdays - Wann hast du Geburtstag?
- Ich habe am 1. August Geburtstag.
- Mein Geburtstag ist am 1. August.
- Er/Sie hat am 2. Mai Geburtstag.
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!
| - Adjectives to describe appearance and qualities
- The conjugation of the verb ‘sein’ (to have) in the singular is ich bin, du bist, er ist
- The conjugation of the verb ‘haben’ (to have) in the singular is ich habe, du hast, er/sie hat
- Qualifiers (e.g. ‘sehr’ or ‘nicht so’) can be used before the adjective to limit or intensify the adjective in a sentence (e.g. sehr schüchtern)
- In German, basic negation is formed with ‘nicht’ placed after the verb, such as in ‘Er ist nicht nett.’
- Words for parts of the body
| - Describing appearance and qualities of people, animals, and objects
| Qualities - Wie ist dein Bruder?
- Er ist sehr nett.
- Ich bin etwas schüchtern.
- Sie ist intelligent.
- Er ist nicht freundlich.
- Mein Lehrer ist wirklich hilfreich.
Physical characteristics - Wie sieht deine Schwester aus?
- Sie ist groß und schlank.
- Meine Schwester ist kleiner als ich.
- Sie hat lange braune Haare und blonde Augen.
- Ihre Haare sind blond.
- Meine Katze hat große Ohren.
- Das Sofa ist nicht sehr gemütlich.
- Das Buch ist unheimlich gut.
Qualifiers - sehr
- nicht so
- unheimlich
- etwas
- wirklich
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - German weekday names blend Germanic mythology and Roman/planet-based origins
- German-speaking countries observe Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, alongside nationally significant secular holidays such as German Unity Day. Numerous festivals and traditions are associated with different seasons and cultural practices, like Oktoberfest in Munich.
- Birthday celebrations in German-speaking countries vary by country and region.
| - Prominent figures of the German-speaking world in different fields
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| - Weather and seasons
- Formulaic expressions to describe the weather
- The verbs ‘regnen’, ‘schneien’
- The neuter pronoun ‘es’ (it) is used to talk about the weather.
| - Communicating about the weather and the seasons
| Weather - Wie ist das Wetter heute?
- Es ist warm.
- Es ist kalt.
- Es ist windig.
- Es ist wolkig.
- Es ist sonnig.
- Die Sonne scheint.
- Es regnet.
- Es schneit.
Seasons - der Sommer — im Sommer
- der Winter — im Winter
- der Frühling — im Frühling
- der Herbst — im Herbst
| - Vocabulary and formulaic expressions for telling the time
| | Suggested topics: school timetables, making arrangements Time - Wie spät ist es?
- Es ist vier Uhr.
- Es ist halb drei.
- Es ist Viertel vor zwei.
- Es ist Viertel nach drei.
- Um wie viel Uhr gehst du ins Bett?
- Wann gehst du ins Bett?
- Ich gehe um half elf ins Bett.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - Seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, where German is mostly spoken, are opposite to the seasons in New Zealand which impacts the school year and celebrations.
| - German speakers use both the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks, with the 24-hour clock being common in formal contexts, like timetables and official communication, and the 12-hour clock prevalent in informal conversations where words for ‘morning’ (morgens) or ‘afternoon’ (nachmittags) are used to clarify am or pm.
- German culture views punctuality as a fundamental sign of respect and discipline, where being early is often preferred, especially in professional contexts.
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| - Close family members
- Family composition and size
- Age
- All German nouns are capitalised.
- The conjugation of the verb ‘haben’ (to have) in the singular is ich habe, du hast, er/sie hat
- The indefinite article (ein/eine) and the negative indefinite article (kein/keine) change according to case and gender of the noun they refer to (e.g. Ich habe eine Schwester vs. Ich habe einen Bruder).
- German nouns have different plural forms that need to be learnt through exposure and practise with common plural endings, including –e, –en, –er, or –n, added to the noun's nominative form.
| - Communicate about their families, including names and ages
| Family - Hast du Geschwister?
- Ja, ich habe eine Schwester.
- Nein, ich bin Einzelkind.
- Ich habe keine Geschwister.
- Ich habe keinen Bruder.
- Wie heißt dein Vater/deine Mutter?
- Mein Vater heißt Ralph. Meine Mutter heißt Elke.
- Mein Halbbruder heißt Thomas.
Age - Wie alt ist deine Stiefschwester?
- Meine Stiefschwester ist 12 Jahre alt.
Pets - Hast du Haustiere?
- Ja, ich habe eine Katze.
- Nein, ich habe keine Haustiere.
Conjunctions und, aber, oder - Ich habe eine Katze und einen Hund.
- Ich habe eine Schwester, aber ich habe keinen Bruder.
- Hast du eine Katze oder einen Hund?
| - Vocabulary for expressing ownership depending on the chosen context
- The conjugation of the verb ‘haben’ (to be) in the singular is ich habe, du hast, er/sie hat
- The indefinite article (ein/eine) and the negative indefinite article (kein/keine) change according to case and gender of the noun they refer to (e.g. ‘Ich habe einen Bleistift’ vs ‘Ich habe ein Buch’).
- The singular possessive adjectives are mein(e), dein(e), sein(e), ihr/ihre.
- The form of the possessive adjective depends on the gender of the object owned.
- A simple way of expressing ownership is to use ‘von’ (of).
- In German, the genitive case shows possession and is expressed by adding an –s to the name of the person that owns something.
| - Communicate about ownership
| Suggested topics: pets, classroom objects, clothes Ownership - Hast du einen Hund?
- Nein, ich habe keinen Hund.
- Ist das deine Jacke?
- Nein, das ist Sabines Jacke.
- Meine Schwester heißt Julia.
- Das ist mein Bruder.
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| | | | - Some common German prepositions are in, auf, unter, vor, hinter. They require the dative case.
| - Asking and answering simple questions about location
| - Wo ist das Buch?
- Das Buch ist auf dem Tisch.
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