School

Introduction

Being able to tell the time will be vital knowledge, so make sure you can do it confidently. It could turn up in a role-play, in a reading exam or in a listening exam.

Remember that the 24 hour clock is used much more in German-speaking countries than in the U.K., so you will need to know your numbers up to 60 really well (you may need to be able to understand train times, such as 19.53)!

You need to be able to tell the time when talking about your school day, such as what time break is or when school finishes.

Here are a few reminders about how to tell the time in German:

Watch out for half past!

In English we say half past the hour.

For example:

2.30 = half past two

In German, we say half to the hour:

For example:

2.30 = es ist halb drei

An easy way round this is to say zwei Uhr dreissig.

To help you revise the times, try this exercise. Read the German sentence at the bottom and then click on the clock face that is telling the correct time:

At school

In your speaking exam, you may have to talk about what happens during your school day - what time lessons start or when lunch time is, for example.

In this exercise, read the English sentence and then click on the correct German translation in the white panels. Mark your answer each time and then move on to try another:

Making sure you know the words for furniture and equipment you use in school is very important. Remember, when you learn a new noun (word for a thing or person), always learn it with:

Then, you will have no problems when you come to use these words in other situations.

So, if you are asked:

"Was ist das?" - "What is that?", you will want to reply with "That is a..."

In order to do this correctly in German, you need to know whether the word is masculine, feminine or neuter. Then you can use the correct word for "a".

For masculine and neuter words you will use "ein"

For feminine words you will use "eine"

For example:

The next exercise will help you revise your spellings of essential classroom vocabulary and will also help you to remember whether a word is masculine, feminine or neuter.

For each question, click on the classroom object that you think is correct and mark your answer:

His and Her

Saying that something is yours in German (mein = my) or belongs to someone else (dein = your) is fairly easy to remember. You're only sticking an extra letter onto "ein"! Perhaps because the words aren't used as much, we sometimes forget the words for "his" and "her" (especially "her").

So, if you were to sort out some belongings, saying "That's his pencil or, that's her pen", you would need to know the gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) of what you were talking about - for example, pencil.

For masculine and neuter objects, you would say "Das ist sein / ihr..."

For feminine objects, you would say "Das ist seine / ihre..." (Note: You add an -e on to sein or ihr).

So, always learn the gender (der/die/das) of a word when you learn it!

Kein

Always learn the gender (der (masc)/die (fem)/das (neutral)) of a word when you learn it! We keep saying it, but it's so important. Accuracy will gain you extra marks in your written and speaking exams. In this exercise, we are going to look at how to say "I don't have a..."

You will remember how to say "I have a...":

Well, to say "I don't have a..." is really straightforward - you just stick a K in front of the einen/eine/ein

It's easy, so long as you know whether something is masculine, feminine or neutral, so always learn the word with der/die/das!

Classroom language

There are some key phrases that you should know to help you through your speaking exam if you want to ask the teacher to repeat something or if you just don't know the answer.

You can also use them in class! In addition, there are loads of classroom phrases that you have been hearing from your very first German lesson. They could come up in a listening exam, so revise them well.

Whether you like it or not, most school pupils in the U.K. have to wear a school uniform. You may need to be able to describe it in your speaking exam. In talking about clothes, we often say what colour they are. Colours are describing words, i.e. adjectives. You need to be able to understand how adjectives work in German.

Have a look at this summary:

1. When the describing word (adjective) comes after the word it's describing, then it doesn't change and you don't have to add an ending to the adjective.

For example:

Mein Pullover ist grün = My pullover is green

2. If the adjective comes in front of the word it is describing (the noun), then you have to put an ending on it.

For example:

Ich trage schwarze Schuhe = I wear black shoes

You have added an -e on to schwarz. You would do the same when talking about socks, boots, sandals, trainers... anything where there is more than one.

3. In describing your uniform, you would say things such as "I wear a black skirt, a white blouse... etc."

In saying this, you have to add an ending to the adjective, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine or neuter, because the adjective comes before the noun. Remember to learn your genders!

For example:

Now, as long as you know whether the item of clothing is masculine, feminine or neuter, you can do the same for anything else.

Giving Opinions

You probably have a strong opinion about your school uniform!

Giving opinions in your speaking exam or in your written work will always gain you extra marks, so make sure you can always say how you feel about things!

Any organisation has rules, whether we like them or not! In English, the rule usually starts off with something like "You must ... You may..." or "One must ... One may ..."

The same is true in German, the only difference is that the other verb (doing word) in the sentence comes at the end.

For example:

One must go to school until you are 16.

Man muss bis sechzehn Jahren zur Schule gehen.

There are a very small number of verbs, called Modal Verbs, which work in this way. We will just look at müssen = to have to and dürfen = to be allowed / expresses the idea "may".

Here are the complete forms of these two verbs to remind you:

In this exercise, look at the pictures of classroom rules and then click on the correct german phrase before marking your answer:

Here is some further practice on school subjects and opinions of them. This vocabulary could come up in any of your exams, so it's essential that you know it.

If you come across words you don't know, make sure you note them down and learn them. If it's a noun, remember to also learn the gender - der/die/das!

Read this letter and then look at the sentences below. Click on the phrase or word that completes the sentence correctly.

You could also use the letter to get some ideas for your speaking exam, so spend some time looking at it and note down anything new!

The school timetable

Being able to talk about the school day is essential and is something you may have to do in the speaking exam. It could also come up in the reading and listening exams, so you need to know how to talk about a timetable well.

Letter reading

Here is an exercise that will see how well you know the vocabulary in this area of the topic. It will also give you ideas for your speaking exam. Remember to learn any words or phrases you don't already know.

Do you know the words for classroom objects? Complete this crossword by typing in the correct spelling for each of the items pictured below. Make sure you learn any words you didn't know. Do you know the genders?? Der / die / das?!!!

In some ways, going to school is a similar experience the world over, however there are particular differences between schools in various countries. You need to be aware of the differences between schools in the U.K. and Germany...uniform...timing of the school day... etc.

Here is some practice exercise to ensure you really know this vocabulary really well. You could use this in your speaking exam or it could very easily come up in your reading and listening exams.

Read the text below and then answer the questions:

Letztes Jahr bin ich mit meinem Partner in eine deutsche Schule gegangen. Die deutschen Schulen sind ganz anders.

Die Schule beginnt morgens um acht Uhr und sie haben keine Versammlung. Die Deutschen haben sechs Stunden pro Tag und zwei grosse Pausen. Sie gehen auch samstags in die Schule. Samstags haben sie vier Stunden. Nachmittags haben sie keine Schule.

In Deutschland ist die Schule um ein Uhr aus. Sie haben keine Kantine. Sie essen zu Hause. Sie tragen auch keine Schuluniform wie in England. Ich trage einen dunkelroten Pullover, einen schwarzen Rock oder eine schwarze Hose und ein weisses Hemd.

In Deutschland bleiben die Schüler in einem Klassenzimmer, aber in England bleibt der Lehrer in einem Klassenzimmer. Wenn die Schüler schlechte Noten in einer Prüfung haben, müssen sie sitzenbleiben. Das finde ich nicht so gut! Es ist gut, dass wir in England nicht sitzenbleiben!

You will read a list of statements about British and German schools. For each statement decide whether it refers to British or German schools and click on the correct button:

You may have to talk about your school in the speaking exam. Aspects of school life also sometimes crop up in role-plays, so make sure you know the topic really thoroughly. Here are a few of the type of questions that may come up, together with some suggested answers. Remember that your teacher may ask you an open-ended question to allow you to say as much as you can. Your answers should be as full as possible.

Give an opinion if you can!

Sample questions:

1. Was lernst du in der Schule?
2. Was ist dein Lieblingsfach?
3. Welches Fach gefällt dir nicht?
4. Kannst du einen typischen Schultag beschreiben?
5. Wie fährst du zur Schule?
6. Kannst du deine Schuluniform beschreiben?
7. Was wirst du nächstes Jahr machen?
8. Bist du Mitglied in einem Verein?
9. Wie heisst deine Schule?
10. Was füur ine Schule ist das?
11. Wieviel Hausaufgaben bekommst du?

Suggested answers:

1. Ich lerne Englisch, Mathe, Geschichte, Deutsch, Naturwissenschaft und Theater. Mein Lieblingsfach ist Theater, weil es interessant ist und die Lehrerin gefällt mir. Ich lerne nicht gern Englisch, weil es langweilig ist.
2. Mein Lieblingsfach ist Geschichte, weil der Lehrer gut ist und ich möchte Geschichte in der Oberstufe lernen.
3. Mathe gef;auml;llt mir nicht, weil es schwierig ist und ich bekomme schlechte Noten.
4. Die Schule beginnt um fünf vor neun und die erste Stunde beginnt um zehn nach neun. Die Pause ist um zehn nach elf und die Mittagspause ist um halb eins. Die Schule ist um halb vier aus.
5. Wenn es regnet, fahre ich mit dem Auto zur Schule, aber wenn es schön ist, gehe ich zu Fuss. Ich gehe lieber zu Fuss.
6. Ich trage einen roten Pullover, ein weisses Hemd und eine schwarze Hose. Meine Uniform gefällt mir, weil sie praktisch ist.
7. Nächstes Jahr werde ich in der Oberstufe bleiben. Ich werde Deutsch, Englisch, Mathe und Geschichte studieren. Ich werde Deutsch an der Uni studieren, weil ich im Ausland arbeiten möchte.
8. Ja, ich bin in der Fussballmannschaft. Wir treffen uns jeden Donnerstag nach der Schule.
9. Meine Schule heisst...(name of school)
10. Meine Schule ist eine Gesamtschule.
11. Ich bekomme zwei Stunden pro Abend.

Manchester, den 21. April

Lieber Manfred

Wie geht's? Mir geht's gut. Ich bin letzte Woche zur Schule zurückgegangen. Ich bin jetzt in der zehnten Klasse.

Ich lerne viele Fächer. Ich lerne Deutsch, Franz;ouml;sisch, Englisch, Naturwissenschaft, Wirtschaftslehre, Sport, Religion, Mathe, Geschichte, Erdkunde und Kunst. Mein Lieblingsfach ist Wirtschaftslehre, weil es nützlich ist. Mathe gefällt mir nicht, weil ich es nicht verstehen kann. Naturwissenschaft mache ich gern, weil der Lehrer hilfsbereit ist. Religion und Englisch sind einfach und interessant. Was machst du gern in der Schule?

Meine erste Stunde beginnt um Viertel nach neun. Die Pause ist um Viertel nach elf. Ich plaudere mit meinen Freunden und trinke eine Cola. Dann ist die Mittagspause um halb eins. Ich esse ein Butterbrot mit Schinken und Tomaten und manchmal spielen wir Fussball. Die vierte Stunde beginnt um halb zwei und nach der letzten Stunde gehen wir um halb vier nach Hause. Ich fahre mit dem Bus und ich komme um zehn nach vier nach Hause.

Abends mache ich zwei Stunden Hausaufgaben und ich sehe fern. Was machst du nach der Schule?

Viele Grüsse

Dein Matthew

You may have to write a letter about your school. There are a few essential points to remember:

• Is the letter formal or informal - is it to a friend or is it a business-type letter?
• Begin and end your letter correctly. If you are writing to a boy, start with Lieber, if you are writing to a girl, start with Liebe.
• At the end, remember to write dein or deine before your name, depending upon whether you are a boy or a girl.
• School is an ideal topic to include lots of opinions - on subjects, school food, homework, uniform. Giving an opinion will help you to gain more marks.
• Try and vary your sentences. Sometimes start with an expression of time - for example, Einmal in der Woche habe ich Erdkunde.
• Try and use more than one tense. You could talk about a subject you studied last year and use the perfect tense. Then you could say what you hope to do next year and thereby use the future tense.
• Always check your work carefully - have you fulfilled the task correctly and is your work accurate?

We all have to go to school, and talking about our subjects is something we all spend a lot of time on, whether we like or dislike them!

You will need to know the words for school subjects really well, so that you can recognise them in the Reading or Listening exams or if you have to speak about them in the Speaking exam.

Have a look at this list just to check you know the translations for your subjects:

Wie findest du Deutsch?

What do you think of German?

Of course, you think it's great!

Being able to express an opinion is vital if you want to gain points in your Speaking exam or Writing exam. You also need to be able to understand opinions in the Listening and Reading exams.

If you wish to join the two sentences up using "weil" (because), you have to watch the word order.

It's straightforward if you remember the rule that after "weil" the verb (doing word) goes to the end of the sentence.

For example:

Beispiel: Wie findest du Deutsch?

Deutsch ist mein Lieblingsfach. Es ist prima.

Or,

Deutsch ist mein Lieblingsfach, weil es prima ist.

("ist" is the verb (doing word), so it goes to the end of the sentence).

So, you've practiced giving an opinion about your school subjects. Perhaps you now want to compare one subject with another, or say which subject you find the most interesting or the most boring.

For example:

You can do this with almost any describing word (adjective). A lot of short ones get an added umlaut like alt (old);

älter (older);

der/die/das älteste

Unfortunately there are always a few exceptions! Most of these you should already know, but have a look at the table below to refresh your memory.

Read the text for each student, then answer the questions below by clicking on the correct student.