German for Complete Beginners

This German for complete beginners course is designed for complete beginners who are travelling to a German-speaking country.

Therefore, the focus is on oral communication (oral and aural skills) and the students will cover the following practical “survival skills”:

• Greetings – Introducing yourself, your friends and your family
• Talking about yourself, your job, as well as your tastes and hobbies
• Travelling
• Booking a hotel and checking in
• Booking a table – Eating and drinking out
• Asking for and understanding directions
• Going shopping
• Complaining and apologising
• Arranging to meet
• Telephoning – Leaving a message – Taking a message

Course Objectives

This is a summary of the objectives for this German for complete beginners course. 

Socio-linguistic Appropriateness

Firstly, to be able to establish basic social contact by using the simplest everyday polite forms of greetings, farewells, introductions, saying please, thank you, sorry etc.

Listening Comprehension (LC)

To be able to follow speech that is slow and also carefully articulated, with long pauses for him/her to assimilate meaning.

Reading Comprehension (RC)

To be able to understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, in addition to picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.

Spoken Interaction (SI)

To be able to interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair.

Spoken Production (SP)

To be able to produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people as well as places.

Written Interaction (WI)

Furthermore, to be able to ask for or pass on personal details in written form.

Written Production (WP)

Finally, to be able to write simple phrases and sentences about themselves and imaginary people, where they live and what they do.