Topic Four (1.4): Herzlichen Glückwunsch
Objectives for this topic
- Saying when your birthday is
- Using the verb haben (to have)
- Using cardinal and ordinal numbers
Introduction
In this topic, you will learn how to talk about when your birthday is and how to give dates in German. You will learn another very important German verb: haben (to have).
Working through your coursebook
Please work through the following sections in your coursebook, completing all listed exercises:
- Complete exercise 1 on page 16: fill in the gaps in order to produce numbers. See if you can identify a pattern in how the numbers are formed.
Extra: try the challenge in the Extra box on page 16 – can you write out the numbers 31-39 based on what you have learnt?
- Complete exercise 2 on page 16: put the months in the correct order.
- Complete exercise 3 on page 16: listen to the audio. Is everything correct?
LISTEN – Audio Exercise 3 Links to an external site.
- Complete exercise 4 on page 16: match the names and dates of birth to the correct speech bubbles.
Extra: can you try and create some more of these tasks, using the exercise as a model for your own version?
- Complete exercise 5 on page 17. Listen to the audio and match the dates of birth (a-h) with what you hear.
LISTEN – Audio Exercise 5 Links to an external site.
- Complete exercise 6 on page 17: fill in the gaps with the correct form of haben. Use the Grammatik box to help you.
- Complete exercise 7 on page 17: translate the sentences from exercise 6 into English.
- Complete exercise 8 on page 17: read the article and decide whether statements a-e are True, False or Not in the Text.
Extra: correct the false statements
- Complete exercise 9 on page 17: create an interview using the information from exercise 9 on page 17. Careful: this interview is with an adult, so you must use the formal way of asking questions. Be sure to read the ‘Achtung’ box to get the formal way of asking questions right!
Extra: why not act this interview out by using different voices or using figures or teddies to play the roles!
Review
Write out the details of five people you know; you should include their name, age and date of birth. Be sure to use the correct personal pronouns and correct forms of the verb haben.
Interactive Kerboodle activities
Log into Kerboodle and complete the following activities for this module:
- Complete this exercise to practise the verb haben
PRACTISE – Using the verb haben (Kerboodle) Links to an external site.
- Complete this listening exercise
PRACTISE – Talking about your birthday (Kerboodle) Links to an external site.
- Complete this writing and translation worksheet
COMPLETE – 1.4 Writing and Translation Worksheet (Kerboodle) Links to an external site.
Interactive LanguageNut activities
Log into Language Nut and try the following:
- Grammar and Verbs – verbs – haben – Präsens – Practice (games) – test
- Vocab trainer – basics – numbers 1-30
Support and extension exercises for this topic
- Watch the following video on YouTube. Listen to what people are saying about when their birthdays are. Can you understand what the people are saying?
Extra: to make it harder, try just listening to the sound rather than reading the subtitles. Only read the subtitles if you are stuck.
WATCH – Talking about your birthday (YouTube) Links to an external site.
- Watch this clip on YouTube: ‘German Numbers Rap’. Sing along to help you to remember the numbers!
Extra: why not try and create your own rap for the German numbers up to 30 to help you remember them. You could even try to record it on your phone!
WATCH – Numbers in German (YouTube) Links to an external site.
Check your answers
If you would like to check your answers for this topic, you can do so by consulting the Echt module answers for Topic 1.4.
CHECK – Answers 1.4 Download CHECK – Answers 1.4
CHECK – Worksheet Answers 1.4 Download CHECK – Worksheet Answers 1.4
You can find transcripts for the audio activities in this topic here:
CHECK – Audio Transcripts Links to an external site.
Grammar Alert
- Study the ‘Sprachmuster’ box on page 16 to learn about using cardinal and ordinal numbers in German. Note how 1st and 3rd are irregular – be sure to memorise these forms!
- Study the ‘Grammatik’ box on page 17 to learn how to use the really important verb haben (to have). Memorise the forms of this verb.
Vocabulary
Study the vocabulary section ‘Herzlichen Glückwunsch’ on page 29 of your textbook.