Notes of Lessons: German, Class III

[We have thought that it might be of use to our readers (in their own families) to publish from month to month during the current year, Notes of Lessons prepared by students of the House of Education for the pupils of the Practising School. We should like to say, however, that such a Lesson is never given as a tour de force, but is always an illustration or an expansion of some part of the children’s regular studies (in the Parents’ Review School), some passage in one or other of their school books.—Ed.]

Subject: German, Gouin • Group: Languages • Class III • Time: 30 minutes

By Katharine Loveday
The Parents’ Review, 1906, pp. 65-67

Objects

I. To increase the girls’ interest in the German language.

II. To help them to think and speak in German about things of everyday life.

III. To enlarge their German vocabulary.

IV. To improve their pronunciation.

Lesson

Step I.—Ask the girls if they can tell me how it is that there are so many German words resembling those of our own language. When the Jutes and Saxons, German tribes, came over to England with Hengist and Horsa (477) and settled there, they brought their language with them. As time went on that language became modified both in England and Germany, and at the present-day we can still trace many connections between the two languages.

Step II.—Tell the girls in a few words what the series is about. Do this as much as possible in German, using easy words that they already know.

Step III.—Explain the verbs separately, by doing the actions when possible and saying them several times slowly and distinctly. Ask the girls to give the verbs for the actions, I do. Pay attention to their pronunciation. When they are quite sure of the verbs, let one of the pupils write them on the blackboard in the Infinitive.

Step IV.—Explain the other words in the series, in German as much as possible, letting the girls repeat them. In answer to my questions draw the whole series from the pupils.

Step V.—Let one of them write it on the blackboard.

Series

wollen } Ich will ein Weihnachtsgeshenk kaufen.
Kaufen}

gehen Ich gehe in die Stadt.

schemen Ich schane in die Fensterläden.

sehen Ich sehe ein hübsches Bild.

eintreten Ich trete in den Laden ein.

kaufen und kaufe das Bild.

Obtain from the others by means of questions what that pupil is doing:—

“Sie schreibt.”

“Sie schreibt mit der Kreide.”

“Sie schreibt an der Tafel.”

Step VI.—Ask one of the girls to translate the series into English to make quite sure that they have understood everything.

Step VII.—Let them say the series putting the verbs in the Imperfect. “Ich wollte,” etc. Point out the strong and weak verbs.

Step VIII.—If time, let them say the series, beginning each sentence with an adverb of time, e.g.,“Gestern wollte ich,” etc., and explain that after an adverb of time the order of subject and verb is reversed.