Charlie talks online to his friend Annika in Berlin, who is decorating a cake for Lena’s birthday.
Together they count the 12 candles.
Lena’s three friends take the cake to her flat and sing her a birthday song.
Charlie shows Lena a birthday card he has made for her, then takes Lena’s photo with her family and friends.
This short film focuses on numbers up to 12 and birthday greetings in German.
It is from the BBC series, Virtually There: Germany.
In this series of short fun films, a British boy practices German by talking to a group of children in Berlin via a tablet. Virtually There: Germany revises basic German vocabulary in a series of real-life settings, and using memorable songs.
Teacher Notes
You can revise or introduce numbers one to twelve using digit cards or number fans, or extend this to 20 for an additional challenge.
Hopscotch or bingo are good games to practise numbers.
Encourage your pupils to learn the birthday song in German by heart, and sing it to their classmates on their birthdays.
Invite pupils who speak other languages to share how they wish someone 'happy birthday'.
Develop listening skills by asking pupils to count how many times they hear the word 'Hoch' in the birthday song.
Focus on [ts] z in 'zwölf'.
Support understanding of grammar by looking at German word order in the sentence 'das habe ich vergessen'.
Curriculum Notes
This short film could be used for teaching German at KS2 or at a beginner level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1st and 2nd Level or beginner level in Scotland.
More from Virtually There: Germany
Making new friends in Berlin. video
Charlie’s learning German at school, and practising online with some children in Berlin. They introduce themselves and show him around some of the city’s most famous sites.
A German food adventure. video
Charlie talks to his friend who is buying a snack at a sausage stall in Berlin, and to his other German friends who are making unusual kebabs with everything they can find in the fridge.
Adventure playground in Berlin. video
Charlie’s German friend Jens says he’s bored. Lena and Annika suggest different games in German for them all to play.
A song to learn the days of the week in German. video
A lighthearted and catchy song in English and German to practise the days of the week.
Der die das song. video
A fun song that explains the three genders of nouns in German whilst revising parts of the body.
Getting directions in Berlin. video
Charlie’s German friends get lost on the way to their concert. They are given directions, and Charlie helps them get there just in time.
Painting and colours in German. video
Charlie links up online with his friends in Berlin who are painting a portrait of one of their friends in the style of Franz Marc, the expressionist. Things don’t go to plan!
Shopping at the flea market. video
Charlie’s German friend Lena can’t decide what to wear for a party. She takes him to a local flea market where they haggle with a stallholder to buy a colourful wig.
A song about playing games. video
A lively song for learning German in which children sing about Karneval and playing games.
