Hey, Heidi.
I heard that we're visiting your uni today.
I can't wait to show you around!
So, if there's lots to see we won't have time to film during the day, so we can film a recap once we're done.
Looks like you guys will need to use the past tense to talk about all those things you will have done.
Throwback!
If you guys want to vlog about the past you would use the word 'haben', which means to have, as you have done some exciting things.
And because we're a group of people, we have to use a whole bunch of forms.
These would be: Ich habe, Du hast, Er/Sie/Es hat,
Wir haben, Ihr habt, Sie/sie haben.
So how would I say I learned a lot about maths?
Something with 'lernen', right?
The 'haben' bit is only the beginning.
The other part is forming the part participle of the verb, where in this example 'lernen', we take the stem 'lern', add a 'ge-' at the start and put a 't' at the end.
The past participle of the verb goes at the end of the sentence.
This is important!
Okay. Okay.
And because you have learned about maths it's 'habe gelernt', which in a full sentence would be: 'Ich habe viel über Mathematik gelernt.'
So how would I say that we enjoyed the things we learned? 'Habe…genießen?'
You would say: 'Wir haben die Themen genoßen.'
'Genießen' is an example of a strong verb.
So, here we sandwich the stem between 'ge-' and '-en.'
But for some strong verbs, including this one, the vowel changes in the stem.
So here, the 'ie' becomes 'o'.
Verbs like this will be ones you'll have to learn.
So it's 'Wir haben die Themen genoßen.'
Looks like you need to pay more attention in Heidi's classes, Malik.
Wait, how would I say…you have worked hard in the classes?
Aha! The 'Du-Form' would be 'Du hast'.
As well as 'arbeiten' being a regular verb, so you can use that rule from earlier.
Go on, have a go! Here we add an 'e', to make it easier to say.
Would it be…'Du hast im Unterricht gut gearbeitet?'
Genau!
Working hard in class is for bookworms.
Hey, knowledge is power!
Is there a German word for bookworm?
Obviously, asking for a friend.
We in Germany don´t have bookworms, only ´Leseratten´.
Which would literally translate to reading rat.
What? And how would you use that in a sentence?
Hmm you could say: 'In der Bibliothek hat sie ein Buch gelesen wie eine echte Leseratte.'
The use of 'hat sie' also uses the past tense with 'haben', so perfect for your vlog.
You gotta watch out with this one since 'lesen' is a strong verb.
So here we only at the 'ge-' at the start and put the 'en' at the end.
But no vowel changes for this one.
Thanks so much, Heidi.
I think I'm ready to start practising.
No worries.
We better get going, uni starts soon.
Look at us!
We are at the uni!
Yeah, I've learned so much about maths.
Wait, I have to say it in German.
Umm, Heidi, how do I say I learned a lot about maths?
Let's see what you remember.
Err, ich…something something 'Mathematik lernen?'
You got the maths bit in at least.
It would be: 'Ich habe viel über Mathematik gelernt.'
Remember the 'haben' plus the past participle at the end.
Ah! 'Ich habe viel über Mathematik gelernt!'
Wir habe…die Themen genoßen!
Close.
You remember the different forms, right?
Ich habe, Du hast, Wir ha…Haben?
Haben! 'Wir haben die Themen genoßen!'
Unglaublich! Let's get rolling!
Kuck! Wir sind an der Uni!
Yeah!
Ich habe viel über Mathematik gelernt!
Wir haben die Themen genoßen.
Sehr gut! Du hast im Unterricht gut gearbeitet!
Danke!
In der Bibliothek hat sie ein Buch gelesen wie eine echte Leseratte.
Hey, du bist die Ratte!
Ich habe mehr als du gelernt.
Wir haben die Uni wirklich toll gefunden! Das wars auch schon Leute.
Danke, bis zum nächsten Mal!
Tschüss!
In this episode Malik and Tina are visiting Heidi´s university and would like to learn how to correctly vlog about things that happened a long time ago.
Heidi teaches them how to use the perfect tense with the verb haben and how to form the past participle of the verb.
This short film is from the BBC Teach series German Grammar and Vocabulary.
Teacher Notes
Before you watch the episode
In addition to revisiting the conjugation of haben, you may want to introduce or recap with the students a range of high frequency weak (regular) verbs in the present tense that they have used in whatever context(s) they have covered so far. The episode looks at both regular and irregular past participles, so looking at examples other than those used in the video. Prior knowledge of the formation of irregular past participles is helpful, but can be taught and consolidated in a teaching sequence using this episode.
During watching the episode
Depending on your lesson’s focus, you may want to pause the video at certain points to check for understanding, asking questions such as:
- (regular past participles) How do we find the stem of the verb in order to form the regular past participle? What other examples can you give ?
- (irregular past participles). Do the irregular forms have anything in common?
- Some explanation may be required for the spelling change between the infinitive genießen and the past participle genossen. The ß is used after long vowel sounds genießen,(to enjoy) schließen (to close), but ss is used after short vowels genossen, geschlossen. (A noun example Fuß - foot, but Fluss - river.) The new GCSE subject content Appendix B includes more detail on Sound Symbol Correspondences (SSCs) including long and short vowel sounds.
After watching the episode
Again depending on the lesson focus, speaking practice could be developed with pair work/games to identify a range of sentences using verbs with haben, in the context of school and then expanded to cover other areas/topics studied, to cement the grammar but also develop their confidence in using the tense more widely. Writing challenges could also be devised to encourage use of a broader range of verbs using a range of persons (ich, du, er/sie/es/man, wir, ihr, sie etc)
As part of adaptive teaching, different levels of challenge can be added to include a broader range of high frequency irregular verbs with and without vowel changes.
An additional challenge could include options for translation of the tense using either the English simple past or the present perfect to ensure students recognise the two English structures are most commonly translated with the German perfect tense form, particularly in speaking and everyday use.
Curriculum Notes
England
This series has been produced to build on the key grammar requirements identified in the Modern Languages KS3 National Curriculum Programme of Study in England, and with both the current GCSE and upcoming GCSE (for first teaching in 2024) in mind.
Scotland
This series also meets the aims for teaching languages within the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) in Scotland, specifically to:
- develop a secure understanding of how language works, and use language well to communicate ideas and information in English and other languages
- develop young people’s ‘communicative competence so that they are able to use and enjoy the language effectively in real situations, in relevant and realistic contexts
It also supports the objectives within the National 4 and 5 qualifications in supporting students in applying grammatical knowledge and understanding in productive skills (speaking and writing)
Wales and Northern Ireland
This video series fits in with the current curriculum in Wales and Northern Ireland in support of pupils taking German GCSE. Whilst the Languages, Literacy and Communication section of the new Curriculum for Wales (2022) gives greater flexibility on the teaching of International Languages (including German) the content of this series will support the development of core grammar knowledge within the broader aims of the curriculum.
Key vocabulary used in the episode:
| Part of Speech | German | English equivalent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| v | haben | to have / having | |
| v | habe | I have / am having | |
| v | hast | (you (sing informal)) have / (you (sing informal)) are having | |
| v | hat | (she, he, it, one) has /(she, he, it, one) is having | |
| v | lernen | (to) learn / learning | |
| v (pp) | gelernt | learnt | |
| n (f) | Mathermatik | mathematics | |
| adj | viel | a lot | |
| adj | viele | a lot, many | |
| prep | über | above, over, about | |
| n (nt) | Thema | topic, theme | |
| v | genießen | to enjoy / enjoying | |
| v (pp) | genossen | enjoyed (pp) | |
| v | arbeiten | to work / working | |
| n (m) | Unterricht | instruction / classes | |
| n (f) | Ratte | rat | |
| n (f) | Leseratte | bookworm | |
| n (nt) | Buch | book | |
| n (f) | Bibliothek | library | |
| n (f) | Universität, Uni | university | |
| v | gucken, kucken | (to) look, watch / | looking, watching |
| v (imp) | Guck! | look! | |
| adv | danke | thanks | |
| adj/adv | echt | genuine, real, really (?) | |
| adv | mehr | more | |
| conj | als | when, as, …than | |
| v | finden | (to) find / | finding |
| v (pp) | gefunden | found | |
| adj | unglaublich | unbelievable, incredible | |
| adj/adv | wirklich | real, actual, really |
More German grammar and vocabulary
The present tense. video
This episode places emphasis on the verbs gehen, essen, besichtigen and verstehen.
The perfect tense with sein. video
How to use the perfect tense with the verb sein. Additionally, the episode places emphasis on the verbs gehen, ahren, and fliegen.
The future tense with werden. video
How to use the future tense with the verb werden.
Making things negative (changing to the opposite meaning) video
How to make things negative using nicht and kein.
The imperfect of haben and sein. video
How to use the imperfect forms of the verbs haben and sein, and the modal verb forms of können and wollen, which are regularly used when talking about the past.
Modals. video
Modals, which help when talking about what one has, wants, and is allowed to do.
Word order - starting with a time phrase. video
How a word order main clause inversion functions in German.
Asking questions. video
How to ask questions using the question words Wer, Was, Wo, Wann and Wie.
Word order with subordinating conjunctions. video
How subordinating conjunctions change the order of words in a sentence.
