Systems of language

Experiment with encoding and decoding familiar German words using alphabetic knowledge of single letters, consonant clusters (sch) and vowel combinations (au, ei, eu, ie)

Understand that intonation patterns create different meanings, as in the distinction between statements, questions and exclamations, for example, Du bist acht; Du bist acht?; Du bist acht!

Recognise and apply basic rules for German pronunciation

Understand and apply punctuation rules in German, including the meaning and use of full stops and commas in ordinal and decimal numbers, for example, die 3. Klasse and 9,50 Euro and capitalisation rules

Write high-frequency words and expressions in familiar contexts
(ACLGEU131)

Notice and use context-related vocabulary and apply elements of grammar in simple spoken and written texts to generate language for a range of purposes, including:

  • describing capabilities and preferences using limited forms of the modal verbs können and mögen, for example, Ich kann gut schwimmen; Er mag Cricket; Wir möchten eine Party machen
  • recognising and describing past events using the simple past tense of familiar verbs such as war, hatte, ging, sah, spielte and machte
  • joining words, phrases and sentences using und, oder and aber
  • understanding and formulating questions using subject–verb inversion, for example, Magst du Sport?
  • understanding a range of question words and the intended/related answer, for example, woher, welcher and wie viel
  • locating events in time with regard to days, months, seasons and ‘half past’ time, for example, Ich spiele im Winter Fußball; Die Schule beginnt um halb neun
  • describing location formulaically using prepositional phrases such as im Wasser; in der Luft; auf dem Land; neben dem Tisch; auf der linken Seite
  • using the correct verb form associated with a noun or pronoun or combination thereof, for example, Die Lehrerin singt ein Lied; Herr Schwarz trinkt Kaffee; Sie spielt Tennis; Mein Freund und ich sprechen Englisch
  • using ordinal numbers to give the date, for example, Heute ist der dritte Juli; Er hat am siebten August Geburtstag
  • referring to quantities of people and things (including money) using cardinal numbers up to 100

Begin to develop a metalanguage in German for talking about language, using terms similar to those used in English
(ACLGEU132)

Notice differences in familiar texts such as personal, informative and imaginative texts and explain how particular features of such texts help to achieve their purpose
(ACLGEU133)