Reading Comprehension: Understanding Written German
Practise identifying key points, details and attitudes in written German.
Practise it out loud, together
A free interactive activity you can put in front of a class in a few minutes.
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Reading comprehension
Comprehension means taking a German prompt apart: main message first, then details, then opinion or time clues.
Key German
These words help you track time and opinion.
Main idea and detail
Good comprehension separates what the text is about from the small details that prove it.
Check the meaning
Which option means tomorrow?
- morgen
- am Wochenende
- interessant
- langweilig
Match German to meaning
- morgen
- am Wochenende
- interessant
- langweilig
- tomorrow
- at the weekend
- interesting
- boring
Do not translate every word first
For GCSE comprehension, find the message and the evidence. Unknown words are less dangerous when the main clue is clear.
Complete the notes
Complete the notes: _____ means tomorrow. _____ means at the weekend. _____ means interesting. _____ means boring.
Comprehension order
Use this order on a short German prompt.
- Find the topic
- Find time or place clues
- Find opinion words
- Answer using evidence
Weil sends the verb to the end
Comprehension is easier once you can build the sentences yourself. German has one habit English does not: weil (because) sends the verb to the very end of its half of the sentence.
After weil, where does the verb go?
After weil, where does the verb go? Which of these says "I like reading because it is interesting"?
- Ich lese gern, weil es interessant ist
- Ich lese gern, weil es ist interessant
- Ich lese gern, es ist interessant
- Der Text ist interessant
Two accurate choices
Which TWO are useful comprehension clues?
- morgen tells you when something happens.
- interessant gives an opinion.
- One unknown word means the whole answer is impossible.
- Ignore time words in listening.
Spot the evidence
Tap the TWO useful evidence words.
- morgen
- interessant
- und
- ich
Find the evidence
Choose the clue type.
- The prompt says morgen.
- The prompt says interessant.
- The prompt says in Berlin.
Explain comprehension strategy
Explain how to answer a German listening or reading question using evidence.
- Start with the main idea
- Use a time or opinion clue
- Say how the evidence supports the answer