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Year 9 - German

Migrant experiences: noun suffixes, 'welch-'

Past lives and experiences: imperfect modal verbs, perfect tense

Unit Summary

This unit revisits the perfect tense with sein, introducing change of state verbs, and teaches the formation of past participles of separable verbs. Imperfect modal verbs (singular) are introduced as pupils learn about past lives and experiences within the cultural context of migration in Germany.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use the suffix '-keit', and can read and respond to texts in the context of migrant experiences in Germany.

Key Notes

  • When [ie] is part of the final syllable in a word and is stressed, then [i] is a long vowel.
  • When [ie] is part of the final but unstressed syllable in a word, pronounce [i] and [e] as separate vowel sounds.
  • The suffix '-keit' is added to adjectives or adverbs to form nouns corresponding to English nouns ending '-ty', '-ness'.
  • 'Weder... noch' (neither... nor) negates two things, avoiding repetition, e.g. 'Er spricht weder Englisch noch Deutsch'.
  • 'Welch-' means 'which' and its form matches noun gender and case. Use dative case with certain prepositions or verbs.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [ie]: pronounced as in 'Liebe'
  • [ei]: pronounced as in 'frei'
  • [ai]: pronounced as in 'Mai'
  • -keit: suffix added to adjectives or adverbs to form a noun; often corresponding to English '-ty', '-ness'
  • welch-: determiner meaning 'which'; its ending changes according to noun gender and case

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The sound-symbol correspondence [ie] is always pronounced as in 'Liebe'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

When [ie] is part of the final syllable in a word and is stressed, then [i] is a long vowel. When [ie] is part of the final but unstressed syllable in a word, pronounce [i] and [e] as separate vowel sounds.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[ie]'

pronounced as in 'Liebe'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The sound-symbol correspondence [ie] is always pronounced as in 'Liebe'. Correction: When [ie] is the final but unstressed syllable in a word, pronounce [i] and [e] as separate vowel sounds, e.g., 'Familie'.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 German guide library.