Elementary German through Immersion

Introduction

This class will utilize a series of materials that I have developed over a number of years for online instruction in German. You can access them at https://hollyforks.com/grammar or by scanning this QR-code .

Week 1

• Conversation starters
• Another German learning website
  • Important words and phrases

Pronunciation

• Long and short vowels
• Long and short a
• Long and short e
• Long and short i
• Long and short o
• Long and short u

Grammar

• Nouns and noun modifiers
• Pronouns

Read and Listen

• In a bake shop
• Weather
• Songs
• Meine Oma

Watch and Learn

• Wie bekommt man einen Drehwurm?

Week 2

Fill in blanks and bring a printout to recite in class

• Introduce yourself

Pronunciation

• Long and short ö
• Long and short ü
• The diphthongs [ai], [oi] and [au]

Grammar

• Verbs - present tense

Read and Listen

• In the grocery store
• Food
• Poems
• Rilke, Das Karusell
• Busch, Vater werden ist nicht schwer

Watch and Learn

• Brandenburger Tor

Week 3

• Travel plans

Grammar

• The verb sein (to be)
• The verb haben (to have)
• The verb werden (to become, get)
• The verb lassen (to let, have done)
• Verbs with separable prefixes
  • Practice 1 | Practice 2 | Practice 3
• Modal auxiliary verbs
  • Simple past
  • Compound past

Read and Listen

• Heimat
• Gemütlichkeit
• Carolin No
• Hände
• Ehrlich gesagt
• Engelbert Humperdinck, Hänsel und Gretel
  • Brüderchen, komm tanz mit mir!
  • Abendsegen

Watch and Learn

• Lesen mit LRS

Week 4

• Music

Pronunciation

• ich- and ach-sound
• l and r

Grammar

• Grammar terminology from Pogo
• Command forms
• Reflexive verbs
• Verbs with special objects
• The verb expressions for "like, not like, would like"
• es gibt (there is, are)

Read and Listen

• Reinhart Mey, Zeit zu leben
• Bodo Wartke, Believe in Steve

Watch and Learn

• Norwegische Waldkatze

Week 5

Fill in and bring to class

• Clothing

Pronunciation

• z and j
• v and w
• gn, kn, pf, and qu
• ng and the glottal stop
• Goethe-Institut examples

Grammar

• Word order
  • Statements
  • Questions
  • Commands
  • Negation
  • Dependent clauses
  • Direct and indirect objects of verbs
  • Time, manner and place expressions
  • Infinitive phrases with zu
• Prepositions
  • Introduction to prepositions
  • Accusative prepositions
  • Dative prepositions
  • Accusative/dative prepositions
  • Genitive prepositions
  • Da- and wo-compounds

Read and Listen

• Three poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Biography
  • Das Göttliche
  • Der Erlkönig
  • Wanderers Nachtlied

Watch and Learn

• Wie kommt die Marmelade in den Berliner?
• Other fun / interesting stuff

Arte.tv

Week 6

Fill in and bring to class

• Practice with numbers - Fill in the blanks and bring your answers to class. We will also utilize a rendom number generator to show cues for further number practice.

Grammar

• Verbs, Other tenses
  • Simple past tense
  • Compound past tense
  • Past perfect tense
  • Principal parts of verbs
  • Future tense
  • Future perfect tense

Read and Listen

• In a restaurant
• In a night club
• At a grill party

Watch and Learn

• Wie kommt der Reichstag zu seiner Kuppel?
• Hunde im Einsatz
• Abendbrot
• Wanderlust

Week 7

Karneval in Deutschland

• Kölle Alaaf und Düsseldorf Helau: Die Highlights vom Rosenmontag 2025
• Fasching - warum, wie & wo Karneval in Deutschland ist
• Weiberfastnacht: Frauen an die Macht!
• Weiberfastnacht erklärt

Grammar

• Verbs, Subjunctive
  • The general subjunctive
    1. Present time
    2. Past time
  • Expressions with würde
  • The special subjunctive
• Verbs, Passive
  • Function of the passive voice
  • Tenses
  • Modal auxiliary forms
  • The impersonal passive
  • Substitutes for the passive

Read, Listen and Imitate

• Cooking

Watch and Learn

• German Main Dishes - 8 Recipes You Need To Try
  • Beef Rouladen
  • Frikadellen
  • Gulasch
  • Sauerbraten
  • Jägerschnitzel
  • Eintopf
  • Käsespätzle
  • Maultaschen

Two more online resources

• Deutsch mit Didactica
• Easy German

Week 8

Read and Listen

• Three poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Biography
• Das Göttliche - 2:14
• Der Erlkönig - 3:58
• Wanderers Nachtlied - :20
  • Schubert
• Bach cantatas
• Ich fürchte nicht des Grabes Finsternissen (from BWV 66) - 6:50 + 1:05

Watch and Learn

• In einer Konditorei
• Der Ostermarsch - 5:22
• Viel Spaß! Oder doch lieber Mut? - 4:38
• Hallo? - Wer ist da? - 2:21