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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use my developing vocabulary and grammar knowledge to infer the likely meanings of unfamiliar words in a news article.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. German [ch] is two sounds, hard and soft, depending on the preceding vowel. [ch] and [ck] are different sounds.
      2. Word patterns can help you understand unfamiliar words in a text, e.g., German words with -cht may be -ght in English.
      3. It helps to think creatively; some words have second meanings which are related to the meaning you already know.
      4. Vocabulary and grammar knowledge (e.g., word order and word forms) help to work out the meaning of unknown words.

      Keywords

      • [ch] - as pronounced in 'Buch' and 'Bücher'

      • Infer - work out the likely meaning of an unfamiliar word based on knowledge of the surrounding words in the text and the structure of the word itself

      Common misconception

      Cognate recognition is the only strategy I need to understand texts in German.

      Cognates are helpful, but not always enough. You will understand much more if you know some common word and spelling patterns in German, and if you use your vocabulary and grammar knowledge creatively to work out the meanings of unfamiliar words.

      Teacher tip

      With guidance, pupils learn that inferring word meaning isn’t wild guessing. Build on this lesson’s strategies: spotting spelling patterns, using word parts, and applying grammar knowledge like syntax and morphology.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which word means 'instead (of)'?

      besonders
      gern
      lieber
      ohne
      Correct answer: statt

      Q2.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Bild (nt),picture
      Correct Answer:Musik (f),music
      Correct Answer:Uhr (f),o'clock, clock, watch
      Correct Answer:Firma (f),firm, company
      Correct Answer:Garten (m),garden
      Correct Answer:Tasche (f),bag

      Q3.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:arbeiten,to work, working
      Correct Answer:brauchen,to need, needing
      Correct Answer:danken,to thank, thanking
      Correct Answer:gewinnen,to win, winning
      Correct Answer:kriegen,to get, getting
      Correct Answer:sagen,to say, saying

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'I gave him a lovely present.'

      1 - ich
      2 - habe
      3 - ihm
      4 - ein
      5 - schönes
      6 - Geschenk
      7 - gegeben

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'er hat eine Zeitung gelesen'.

      Correct Answer: he read a newspaper, he read a paper

      Q6.
      Write in German: 'I am studying art'.

      Correct Answer: ich lerne Kunst, ich studiere Kunst

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      Which statements are correct?

      Cognate recognition is the only strategy I need to understand texts in German.
      Correct answer: Inference is working out the meaning of a new or unfamiliar word in a text.
      Nouns always have only one meaning.
      Correct answer: Looking at the rest of the sentence can help work out a word's meaning.
      [ch] always corresponds to [ck] in English.

      Q2.
      Which words are missing the sound [ch]?

      Dru__er
      Correct answer: Da__
      Gepä__
      Correct answer: To__ter
      Dre__

      Q3.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Licht (f),light
      Correct Answer:Macht (f),might, power
      Correct Answer:Nacht (f),night
      Correct Answer:Sicht (f),sight
      Correct Answer:Fracht (f),freight
      Correct Answer:Recht (nt),right

      Q4.
      'Er hat nur eine Stimme gewonnen.' What does 'Stimme' mean in this context?

      speech
      noise
      sound
      voice
      Correct answer: vote

      To help you plan your 8 German lesson on: News article: 'gegen', 'laut', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...