New
New
Year 9

Migrant experiences: noun suffixes, ‘welch-’

Learning outcomes

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

I can pronounce [ie] and several sound-symbol correspondences that sound similar to one another, but are written differently.

New
New
Year 9

Migrant experiences: noun suffixes, ‘welch-’

Learning outcomes

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

I can pronounce [ie] and several sound-symbol correspondences that sound similar to one another, but are written differently.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

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

Keywords

  • [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 misconception

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

When [ie] is the final but unstressed syllable in a word, pronounce [i] and [e] as separate vowel sounds, e.g., 'Familie'.


To help you plan your year 9 German lesson on: Migrant experiences: noun suffixes, ‘welch-’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The Syrian poet Adel Karasholi wrote a poem called 'Seiltanz', which is an excellent basis to explore the experiences of Syrian migrants coming to Germany.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each past participle to its English meaning.

Correct Answer:gewesen,been, was

been, was

Correct Answer:verbracht,spent (time)

spent (time)

Correct Answer:verlassen,left

left

Correct Answer:gestorben,died

died

Q2.
Put the words below into the correct order to make the following sentence: 'I close the door and I read the newspaper.'

1 - ich
2 - schließe
3 - die Tür
4 - und
5 - ich lese
6 - die
7 - Zeitung

Q3.
Which words are the verbs in the following sentence? 'Ich will Deutsch lernen.'

ich; will
Correct answer: will; lernen
Deutsch; lernen
ich; lernen

Q4.
Which sentence is in the present tense?

Er ist im Krieg gestorben.
Correct answer: Die Gegenwart ist nicht interessant.
Ich werde in Italien arbeiten.
Ich habe die Zeitung gelesen.

Q5.
Put the words below in the correct order to form a sentence.

1 - ich lerne
2 - Deutsch
3 - weil
4 - ich
5 - viel Geld
6 - verdienen
7 - will

Q6.
Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'aufwachsen' in the perfect tense?

Correct answer: Ich bin in Berlin aufgewachsen.
Ich habe aufwachsen in Berlin.
Ich wächst in Berlin auf.
Ich bin Berlin aufwachsen.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these words includes the [ie] sound that is pronounced like the English 'ee' (as in 'see')?

Familie
Syrien
Correct answer: schließen
Italien

Q2.
Put the words below into the correct order to say: 'I close the door and I translate the poem.'

1 - ich
2 - schließe
3 - die Tür
4 - und
5 - ich übersetze
6 - das
7 - Gedicht

Q3.
Which noun meaning 'freedom' is formed by adding a suffix to the adjective 'frei'?

Correct Answer: Freiheit

Q4.
Put the words below in the correct order to say: 'He speaks neither Arabic nor German.'

1 - Er
2 - spricht
3 - weder
4 - Arabisch
5 - noch
6 - Deutsch

Q5.
Fill in the blank: 'In Stadt wohnen Sie?'. (You are asking politely, 'Which town do you live in?'.)

Correct Answer: welcher

Q6.
In which word is [ie] pronounced as two separate sounds?

Biografie
Chemie
Correct answer: Familie
Lied

Additional material

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