[Fun Facts] [ESL Teachers in Germany]
1. Learn greetings and other phrases in German to welcome and impress your German students.
Guten Morgen Kinder! (Good morning children)
Guten Tag! (Hi, hello, good day)
Guten Abend! (Good evening)
Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye)
Dankeschön. (Thank you)
Ich bin Kanadier(in). (I am a Canadian - masc/fem)2. Be aware of the German pronunciation of certain phonemes that are pronounced differently in English so that the distinction can be clarified for your German students.
~ In German, /l/ is sounded by placing the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth and flattened to produce an /l/ sound that is lighter and softer than the phoneme in English. For example, the German /l/ is pronounced as in "million" in English, and "viel", "kalt", "lang" and "Bild" in German.
~ In German, when /r/ stands before a vowel as in the German words "Rolle", "Frau", and
"beraten", it is sounded by gargling slightly with the uvula at the back of the mouth. When /r/ stands before a consonant or at the end of a word, it is swallowed. For example, the German /r/ is pronounced as in "here" in British English, and "vier", "mir", "studiert" and "Karte" in German.~ In German, /w/ is pronounced in the same way the English phoneme /v/ is sounded. For example, the German names "Wagner" and "Westphalia" are pronounced as though the English sound for /v/ existed in place of the /w/.
~ In German, /ei/ and /ie/ are pronounced as the long vowel sound of the second vowel. For example, the German term "Biedermeier" would be transcribed in English as the following: [bid rmaj r]. ESL teachers should be sure to notify their German students
that the same pronunciation generally applies to most English words having the same
vowel groupings, EXCEPT in cases where /ei/ follows /c/. Here, for example, the English
word "receive" is transcribed instead as [r si:v].3. Since German students are exposed to so much English in their everyday lives, ESL teachers should make students aware of the differences between what is learned outside the classroom and what is learned as standard school English. This is important because the English used in the media and advertisements, may be inappropriate in other contexts, or may deviate from standard English. Such variations can be discussed and examined without considering them errors.
4. Some effective games or teaching techniques are role plays and discussions. Role playing involves giving one student a secret identity, such as baseball player or Brad Pitt, while the rest of the class asks yes/no questions as they try to guess the identity of the role player. In general, any topics that involve Western popular culture usually generate a fair amount of discussion. Showing films are an excellent way to familiarize students with the English language.
5. It is important for ESL teachers to stick to a lesson plan with an objective. Make sure that the students have grasped the lesson's objective by the end of the lesson.
6. As a teacher, it is important to remain distant as an authority figure, but at the same time, develop a good relationship with students by treating them as mature and intelligent individuals. Show interest in the teaching topics, and if students ask questions that you cannot answer, acknowledge that you do not know everything, but are willing to find out the answers!
(The information above is based largely on the websites listed here (1, 2, 3, 4), an interview with Jason Lieblang, as well as ideas derived from the UBC courses, German 301 and History 407)
Interesting Vocabulary:
English words of German origin - One of the positive points about teaching English to German speakers is the fact that a large number of vocabulary words originated in German to be carried over English. Below are a few fun examples:
Flak: If you have ever taken flak from your boss, you might be interested to know that flak is slang that originated from the German term for an anti-aircraft gun, Fliegerabwehrkanone, or literally translated as pilot defense gun.
Glib: From a Low German adjective, glibberig, meaning smooth.
Poodle: The poodle originated in Germany as a water retriever. The Pudelhund was literally called a puddle dog.
Snorkel: The German noun Schnorkel can be translated into english as "snout."
Stallion: In High German, a horse's stall or pen was a Stal, much the same as stall in English. Prized horses were often kept indoors in stalls, leading to such horses being called stallions.
Words that have the same spelling and meaning in English and German:
arm name bank nation butter orange emotion photo finger problem garage religion hotel restaurant international rose modern sport museum taxi TIPS FOR ESL TEACHERS IN GERMANY
Since every nation has its own distinct culture, it is important to recognize some of the traditions and socially accepted norms and customs of German people so that your behavior is considered courteous, polite and respectful!
~BE ON "TIME"! Germans are very time-conscious and never arrive late. However, a time period referred to as an "academic quarter" is allowed at universities, in which it is acceptable to be late up to 15 minutes past the expected time.
~In Canada, it is courteous for a man to open the door to allow a lady to enter first. However, in Germany, it is customary for the man to open the door, enter first, and then allow the woman to follow.
~Among adults, shaking hands to say "hello" and "goodbye" is most common. When addressing someone, "Herr" or "Frau" should be spoken together with the person's last name (ie. Herr Buddenbrook). The title of "Fraulein" should be avoided even when it is certain that the woman being addressed is not yet married. The use of first names usually applies only to those well acquainted with one another.
~When speaking to children under the age of 14, use "du" (you). When speaking to anyone over the age of 14, use "Sie" (you).
~When dining at a restaurant in Germany, the knife is kept in the right hand and the fork in the left throughout meals. It is also normal for Germans to never cut anything with a knife if it can first be cut with a fork.
~If invited into someone's home, shoes should be removed at the front door. The hostess should be presented with either a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers to show appreciation for the invitation. It should be kept in mind, however, that Germans prefer mixed flower bunches, and that roses indicate romance and chrysanthemums are only used at funerals. Flowers should also be unwrapped before presenting them unless they are wrapped in cellophane.
(The above section is largely based on the websites listed here (5, 6, 7, 8)).
