Early Start German Pack 2
9. Wann ist dein Geburtstag? When is your birthday?
Frau Schindler: "Elena hat heute Geburtstag. (It's Elena's birthday today.) Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Elena!" (Congratulations, Elena!) Elena: "Danke schön." Frau Schindler: "Wie alt bist du?" Elena: "Elf." Frau Schindler: "Schönen Tag für dich." (Enjoy your day [ lit. Lovely day for you.]) Elena: "Danke schön."
This short section builds on pupils knowing the months of the year; they are ready to say which month their birthdays are in. They can also ask about other people’s birth-months. In Ch.2.10 children learn to say today's date (e.g. Friday 1st May); but saying your date of birth in German involves grammar issues, and may be a step too far for some pupils (see note in Ch.2.10). We look at how a pupil's birthday is celebrated in class in a German school.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
Mein Geburtstag ist im ... (Mai) My birthday is in ... (May) Wann ist dein Geburtstag? When's your birthday? Zum Geburtstag viel Glück! Happy birthday! Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Congratulations!
Film 9: Elena's class sing her a traditional song.
The class sings a traditional song to Elena: “Viel Glück und viel Segen (Good luck and many blessings) Auf all deinen Wegen, (Everywhere you go) Gesundheit und Freude (Good health and happiness) Sei auch mit dabei.” (Be with you as well.) The class all applaud. Frau Schindler: "Und jetzt singen wir noch ‘Zum Geburtstag viel Glück’." The class sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in German. “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück, Zum Geburtstag viel Glück, Zum Geburtstag, zum Geburtstag, Zum Geburtstag viel Glück.” The class clap again.
Flashcards CD 9
DVD/VIDEO: film 9
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Children say when their birthdays are: Leon: "Mein Geburtstag ist im Januar." Daniel: "Mein Geburtstag ist im April." Jasmin: "Mein Geburtstag ist im Juni." Rana: "Mein Geburtstag ist im August." Depika: "Mein Geburtstag ist im Dezember." Birthday celebrations in school On Elena's 11th birthday, her teacher, Frau Schindler, brings her a candle and a flower:
PAUSE - the next section is Q and A about birthdays
Question and answer sequence Question: Hallo. Wie heißt du? Rana: "Ich heiße Rana."
Film 9: Celebrating Elena's birthday at school.
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2.9. Wann ist dein Geburtstag? Q: Und wie alt bist du? Jasmin: "Ich bin 10 Jahre alt." Q: Und wann ist dein Geburtstag? Jasmin: "Im Juni." Marah asks: “Und wann ist dein Geburtstag?"
KEY SOUNDS
Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?
as in... Glückwunsch
M
1. Birth-month - celebrating in class 2. Question and Answer - reinforcement 3. Written words
Schule, Stadt, Stadion
heard before in as in... Glück,
Glückwunsch heard before in Küche [A close example in English is lure] as in...
Use the skip key on your remote control
Planning your lessons Children will already know the months, so there are only a few new words for children to get used to hearing and saying. We suggest you start with some revision including saying how old you are - then give plenty of practice talking about birthmonths. This will also help prepare for saying today’s date in German (see Ch.2.10), which could be a regular class routine.
viel
heard before in vier as in... viel
heard before in
DVD MARKERS
Lieblingsfach, vier
(Listen to the native speakers try to copy their typically German sounds.)
Activities
Flashcards CD 9
Question: Und wie alt bist du? Rana: "Ich bin 11 Jahre alt." Q: Und wann ist dein Geburtstag? Rana: "Mein Geburtstag ist im August." Children answer: "When is your birthday?" Question: Und wann ist dein Geburtstag? Marah: "Im November." Q: Wann ist dein Geburtstag? Daniel: "Im April."
1. Warm up
❑ Before watching film 9, have a brief “warm up” session to remind children of the months of the year and saying how old they are. You could also talk with pupils (in English) about how they celebrate their own birthdays, and the pros-and-cons of having a birthday in different months.
2. Watch film 9, part 1
❑ Watch film 9: "Wann ist dein Geburtstag?”stop before the 'question-and-answer' section.
3. Get used to the sounds
❑ Echoing: Show the Flashcards CD in jumbled order; ask children to echo the phrase.
Film 9: Leon -"Mein Geburtstag ist im Januar."
Q: Und wann ist dein Geburtstag? Leon: "Im Januar." Q: Hallo. Wie heißt du? Jasmin: "Ich heiße Jasmin."
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Early Start German Pack 2 Or use flashcards from Ch.2.8, and display the month as you speak e.g. “Mein Geburtstag ist im Juni.”. Pupils echo your words.
Watch film 9 again
❑ Show film 9: “Wann ist dein Geburtstag?” again for reinforcement, including the final section to introduce the written word.
4. Respond with understanding
❑ The teacher calls out a selection of birthmonths, e.g. “Mein Geburtstag ist im Juni” - or uses the Flashcards CD.When a pupil recognises his/her birthday month, they jump up and say the phrase; the rest of the class echo.
5. Introduce the written word
❑ Play “true or false” To help develop pupils’ listening skills, show the Flashcards CD in jumbled order, with text on but sound off (or use Ch.2.8's flashcards on the board or OHP). Point to a month, and say “Mein Geburtstag ist im... .” Say either the correct month, or another one. If you are correct, pupils echo the month; if it is different, they remain silent.
5. Watch film 9, part 2
❑ Show the “question and answer” sequence from film 9. Now move around the room asking different pupils “Wann hast du Geburtstag?” Pupils answer as the children do on the film, e.g. “im Dezember”. To make this activity more amusing, you could use one of your class puppets. Ask the puppet “Wann hast du Geburtstag?” The puppet replies. He then asks different pupils when their birthdays are. ❑ Do a “Mexican wave” to practise saying birthdays. The first pupil in the circle says when his/her birthday is, e.g. “Mein Geburtstag ist im Januar.” The other pupils take it in turns to say just the month of their birthdays, e.g. “im Oktober”
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
❑ Classroom routines/ Music: Sing “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” or "Viel Glück und viel Segen"when a pupil has a birthday.
❑ Play “musical birthdays” Pupils move around the room with German music playing. When the music stops, they talk to the nearest person, e.g. Pupil 1: “Wann hast du Geburtstag?” Pupil 2: “Im Januar. Und du?” Pupil 1: “Im Dezember.” Alternatively, pupils form two circles. The outer circle moves clockwise, the inner anticlockwise. When the music stops, pupils ask the person opposite, “Wann hast du Geburtstag?”
❑ Art and design: Pupils can design and make German birthday cards. ❑ ICT/data handling: Pupils can do a survey of how many people have birthdays in different months. They could collect information from other classes as well. Present the results in a chart or graph, labelled in German.
4. Songs and sounds
❑ Play “listen to the sounds” Replay the songs from film 9, asking children to join in - or use the songs on the Flashcards CD, which also offers karaoke versions. Children make agreed gestures when they hear particular “key sounds” (see box) in the songs, e.g. they could listen for [i] in “Viel Glück und viel Segen" (see Ch.2.1).
❑ Drama: Pupils can use their puppets to improvise birthday celebrations. The scenario could be set in school like those shown on the film or a birthday party at home with friends. Pupils may be surprised when they realise just how much German they have at their command to equip them for this activity. 105
2.9. Wann ist dein Geburtstag? The puppets can now greet each other; they can count out the birthday puppet's age and wish him happy birthday as the children do in the video. The birthday puppet can say “Danke” when he receives his presents; party guests or classmates can say “Bitte” when they are offered party food. Puppets who "do not know each other" can introduce themselves and find out how old the other puppets are. They can all sing “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück" and say goodbye as they leave the party.
German children also have birthday parties as British children do. However, there's not the same focus on birthday cake as in Germany, since the cake is eaten at breakfast. Sending birthday cards is a UK/US tradition rather than a German one, but many German children will send each other cards, often writing 'Happy birthday' in English.
Name days
The Saint’s day or ‘Name day’ - Namenstag (the day devoted to the saint after whom they are named) - is widely celebrated in Germany, particularly in the Catholic south-western areas. The celebration will include a special meal and a small present. In past generations, a child’s name day would have been a more important family event than their birthday.
❑ Drama: Pupils who enjoy role-playing themselves could improvise a birthday party along similar lines. They could also include one or two “party” games that they are familiar with from their German activities, such as “musical birthdays” or “swap colours”.
Cultural awareness ❑ Pupils can talk about their own birthday celebrations, at school and at home. Replay the film sequence in the German class; compare with how you recognise a pupil's birthday. If you are linked with a German primary school, the children can draw pictures showing how they celebrate their birthdays and swap with their German counterparts.
Talking point
EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMANY Birthday celebrations
Many German families celebrate a child's birthday with a special birthday breakfast. The presents are laid out on the breakfast table for the birthday boy or girl to open. There are birthday candles on the breakfast table, and birthday cake to eat.
SONG 1: “Viel Glück und viel Segen” G
Viel
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Glück und
Am
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und
vi - el
G
Freu
Se - gen
auf
Em
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Viel Glück und viel Segen, Auf all deinen Wegen. Gesundheit und Freude, Sei auch mit dabei.
all
auch
G
dei - nen
Am
sei
D
We - gen.
D
mit
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da
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Good luck and many blessings, Everywhere you go, Good health and happiness Be with you as well. Flashcards CD 9 106
bei.
Ge -