Skip to content
Skip to main content

About this free course

Download this course

Share this free course

Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German
Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

2.1 Watching without subtitles

You will try watching a clip without subtitles, featuring the von der Osten family introducing themselves.

Activity 6

In previous activities you watched the video clips with subtitles. Here you will watch the video with the subtitles turned off. To do this, click this ‘cc’ symbol in the bottom right of the video player:

Described image

This button will turn the subtitles on and off.

When you’ve turned the subtitles off, watch the von der Ostens talking about their lives. You will probably find that the content of this clip varies considerably in terms of what you can easily understand. Listen once all the way through and note what you do understand in the box beneath the video. This may be complete pieces of information, any short phrases or individual words you have understood. This helps you to focus on what you do understand first, before working with sections that are initially more complex. You will focus on more complex vocabulary later.

There are no right or wrong answers here about how much you should be able to understand. The main thing to be aware of is that each time you listen and watch a clip, you are likely to understand more.

Download this video clip.Video player: ol_l113_vid006.mp4
Copy this transcript to the clipboard
Print this transcript
Show transcript|Hide transcript
 
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Box 2 Understanding more each time you listen

It can be a good idea to focus on what you do understand first. Don’t expect to understand everything to begin with. You will find that this will give you a confidence boost, and also that even while you are doing this, you will be understanding a little more each time you watch the video clip, and that you can build on your understanding as you go along.

Activity 7

Now rewatch the video, and determine whether the statements below are true, false or not mentioned in the clip.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is a.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is b.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is c.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is a.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is a.

a. 

Richtig


b. 

Falsch


c. 

Keine Antwort


The correct answer is c.