Lesson Guide — Session 1

Exam format (Telc A1 style)

What you need to understand

The A1 exam tests four skills. Your teacher described a Telc-style booklet — everything is in one exam packet, not separate loose papers like cross-test exams.

Lesen (Reading)

• You read short texts: signs, emails, forms, ads.
• Questions are multiple choice or matching.
• Vocabulary tiles (Wortkarten) may appear — you get word cards and must form correct sentences or answer questions using only those words.

Hören (Listening)

• Audio plays first (you cannot read ahead in the booklet for listening).
• You mark answers on an Antwortbogen (answer sheet).
• Typical tasks: tick the correct picture, true/false, fill a form based on what you hear.

Schreiben (Writing)

• Fill in a Formular (registration form) — name, address, date of birth, etc. In German.
• Write a short Postkarte (postcard) or E-Mail (~30 words).
• You must use correct articles, verb forms, and basic word order.

Sprechen (Speaking)

• Often done with examiner + one other candidate (1-on-1 or small group).
• Teil 1 / Expression 1: Self-introduction — this is your "card" to memorize.
• Other parts: ask/answer simple questions, role-play (café, shopping).
• Speaking is worth significant points (~11.5 max in Telc; individual Teil ~3.5).

Exam day structure (from Session 1 class)

Not separate cross-test papers — one booklet (Prüfungsheft) with an answer sheet (Antwortbogen):

1. Hören runs first — audio plays; you mark answers while listening (cannot read ahead).
2. Lesen — reading texts in the booklet; Wortkarten (vocabulary tiles) — form questions/answers using only the words given.
3. Schreiben — fill Formular; write Postkarte or short E-Mail; e.g. describe your daily routine to a friend.
4. Sprechen — with examiner; 1-on-1 or group of 2–3. Expression 1 card = self-introduction. Separate cards for other speaking tasks.

Points from class: Sprechen max ~11.5 total; one Teil ~3.5. Small mistakes allowed in speaking.

Registration: Before the exam you fill a form (name, email, date of birth, form number) — matched on exam day. All details in German.

Why this matters for you now

Greetings, farewells & survival phrases

What you need to understand

German greetings depend on time of day and formality. At A1 you must recognize and produce these automatically.

Time-based greetings

Leaving / farewells

Key difference: Bis bald = soon (flexible). Bis später = later today.

Survival phrases

Self-introduction (Expression 1 / Sprechteil)

What you need to understand

This is the most important speaking block for your exam. You will be asked to introduce yourself for ~1–2 minutes. Structure it like a checklist — examiners listen for specific information.

The template (in order)

1. Greeting          → Guten Tag. / Hallo.
2. Name              → Ich heiße Saif Qureshi.
                       Mein Vorname ist Saif.
                       Mein Familienname ist Qureshi.
3. Origin (country)  → Ich komme aus Pakistan.
4. City (where live) → Ich wohne in [Stadt].
5. Date of birth     → Ich bin geboren am [Tag]. [Monat] [Jahr].
                       Oder: Geboren am 14. August 1998.
6. Marital status    → Ich bin ledig. / verheiratet. / geschieden.
7. Family (optional) → Ich habe …
8. Languages         → Ich spreche Englisch und Urdu.
9. Job / status      → Ich bin Student. / Ich arbeite als Software…
10. Hobbies          → Mein Hobby ist Badminton.
                       Meine Hobbys sind … und …
11. Closing          → Das ist alles. / Danke.

Grammar rules inside self-intro

Ich komme aus + country (no article):

• Ich komme aus Pakistan. ✓
• Ich komme aus dem Pakistan. ✗

Ich wohne in + city (no article for cities):

• Ich wohne in Berlin. ✓

Geboren am + date — months take der (der August), but after am you use the month name:

• Geboren am 14. August 1998.
• German date order: Tag. Monat Jahr (14.08.1998)

Ich bin + status:

• Ich bin ledig. (single)
• Ich bin verheiratet. (married)
• Ich bin geschieden. (divorced)

Hobby — singular vs plural:

• Mein Hobby ist … (one hobby)
• Meine Hobbys sind … (two or more)

Ich spreche + language (no article):

• Ich spreche Englisch und Urdu.

Guten Tag. Ich heiße ___. Mein Vorname ist ___. Mein Familienname ist ___.
Ich komme aus ___. Ich wohne in ___.
Ich bin geboren am ___. ___ ___.
Ich bin ___.
Ich spreche ___ und ___.
Ich bin Student.
Mein Hobby ist ___.
Danke.

Pronunciation essentials

What you need to understand

Bad pronunciation won't fail you at A1, but these rules prevent confusion in listening and speaking tasks.

Letter-sound rules (from class)

Vowel length (short vs long)

• Single vowel + single consonant → often long: mal, Tag
• Double vowel → long: Boot, Haus
• Double consonant (Doppel) → vowel before it is short: kommen, Mittag
• Short vs long can change meaning (e.g. calm vs long vowel concept from class)

Special cases from class

• E at end often silent or very short: Name, bitte
• English loanwords: pronounce like English — Sofa, Water, Paper (don't Germanize stress)
• TH is pronounced in German (Theater)
• R pronunciation depends on position — practice needed

Practice words

Say aloud 3× each:

• Zeit (ts-), Wasser (v-), Vater (f-), Apfel, Auf Wiedersehen

Personal pronouns — formal vs informal

What you need to understand

Pronouns replace nouns. German has formal vs informal — critical for exam role-plays and café dialogues.

Full table

Formal vs informal — when to use which

Capital S rule: Sie (you formal) is always capitalized. sie (she/they) is lowercase.

Tricky examples from Chapter 1

Special noun: das Messer — knife — always neuter. Never der Messer.

Vocabulary — prefix verbs & Chapter 1

A) Prefix verbs (an-, auf-, aus-, ab-)

German often adds prefixes to verbs. At A1, recognize meaning:

B) Nouns from class vocabulary list

C) Chapter 1 nouns & verbs

Chapter 1 dialogues & café scene

Dialogue 1 — Gupta & Frau Kyoka (Berlin)

Hier ist Gupta und Frau Kyoka.
Sie wohnen in Berlin.

Grammar note: Sie wohnen = they live (plural verb -en). Context: two people → "they".

Dialogue 2 — Berger Roland

Guten Tag. Ich heiße Berger Roland.

Standard greeting + name introduction pattern for Expression 1 practice.

Dialogue 3 — Frau Meyer goes shopping

Frau Meyer geht einkaufen.
Sie kauft Gemüse und Obst.

Grammar note: Sie kauft = she buys (singular -t ending). das Gemüse, das Obst — both neuter.

Dialogue 4 — Friends & work

Sie haben Freunde.

Maria arbeitet in einer Bank.

Sie haben = they have. Maria arbeitet = Maria works (she, -t ending).

Dialogue 5 — Apartment vocabulary

• der Schrank — cupboard (Er kommt aus Italien. — joke from class)
• das Regal — shelf
• Das Zimmer kostet 100 Euro. — The room costs 100 euros.
• Die Zimmer sind günstig. — The rooms are cheap (plural = die).
• Der Tisch → Die Tische — masculine → plural with -e, article die.

Café scene — Daniel, Alina, Mario

In class you practiced ordering at a café. Key points:

• Möchten Sie einen Kaffee? — Would you like a coffee? (formal)
• Article fix: der Kuchen (NOT das Kuchen)
• Maria möchte zwei Tee. — Maria would like two teas (informal context, du-form friends)
• Was möchten Sie? — What would you like? (formal)
• Was mögen Sie? — What do you like? (formal)
• Daniel und Anna, was mögen Sie? — Daniel and Anna, what do you like?

Sample café exchange

Kellner:  Guten Tag. Was möchten Sie?
Kunde:    Ich möchte einen Kaffee und einen Kuchen, bitte.
Kellner:  Sonst noch etwas?
Kunde:    Nein, danke.
Kellner:  Das macht 5 Euro, bitte.
Kunde:    Hier, bitte. Danke.