German after Englisch - Modul 3: Lesen/module 3: Reading

1. Kurze Texte verstehen /Understanding short texts

Lesen I: Kurze Texte verstehen

reading I: Understanding short texts

1. Lesestrategien
Reading does not only mean understanding words and grammar; it also includes
understanding the overall character of a text.
This also include aspects such as…
... the type of document (What type of text is it? A sign? An article? An advertisement? An
email? ...).
... the font (e.g. important things are often written in bold).
... numbers.
... the meaning of the punctuation marks.
... colors (e.g. red often means "danger").
... context of the text (For example, if there is a sign hanging in front of a closed road, we
already know a lot about the probable meaning).
All these aspects help to classify the text correctly and to recognize the basic meaning, even
if you don´t or only partially understand the words. So watch out for these clues!

2. Lesestile
a) Globales Lesen oder „Skimming“
This is a speed-reading technique.
However, it’s more than a quick look
over the text.
You use this technique if you want to…
… get a first quick overview of the contents.
... know what kind of text you are dealing with (Is it an article? Is it an email? Is it an
instruction manual?...).
… know the topic of the text and its main ideas.
Using this technique requires the following steps:
1) Look at the layout and pictures.
2) Read the title.
3) Read the subtitle or introduction.
4) If there are subheadings, read them.
5) Look for clue words, numbers, typographical cues (e.g. underlinings, bold print,
italics…).
Of course, you can only perform these steps, if there is such information. For example,
if there are no subtitles, obviously, you cannot read them.
This method is very helpful for reading texts in a foreign language because the aim is not to
understand everything, but to understand the main ideas of the text.

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German after Englisch - Modul 3: Lesen/module 3: Reading
1. Kurze Texte verstehen /Understanding short texts

Here is an
example:

b) Selektives Lesen oder “Scanning”

This is also a speed-reading technique.
You use this technique if you want to…
… find a specific name, word, thought, date or fact without reading the entire text.
Using this technique requires the following steps:
1) Keep in mind which information you are looking for. If you do so, it will be more likely
that the required information appears more clearly to you in the text than the other
aspects.
2) Anticipate in which form the information might appear (A number? A name? A location?
…) and let your eyes run rapidly over the text.
3) If the text is short, you are able to scan the whole document.
4) If the text is longer, with the skimming method, you can look for the part where the
information can be found.
5) If you find the part with the relevant information, read it entirely.
This method is also really helpful for reading texts in a foreign language. You skip over large
sections without reading them in detail. Therefore, it is a fast way to find the required
information. Besides, the aim is not to understand everything, but to locate certain information.
This is an
example:

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German after Englisch - Modul 3: Lesen/module 3: Reading
1. Kurze Texte verstehen /Understanding short texts

Wortschatz (vocabulary)
Deutsch Englisch meine / andere Sprache
(German) (English) (my / another language)
die Absprache -n agreement, consultation __________________________
die Abfahrt departure __________________________
allgemein general __________________________
anrufen - rief an - angerufen to call, to ring __________________________
die Anzeige -n advertisement __________________________
stellen to set, put, place, stand __________________________
abstellen to park, to switch off __________________________
Achtung! Attention! __________________________
die Apotheke -n pharmacy __________________________
die Ausbildung -en apprenticeship, training __________________________
der Aushang -¨e announcement __________________________
die Ausfahrt -en exit __________________________
das Ausland foreign country, abroad __________________________
die Bäckerei -en bakery __________________________
bekommen - bekam - bekommen to get __________________________
die Beratung -en consultation __________________________
der Bescheid -e answer, decision __________________________
die Bestellung -en order, reservation __________________________
die Bettwäsche bedclothes __________________________
die Bewerbung -en application __________________________
bieten - bot - geboten to offer __________________________
bitten - bat - gebeten to ask, to beg __________________________
brauchen to need, to use __________________________
die Buchhandlung -en bookshop __________________________
das Datum (pl: Daten) date __________________________
der Dienst -e service __________________________
drucken to print __________________________
der Durchgang -¨e passage __________________________
EDV electronic data processing (EDP) ____________________
einfach simple __________________________
die Einstufung -en classification, grading __________________________
das Erdgeschoss ground floor __________________________
erhältlich available __________________________
die Erziehung education, breeding __________________________
es gibt there is / are __________________________
das Fahrrad -¨er bicycle __________________________
die Fahrt -en trip __________________________
das Festnetz landline __________________________

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German after Englisch - Modul 3: Lesen/module 3: Reading
1. Kurze Texte verstehen /Understanding short texts

die Fremdsprache -n foreign language __________________________

freuen to be happy, glad __________________________
sich auf etwas freuen to look forward to sth. ________________________
der Führerschein -e driving licence __________________________
ganz quite, completely __________________________
ganztägig full-time __________________________
der Gast -¨e guest __________________________
das Gebäck -e cookies, pastry __________________________
gemeinsam together __________________________
genießen - genoss - genossen to enjoy __________________________
das Gerät -e machine, device __________________________
gefährlich dangerous __________________________
geschlossen closed __________________________
der Grund -¨e reason, base, ground __________________________
der Haushalt -e household __________________________
die Haltestelle -n station, stop __________________________
das Herz -en heart __________________________
der Hörsaal (pl: Hörsäle) lecture room __________________________
die Kanzlei -en office __________________________
die Kasse -n counter __________________________
der Keller - cellar __________________________
die Kenntnis -se knowledge __________________________
die Kneipe -n pub __________________________
die Konditorei -en confectionery __________________________
der Krimi -s detective story __________________________
der Kunde -n customer __________________________
der Laden -¨ shop __________________________
das Lebensmittel - food, grocery __________________________
die Leitung -en line, direction __________________________
der Lesesaal (pl: Lesesäle) reading room __________________________
die Lust desire, lust __________________________
der Mitarbeiter - colleague __________________________
die Nachhilfe private lessons __________________________
die Not -¨e need, emergency __________________________
die Öffnungszeit -en opening hours __________________________
pro per __________________________
der Rabatt -e discount __________________________
der Raum -¨e room __________________________
die Reise -n journey __________________________
der Ritter - knight __________________________
das Schild –er plate __________________________
schließen - schloss - geschlossen to close __________________________

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German after Englisch - Modul 3: Lesen/module 3: Reading
1. Kurze Texte verstehen /Understanding short texts

der See -n lake __________________________

die Semmel -n roll (South German) __________________________
der Spaß fun, joke __________________________
das Stadion (pl: Stadien) stadium __________________________
der Stock -¨e floor, stock __________________________
das Stockwerk -e floor __________________________
täglich daily, everyday __________________________
die Torte -n cake __________________________
der Treffpunkt -e meeting point __________________________
das Trinkgeld -er tip __________________________
der Tutor -en tutor __________________________
überwachen to supervise, to observe __________________________
ungefähr about, around __________________________
die Unterkunft -¨e accommodation __________________________
das Untergeschoss basement __________________________
die Veranstaltung -en event __________________________
verbessern to improve, to correct __________________________
verbieten - verbot - verboten to forbid, to ban __________________________
verkaufen to sell __________________________
das Verständnis understanding, comprehension______________________
die Ware -n product, ware __________________________
die Warnung -en warning __________________________
der Weg -e way, road __________________________
der Wegweiser - signpost __________________________
wegen because of __________________________
wieder again __________________________
Wieviel? How many? How much? __________________________
Woher? From where? __________________________
Wohin? Where to? __________________________
die Zeitschrift -en magazine, journal __________________________
die Zeitung -en newspaper __________________________
das Zimmermädchen - chambermaid __________________________

Meine Wörter:
_______________ _______________ __________________________
_______________ _______________ __________________________
_______________ _______________ __________________________
_______________ _______________ __________________________
_______________ _______________ __________________________

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