Start your beginner German learning journey with our Beginner German: A1.1 Course, designed for learners with no prior knowledge of German or those who wish to refresh the basics. This introductory course builds the foundations needed to communicate in simple everyday situations while developing your understanding of essential German grammar and vocabulary. It is ideal for learners interested in learning German for cultural interest or personal enrichment in a supportive and interactive learning environment.

You will practise communication in situations such as introducing yourself, exchanging personal information, talking about where you live, discussing hobbies and studies, and describing family relationships. Grammar is introduced naturally through these interactions, including present tense verbs, personal pronouns, negation, noun gender, possessive adjectives, and basic question forms. Vocabulary and pronunciation are integrated throughout, including greetings, numbers, nationalities, professions, family vocabulary, and key German sounds, stress patterns, and intonation.

DELIVERY MODE

Delivery mode for individual classes will vary from term to term, but will be listed as the following:

• Face-to-Face: WEA Sydney
• Online: via Zoom / Microsoft Teams

TEXTBOOK

• Willkommen 1 3rd Ed German Beginners Coursebook (John Murray: 2018), ISBN 9781473672659

Supplier: Abbey's Language Book Centre
Please note that textbook cost is not included in the course fee. In the event of a course being cancelled, WEA Sydney cannot be held responsible for the purchase of any textbooks. Language courses will be confirmed or cancelled at least 7 days prior to their starting date.

COURSE OUTLINE

Communication

• Greetings and farewells
• Introducing yourself
• Saying where you come from and where you live
• Asking for and giving personal details
• Saying how you are
• Talking about nationality and languages
• Talking about jobs and studies
• Naming towns and cities
• Describing hobbies and free-time activities
• Expressing likes and dislikes
• Talking about family members and relationships

Grammar

• Sentence structure: basic word order
• Questions: yes/no and simple information questions
• Verb forms: present tense of regular verbs
• Pronouns: personal pronouns
• Negation: nicht
• Nouns and articles: der, die, das
• Possessive adjectives
• Noun forms: plural nouns
• Cases: introduction to the accusative case
• Common verbs with vowel changes

Phonetics

• Pronunciation of the German alphabet
• Spelling names and words aloud
• Pronunciation of numbers
• Vowels and umlauts: ä, ö, ü
• Consonants: ch and r sounds
• Word stress in common expressions
• Intonation in simple questions and statements

Vocabulary

• Greetings and polite expressions
• Numbers and quantity expressions
• Countries and nationalities
• Languages
• Personal information
• Jobs and professions
• Study subjects
• Towns and cities
• Leisure activities and hobbies
• Family members
• Everyday verbs and common expressions

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Communicate in German in simple everyday situations such as introductions, personal exchanges, and talking about interests and family.
2. Use fundamental grammar structures including present tense verbs, question forms, articles, and personal pronouns with increasing accuracy.
3. Apply essential vocabulary and pronunciation features to participate in beginner-level spoken and written interactions.