2.8 Unterwegs

Lektionsüberblick

So far, we have worked on increasing our active and passive vocabularies with travel words related to kinds of travel, methods of transportation, lodging, and sightseeing so that we can plan and book travel.

Now we will turn our attention to some of the language necessary when in the process of the travel, checking into flights and hotels, navigating delayed train connections, asking for help, and understanding directions. At the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand key vocabulary and interact with German speakers 1) during travel/transportation to and at your destination, 2) following directions, and 3) understanding travel complications.

1) Transportmittel benutzen

Remember that many of the students in this unit are making travel plans. Claudia is traveling to Mallorca, while Sebi and Sarah are traveling to Liechtenstein. Read and listen to the information on each slide to see how each student might communicate with staff on the ground at the airport, train station, and bus station. Try to guess what the purple highlighted words mean based on the context and your expectation of what might be discussed in these situations.

Let’s practice!

Kleiner Hinweis

At a train station, you might hear the words das Gleis or der Bahnsteig to indicate the platform from which a train is arriving or departing. Technically, der Gleis refers to the track itself while Bahnsteig is the platform for boarding or exiting. You might hear:

Der Zug hat Einfahrt auf Gleis 5!

Der Zug hat Einfahrt am Bahnsteig 5!

die Einfahrt – the arrival

Kleiner Hinweis

Remember the prefix changes the meaning.

einsteigen = to board, to get in: Ich steige ein.

aussteigen = to exit, to get out: Ich steige aus.

umsteigen = to transfer, change busses or trains: Ich steige um.

 

Jetzt bist du dran!

With a classmate or friend, practice reading aloud each of the dialogs that appear in the presentation above. When you feel confident, record yourself in your audio journal. Which questions or statements do you think will be most valuable to know when you are traveling? Write those down in your written journal.

Then, for extra practice, listen to the podcast below. Thomas muss nach Frankfurt fahren. Wie komme ich am besten dahin, denkt er sich… Er hat kein Auto. Ist das ein Problem in Deutschland, dem Land der Autos?

You can follow along with the transcript. Was verstehst du? Write down any words or phrases that you understand. Then in German or English or a combination of both depending on your level, write down the gist of what you heard.

Liechtenstein im Blickpunkt

Grauspitz
Grauspitz, Triesen, Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein ist ein sehr kleines Land, aber fast das ganze Land liegt in den Alpen. Ein großer Teil der Landschaft besteht aus Bergen und steilen Hängen. Es gibt in Liechtenstein keine wirklich flachen Gebiete, nicht einmal im Rheintal. Der höchste Berg des Landes heißt Grauspitz, ist 2.599 Meter (8.527 Fuß) hoch und liegt in der Gemeinde Triesen. Deshalb ist Liechtenstein besonders bekannt für seine alpine Natur und seine schönen Berglandschaften.

Liechtenstein is a very small country, but almost the entire country lies in the Alps. A large part of the landscape consists of mountains and steep slopes. There are no truly flat areas in Liechtenstein, not even in the Rhine Valley. The highest mountain in the country is called Grauspitz; it is 2,599 meters (8,527 feet) high and is located in the municipality of Triesen. For this reason, Liechtenstein is especially known for its alpine nature and its beautiful mountain landscapes.

2) Wegbeschreibungen

Knowing how to follow directions in German is an important part of traveling in a German-speaking country. Let’s review with the flashcards below and then expand upon your skills. First click through the flashcards (arrow on card). When you are done, click through the arrows at the top.
To successfully complete the following activity, first orient yourself with the map and the features on the map. Finde bitte die beiden Parkplätze, die Brücke, den Park, den Fußweg usw. Please find both parking places, the bridge, the park, the walking path, etc. Now see if you can complete the directions for each map.
Karte 1: Um den See herum

Kleiner Hinweis

Remember…
entlang = along
gegenüber = across from
geradeaus = straight ahead
herum = around
Karte 2: Der Weg zum See

 

Jetzt bist du dran!

For extra practice with directions, you can check out this activity from Deutsche Welle. When you are done, write down any key words or phrases you learned in your written journal.

3) Verspätungen und Ausfälle

As can happen in any country while traveling, delays and cancellations are also a possibility while traveling in German-speaking countries, especially since many people rely on public transportation. Read through the slides to understand how to discuss travel and sightseeing issues that may occur while traveling.

Let’s practice.

Read as Sebi encounters a specific problem. What do you understand? Check your comprehension with the questions that follow the slides.

 

Jetzt bist du dran!

Consider the types of cancellations, delays, and problems that can occur while traveling. Then in your written journal make a list of the travel problems you have just learned. Next practice building 2-3 sentences stating a problem using the construction, es gibt (there is). For example: Heute gibt es einen Zugausfall. Today there is a train cancellation. Next write about a possible consequence of that problem. For example: Ich werde spät ankommen.

Jetzt kombinieren

In this lesson, you learned how to understand key vocabulary and interact with German speakers 1) during travel/transportation to and at your destination, 2) following directions, and 3) managing travel complications.

To put it all together, look at the following pictures. In your written journal, choose three of the remaining pictures. First describe the problem. Then describe a possible outcome, consequence, or solution to the problem. The first one has been done for you.

"Geschlossen" sign

 

 traffic jam Train Timetable Sign indicating delayed train snowy road
Leider ist das Museum heute geschlossen.

Wir werden es am Montag besuchen.

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Deutsch im Alltag III: Heute und morgen Copyright © by Rebecca Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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