Lektionsüberblick

For each of the first three Themen, we’ve talk about how things are (my current apartment, my free time activities and travel, my studies), how they will be (my next apartment, my planned travel, my career plans), and the fantasy version of each, if time, money, and opportunity were endless (my dream house, my dream vacation, my dream career). In this final Thema, we’ve focused on the world around us – the natural world and the human world – including some less than ideal parts of that world. In this final lesson, we will imagine what our world could look like and how changes might be made. The goal of this book (and the Deutsch im Alltag series) is to give you the language you will need when making friends in German-speaking Europe, which includes topics that may be harder to talk about. Surveys of German-speaking youth about the topics with which they are most concerned indicate that soziale Ungleichheiten (social inequalities), geopolitische Konflikte (geopolitical conflicts), and Klimawandel (climate change) are among the top. In the end, you will be able to talk about 1) one thing or more things you would like to improve in your world, 2) one or more actions that could be taken at the individual and community levels, and 3) one or more actions that could be taken at the political and economic levels.

1) In einer besseren Welt

Let’s look at topics and concerns that you might encounter as you hold deeper conversations with German-speakers. Some words might be review, while others might be new.

Read through the presentation to see how German speakers might envision a better world.

Practice sorting the concepts into three categories: Soziale Ungleichheit, Geopolitische Konflikte, Klimawandel.

Let’s practice expressing the issues that are important to us and our visions for the future.

Namibia im Blickpunkt

Deutsch wird vor allem in Europa gesprochen, aber auch in anderen Teilen der Welt gibt es Orte, an denen Menschen Deutsch sprechen. In Namibia im Südwesten von Afrika sprechen auch heute ca. 20.000 bis 30.000 Menschen Namdeutsch oder Südwesterdeutsch, a Sprachvarietät der deutschen Sprache. Das liegt daran, dass Namibia früher eine deutsche Kolonie war. Heute ist Deutsch keine offizielle Sprache mehr, aber man kann es noch in den Medien, in der Schule und im Alltag in Zentralnamibia hören. In Städten wie Swakopmund und Windhoek sieht man außerdem viele deutsche Straßennamen und Gebäude. Unter dieser Link ist ein Video von EasyGerman zu Windhoek.

 

German is spoken primarily in Europe, but there are also places in other parts of the world where people speak German. In Namibia in southwestern Africa, approximately 20,000-30,000 people still speak Namdeutsch or Südwesterdeutsch, a German language variation. This is because Namibia was formerly a German colony. Today, German is no longer an official language, but it can still be heard in the media, in schools, and in everyday life in central Namibia. Furthermore, in cities like Swakopmund and Windhoek, one can see many German street names and buildings.

2) Was kann ich machen? Was können wir machen?

The studies mentioned above also state that German-speaking youth want to contribute to society (einen Beitrag leisten). Let’s look how we can contribute to change on individual and community levels.

Watch the short video about Jugendverbände (youth organizations) below. Notice words and phrases in the video that point to working together. Answer the two questions embedded in the video (one towards the middle and one at the end).

Now watch the following documentary. It is 30 minutes long, so you might only choose to watch portions. The narrator speaks in English, but the interviews are in German. What examples of individual and community contributions by young people do you witness in this video?

Documentary about Young Germans and Poverty

 You can learn more about the types of volunteering that people do with Is Volunteering Popular in Germany? | Easy German 471

Let’s look at ways we can express our desire to create a better world on individual and community levels.

Let’s practice.

3) Systemänderungen

In a democracy, people can help create change in different ways. We can be involved in political structures, for example by voting or joining groups. We can also choose where we spend or give our money. In this next section, we will explore actions we can take to address systemic issues.

Watch the clip of the One Billion Rising event in Berlin. How do the people there show support for their cause? Answer the two questions in the video below. You do not need to watch the entire clip to answer the questions.

In what ways can we take action politically or economically? Take a look at the sentences below and answer the questions on each slide.