Target group: Teenagers and young adults without previous knowledge in Germany and abroad

Study Target: Leads up to levels A1, A2 and B1 of the European Reference Framework in three volumes and prepares for the exams Fit in Deutsch 1, Fit in Deutsch 2 and Zertifikat Deutsch für Jugendliche.

New ideas for teaching teenage classes!
Teaching teenagers is an interesting, but not always easy challenge. The reasons for many problems can often be found in the complex developmental situation youths are often going through at this stage. In making the transition from childhood to adulthood, they must newly define their own identity.

Ideen is a course that provides professional material for the particular challenges in teaching this target group. The way units are structured, the selection of texts, the type of exercises, the illustrations and the layout – everything is streamlined to meet these requirements.

Subjects: From the unusual to a personal experience
Teenagers are not always prepared to talk about themselves and to reveal personal details. The further the content is from their personal circumstances, the more motivating and stimulating it is likely to be. The preference for unusual content goes hand in hand with a fascination with the extreme and realistic details. They like to identify with idols who seem to have what it takes to survive in a threatening world – courage, ingenuity, creativity and love.

Ideen is built on texts far removed from teenage daily life, making it easier for teens to show interest for the subject. In the following sections, however, such subjects are brought into connection with the world of teenagers and simultaneously with the major teaching subjects. And so learning German becomes motivating and effective for the teens.

Methodology
Ideen follows a task-oriented, communicative approach where linguistic skills and partial knowledge are integrated and and exercised such that teenagers’ competencies of a foreign language are developed in an interesting and motivating way.

Progression and Task Assignments
Ideen systematically builds up vocabulary and grammar. Clear task assignments and a number of carefully designed exercises guarantee that students learn to express themselves verbally and in writing in the foreign language.

Types of Texts
Ideen presents authentic German usage by using a number of varying text types such as short texts from magazines and newspapers, interviews, stories, songs, poems and photo stories. These texts simultaneously build a platform for introducting the major grammatical structures and core vocabulary in a systematic and context-oriented manner.

Grammar
Ideen is based on a relatively low systematic progression of grammar and so takes into account the differing skills and competencies of teenagers in heterogeneous learning groups. Within the framework of a cyclical progression, the important linguistic tools are repeatedly taken up. This integrates a natural flow of repetitions and exercises into the lesson structure.

Vocabulary
Ideen gives a systematic presentation of relevant word categories in every lesson, also including significant lexical phrases taken from everyday oral communication.

Structure of the Coursebook

– The 12 lessons in each volume are clearly structured into 3 modules.

– Each lesson covers 8 pages and is transparently designed with a recurring page layout.

– For every module there are two additional introductory pages, a cultural unit, and a suggestion for a class project.

– Repetition units in form of checktests and grammar pages help appraise the clearly defined learning targets for each module.

Supplementary Materials

Workbook with audio CD:
Many different kinds of activities and task assignments provide students with additional possibilities for expanded exercises and consolidating language tools learned in the lessons. The workbook can be used in class or at home for self-study (as homework, for example). As most teachers are commonly confronted with very heterogeneous student groups, the task assignments in the workbook are designed to provide learners of very different competency levels with a sense of achievement.

The workbook comes with an audio CD with listening texts.

CD-ROM:

The CD-ROM is a valuable addition to both coursebook and workbook and contains a host of new and entertaining exercises as a follow-up to individual lessons. The interactive tasks offer learners an ideal opportunity for self-study at home to help them consolidate classroom work.

Teacher’s Book:
The teacher’s book is clearly structured, easy to use for classwork, and offers step-by-step instructions for implementing the teaching units and background information on general subjects and cultural and linguistic aspects. Further ideas for classwork and photocopiables for additional exercise and teaching units round off the package.

DVD:

The DVD contains film sequences that provide an original and entertaining follow-up to the course content seen through the eyes of the young protagonists. Also included are several additional clips with music and interesting pieces of background information.