GER102 Self-Study – Grammar Task
Note: a checklist is provided at the end to keep track of your work.
Section A - Introduction to Grammar Learning
Grammar learning is to understand how words can be put together
in order to make phrases and sentences. It is an essential part of language study. Some of you think
that grammar is difficult and boring and have been struggling with it a lot. You may learn grammar
mainly by doing grammar exercises and yet still make a lot of grammatical mistakes in writing and
speaking. This section outlines some ideas on learning grammar systematically. Below are some
strategies for grammar learning.
1. Set a learning objective
2. Learn the form, functions and usage
3. Look for and understand examples in context
4. Test your understanding of the grammar feature
5. Write a reflection about your learning experience
Section B - Grammar Task
The grammar tasks below will give you an opportunity to try the strategies suggested in Section A
and to explore some on-line grammar resources. It will also enable you to identify your weaknesses
in grammar.
Step 1 – Set a learning objective
You could first visit a website offering some kind of diagnostic test or test practice. Then, decide on
a grammar objective according to your difficulties. For German, you could start looking at the
Goethe Institut website about the German external examination “Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch
1”: http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/sd1/mat/enindex.htm
Focus on one grammar topic at a time. Choose from the grammar topics which have been introduced
in class to consolidate what you have learned. Here are some examples:
Subject/Verb
Agreement
Conjunctions
Demonstrative
pronouns
Infinitives
Prepositions
Nouns
Tenses (the Present,
for example)
Relative clauses
Adjectives
Proper nouns
Note 1: Choosing a completely new topic is also possible, but remember that it must be in step with
your learning. For example, the conditional tense is not advisable at beginner level. Refer to the
online grammar references in Step 2 below for more grammar topics.
© CEAL (Additional Languages)
Note 2: You may also want to select a grammar feature which you have discovered in the course of
doing in the Listening task (for example by doing the listening exercises on the BBC German
language website at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/German/).
Step 2 – learn the form, functions and usage
Once you have decided your learning objective, find out the form and functions/usage of the
grammar topic. Consult good grammar references which not only explain the rule, but also give
plenty of examples to illustrate the functions and usage of the grammar topic.
Fill in the following Grammar Task Record 1 and find at least one grammar exercise related to your
objective. Upload both documents onto your e-Portfolio. To choose your grammar exercise(s), you
can make use of the online grammar resources suggested below.
GRAMMAR Task Record 1
Grammar feature chosen (specify)
Learning objective (what you want to
achieve). Be specific.
Type and name of material used to
meet learning objective
(do at least one exercise)
Learning outcome (what you learned
from this exercise)
Online German Grammar Resources:
 Deutsche Grammatik (with exercises)
http://www.mein-deutschbuch.de
 Deutsche Grammatik:
http://www.canoo.net/
 Another grammar site:
http://deutsch.lingo4u.de/
 German grammar explained Nancy Thuleen, University of Wisconsin, Madison
http://www.nthuleen.com/teach/grammar.html
 Any questions, try About.com:
http://german.about.com/
 Wikipedia (with links to German adjectives/pronouns/verbs/etc.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_grammar
 German-English Dictionary
http://dict.leo.org/ende
http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/dictionary/
Online dictionaries:
 http://www.leo.org
 http://www.canoo.net/
Step 3 – Look for examples in context
Choose an article on the internet or from the following websites and try to identify two sentences that
contain the grammar feature that you chose as your learning objective. Fill in Grammar Task
Record 2.
© CEAL (Additional Languages)
GRAMMAR Task Record 2
Grammar feature (it
should be the same as
for Task Record 1):
Source of article
(URL)
Title of article
Sentence 1
(underline grammatical
feature)
Sentence 2
(underline grammatical
feature)
For example, you can use the following addresses of « Zeitungen und Zeitschriften »:
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Süddeutsche Zeitung (a very serious source of news in Germany):
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (a very serious source of news in Germany):
http://www.faz.net/
Die Zeit (a serious, weekly newspaper with many cultural features):
http://www.zeit.de/index
Der Stern (a German weekly magazine):
http://www.stern.de/
ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) (includes the TV weekly programme, trailers of TV
programs and many very interesting cultural features):
http://www.telerama.fr/techno/madame-bovary-sur-le-net,41942.php
Deutsche Welle:
http://www.dw.de/dw/0,,9077,00.html
A very interesting and rich site (available in many languages) which proposes all kinds of
activities including: radio and TV online; German learning section – Deutsch Lernen -, etc.
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Did you know that Lingnan library also carried a number of German periodicals and NEW
electronic periodicals?
Check the links available on the CEAL website for German Periodicals and ePeriodicals at:
http://www.ln.edu.hk/ceal/usefullinks/addlinks.php
Don’t forget to upload relevant documents (e.g. record sheets or copies of selected texts or copies of
exercises) and a written reflection onto your Mahara GER102 ePortfolio to provide evidence of
learning.
Grammar checklist
If you have chosen the Grammar task to be part of the Self-Study module assessment, you need to
have completed:
Grammar task record One + 1 online grammar exercise
Grammar task record Two
Written reflection (at least 125 words)
© CEAL (Additional Languages)
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