Preparing your German students for a trip to a German-speaking country? Planning on needing to communicate in the German language on your own vacation? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, this lesson plan will teach you some useful travel German vocabulary.
Travel German
If you or your students want to travel in a German-speaking country like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, or
Belgium and want to speak the German language during your travels, you or they will need to learn some travel German vocabulary. Before class begins, print out enough copies of the Travel German Vocabulary article for each student. At the beginning of class, read over the travel vocabulary list with the students by saying each word or phrase aloud and having the entire class repeat after you. Once the students are confident in their knowledge of the majority of the vocabulary, move onto the German sentence activity.
German Sentence Activity
Before class begins, write one German vocabulary word or phrase on an index card. Then pass out one noun, one verb, one adverb, and one phrase card to each student. The students should then write a short dialog that includes all of the words or phrases on the cards as well as other vocabulary learned at the beginning of class. For example, one student might get cards with the following words and phrases:
- der Auskunftsschalter
- kosten
- geradeaus
- Ich möchte gern…
A sample dialogue containing these four words and phrases might look like:
- Guten tag.
- Guten tag. Wo ist der Auskunftsschalter?
- Er ist geradeaus.
- Danke. Ich möchte gern ein Stadtplan. Wie viel kostet ihn?
- Er kostet nichts.
- Danke.
The students should include previously learned vocabulary as appropriate.
Nouns
der Auskunftsschalter – information desk
Advertisementder Bahnhof – train station
der Bahnsteig – train platform
Advertisementder Bus – bus
der Fahrgast – train passenger
Advertisementder Fahrplan – schedule, timetable
der Fluggast – airplane passenger
Advertisementder Flughafen – the airport
der Koffer – suitcase, luggage
Advertisementder Paß - passport
der Stadtplan – city map
Advertisementder Strand - beach
der Tourist – tourist
Advertisementdas Auto – car
das Doppelzimmer – double room
Advertisementdas Einzelzimmer – single room
das Geld – money
Advertisementdas Hotel – hotel
das Restaurant – restaurant
Advertisementdie Abfahrt – departure
die Abfahrtszeit – departure time
Advertisementdie Ankunft – arrival
die Autobahn – freeway, motorway
die Bank – bank
die Kreditkarte – credit card
die Landkarte –map
die Einkaufsgalerie – shopping mall
die Polizei – police
die Straße – street
die Straßenkarte – road map
die Toilette – toilet
Verbs
- abgehen – to exit
- besuchen – to travel
- bestellen – to order
- bezahlen – to pay
- bleiben – to stay, to remain
- bringen – to bring, to take
- deklarieren – to declare
- eintreten – to enter
- essen – to eat
- fahren – to drive, to travel
- fliegen – to fly
- gehen – to go
- kaufen – to buy
- kommen – to come
- kosten – to cost
- machen – to make, to do
- nehmen – to take
- reisen – to travel
- schlafen – to sleep
- sehen – to see
- senden – to send, to transmit
- suchen – to seek, to search
- tragen – to carry
- trinken – to drink
- warten – to wait
Adverbs
- außen – outside
- geradeaus – straight ahead
- da – there
- dort – there
- hier – here
- innen – inside
- nach links – to the left
- nach rechts – to the right
- nahe – near
- nordwärts – to the north
- östlich von – to the east
- südwärts – to the south
- überall – everywhere
- unten – down
- vorn – ahead
- westlich von – to the west
- zurück – back
Phrases
- Entschuldigen Sie, bitte. – Excuse me, please.
- Fährt dieser Bus nach…? – Is this bus going to…?
- Haben Sie…? – Do you have…?
- Haben Sie ein Hotelverzeichnis? – Do you have a hotel guide?
- Haben Sie einen Stadtplan? – Do you have a street map?
- Hier ist mein Paß. – Here is my passport.
- Ich bin auf dem Weg nach… – I am heading for…
- Ich bin auf Urlaub hier. – I am here on holiday.
- Ich bin geschäftlich hier. – I am here on business.
- Ich bin nur auf der Durchreise. – I am just passing through.
- Ich habe ein Zimmer reserviert. – I have a hotel reservation.
- Ich möchte gern… – I would like…
- Ist dies der Zug nach…? – Is this the right train for…?
- Ist dies die Haltestelle für…? – Is this the right stop for…?
- Können Sie mir bitten ein Hotelzimmer reservieren? – Could you reserve me a hotel room?
- Wann ist der nächste Flug? – What time is the next flight?
- Was können Sie empfehlen? – What do you recommend?
- Wie komme ich nach…? – How do I get to…?
- Wie kommt man zum…? – How do you get to…?
- Wo finde ich ein Taxi? – Where can I get a taxi?
- Wo ist…? – Where is…?
- Wo ist die nächste Wechselstube? – Where is the nearest currency exchange?
- Wo ist die Toilette? – Where is the restroom?
References
- Additional resources for teaching your students German vocabulary are contained in this Guideline to German Vocabulary .
