Postcards from Favourite Places - Reading and Writing Exercise (German)
Writing a postcard
Introduction
Over the past summer, the youth version of the Süddeusche Zeitung, "jetzt.de" has encouraged young people to send post cards of their favourite places to one of the newspaper’s authors, whose name is Peter. They were asked to give three good reasons why other people should visit that place, e.g. a city, from where the postcard was sent. As a result, a postcard-travel guide was compiled: “der Postkarten-Reiseführer”. In this exercise we will read one of the postcards that was published on the Internet .
Objectives
In this exercise you will read a postcard that was published by jetzt.de in June 2007, learn some new expressions that are typical for the region it was sent from, answer some questions and finally write your own postcard.
Activity 1: Your favourite place
Instruction
Before we have a look at one of the postcards from the "Postkarten-Reiseführer" think about your own favourite places.
Which place in the world would you recommend to your friends to visit and why? Write down some first ideas here. You will need them again later, so try to write in German right away:
Activity 2: A postcard from Mainz
One of the postcards that was sent to the newspaper came from the city of Mainz.
Instruction
Read the text below and then go on to the tasks below (1 - 7). But first have a look at the original: Postcard from Mainz
Post aus Mainz
Lieber Peter, drei Gründe, wieso Mainz sehenswert ist:
1. Das "Schick & Schön" hat wieder auf. Die Tanzkneipe, benannt nach ihren Besitzern, hat nicht nur die beste Musik, sondern auch den leckersten "Äbbelwoi" der Stadt.
2. Der Rhein: Mainz liegt, wie seine große Schwester Köln am wunderschönen Rhein & eine Schiffahrt auf eben diesem sollte man sich nicht entgehen lassen. Dazu ein Rheinhessischer Weißwein.
3. Der "Gonsenheimer Wald". Direkt hinter Jürgen Klopps Wohnhaus geht's rein. Dort gibt es die romantischsten Grillplätze in RLP.
So! Das ist Mainz. Liebste Grüße von dort, Kristin
1. Choose the correct continuation for the following three statements:
1. "Schick and Schön" is the name of ...
2. "Äbbelwoi" is the regional name for...
3. The "Gonsenheimer Wald" is the name of ...
4. Are the following statements right or wrong? Tick the appropriate box:
The answer to the fourth question is not in the text though... You will find the answer if you "google" Jürgen Klopp Mainz!
a) The “Schick & Schön” has opened for the first time, having changed its owners.
b) Kristin has a sister in Köln.
c) You can go on a river cruise in Mainz.
d) Jürgen Klopp is a famous basketball player from Mainz.
e) Kristin likes romantic barbecues.
For the following three questions you will have to come up with your own answers. Write them into the text boxes before checking the feedback.
5. What does "Schick & Schön" literally mean; and where did the pub get its name from?
You can use a German online dictionary to help you, e.g. LEO.
6. Apart from "Äbbelwoi" - which other drink is mentioned in the text?
You can check LEO again, if you need help.
7. “RLP” stands for the name of the federal state (das Bundesland), of which Mainz is the capital. Which Bundesland is that?
One of these maps (s. politische Karte/Länder) could give you some help.
Activity 3: Writing your own postcard
Now it's your turn. Write a similar postcard, in which you give three reasons for recommending a visit to YOUR favourite place.
To do that, you can keep some parts of Kristin's card and use your ideas from Activity 1.
Instruction
You can use this document as a template. Download it, fill it in and then hand it in to your tutor for correction. If you want, you could then copy your text on a real postcard and send it off to Peter to have it published with the "Postkarten-Reiseführer". (For details, check the web-page again).
And reading some more...
Finally you could just go on and read some more of the postcards that were already sent. If you go to this web-page, you will immediately find a list of placenames and a map. To read the cards, click on the place names.
Just as an idea, you could try to find out, how many cards were sent from British cities, or what the small German town is called, where the Pope was born... Have fun!
© Dr. Christina Janik/ UWIC School of Management / Cardiff 2008