| Section Two - Part A
Das Haus
Houses do not look the same from country to country, and they are not all made of the same material. Most permanent homes in German-speaking countries are made from concrete, not wood, although there is often a lot of wood used in the interior decoration. They are built to last!
The Fachwerkhaus (half-timbered house) is a very old style. It is not uncommon to see them with dates from the 1600's or even earlier. The exterior is noted for its angular beams, with the spaces covered in stucco. The insulation was usually rags, straw, sometimes paper, and anything else that would fill the space and keep out air. It's fascinating to see what comes out of one of these old walls when it finally collapses.
Traditionally, houses are covered with tiles, not asphalt shingles, although some houses near the sea may have thatched roofs. Such roofs provide excellent protection against the weather and last a very long time, but they are also extremely labor intensive to build. The only ones you'll see, therefore, are usually very old (often in outdoor museums) or on very expensive houses.
In the larger cities, the majority of the people live in apartments that they either rent or buy. City dwellers have access to excellent public transportation, but since major department stores have large grocery departments, they often can go shopping zu Fuß anyway.
 Wie ist dein Haus?
So, let's learn to talk about our own homes. View the presentation by clicking on the TV screen to see and learn about the different parts of a typical home.
You understood nearly all of that, didn't you? Most of the words for rooms of the house are cognates, so they're easy to recognize. Sometimes that can make them more difficult to pronounce, however, so continue to repeat these after the speaker until you feel quite comfortable with them Also, if you look at them and say them at the same time, you'll get a good start on their spellings.
Wie viele Etagen (Stockwerke) hat das Haus?
A house may have one or more "Stockwerke or Etagen." (stories or floors). Since land is so expensive, many houses are built "up" rather than "out.," so a house could have three floors, or maybe two floors, a basement, and a full attic.
Das Bad / die Toilette
When you visit another country, you are wise to learn a few phrases in that language before you go. One such very useful phrase is "Where is the restroom?" "Das Bad" is the word generally used for the bathroom in a home. If you are away from home and need a restroom, you would ask for die Toilette or das WC (unless, of course, you really DO want to take a bath!). Although the image of the lady in the skirt or the man are nearly universal, it's wise to know other labels for the men's and women's restrooms. It's very common to see "Männer" and "Frauen" (men and women) or "Herren" and "Damen" (gentlemen and ladies) on restroom doors.
In many German speaking cities, there might be a person (of either sex!) dispensing toilet paper and paper towels in the restroom for a tip. This helps ensure a well-kept public restroom, but can come as an awkward surprise to Americans.
 Schriftliche Übung
 Vokabeln üben
Practice your new vocabulary with this activity. SpeedWord
 Why so many fences?
As you know, land is very expensive in the German-speaking countries, so most people do not have big yards, even if they own their own homes. Some apartment buildings may have a tiny front yard, but there is usually a fence separating it from the sidewalk. Why? Although there's probably no 100% perfect answer, here are some possibilities:
- Lots of people have dogs, and although they're usually very well trained, people don't want strange dogs in their yards.
- With so many close neighbors, it's nice to feel just a little bit of privacy, even if it doesn't block out everything. (This is the most commonly-given answer.)
- Many "houses" may contain small shops or offices (especially legal or medical) as well as residences, and the sign has to hang somewhere!
 Mündliche Aufgabe
Make a brief recording about your own house. Is it in the city? How many bedrooms are there? How many bathrooms? Where do you eat? Where do you study? Where do you watch TV? Answer questions such as these and make your recording at least 6 sentences in German. (Remember, your teacher won't know if you're telling the truth, so say whatever you can!) Diese Aufgabe hat 16 Punkte.
Teil B. |
