Audio Activities
Each audio activity on this page includes a link to an audio file, as well as the text of the audio, usually
as a complete-the-blank listening activity. Some of the audio activities are designed for a specific
vocabulary or grammar unit.
Although most of the songs are available for free on youtube, I strongly encourage you to download the
files that are available from the artists for a small fee, particularly if you plan to use the audio in your
classroom. Unfortunately, as I found out recently, mp3 downloads are NOT available on
Amazon.de for users outside Germany, Switzerland, or Austria. You are able to purchase complete CDs,
but not mp3 files. Amazon.com has SOME of the German mp3 files, but not all. As a result, youtube
may be your only option for some of the audio. Literary texts that are read are from vorleser.net or
to both German and English songs.
The following audio activities are suitable for classroom or individual use. Many of them can be
used even by beginner-level students for listening practice.
6. "Die Tür" (Kurt Tucholsky): listening activity for modals/infinitives (worksheet, audio)
7. Comparative/superlative: Worksheet (Kai Niemman's song "Im Osten", great for
comparative adjectives). Audio Link on youtube.
8. Verbs used as nouns: Worksheet (song from the movie "7 Zwerge" with the German
comedian Otto Waalkes). Audio Link on youtube.
9. Schule: Worksheet / Audio Link (techno Smurf song "Keine Schule")
10. Rotkäppchen: listening activity with focus on the dative case. Worksheet / Audio Link
11. "Das Dunkel und ich": very easy listening activity for conjugation of modal verbs.
From Rolf Zuckowski's musical "Der Kleine Tag", a wonderful musical that is very
usable in a German classroom. A version of the song is available on youtube,
12. "Max und Moritz" (Erster Streich): Easy listening activity. Fill in words from a word list as
you listen to an audio text. If you experience problems with the audio file, an alternate
reading is available at http://librivox.org/max-und-moritz-by-wilhelm-busch-version-2/.
The recording for the first chapter starts at 1:20 min (64 kbp file).