10  Twenty-minute programs
Grade(s):  9 - 12, College
Curriculum:  Foreign Language/German

Lernexpress is a multimedia beginners German course with lively and useful material reflecting the Germany of today. The accent is on authentic language situations that relate to the everyday world of students. The programs film young people in Hamburg, Nordfriedsland, Munich and other locations at home, at school, with their friends and in their free time.  Featured are Sonia Zimmer, a charismatic student of English, and an exuberant cast of young people talking candidly about their lives. Their multi-ethnic backgrounds realistically represent today's German population, reflecting a variety of lifestyles-a welcome departure from the stereotypes of the past. Lemexpress is enhanced by the warmth and vitality of the youth and their contagious love of life-all presented naturally, clearly, and with great charm. Fun, fresh, and contemporary, the focus is on the excitement, as well as the trials and tribulations, of German life through the eyes of today's younger generation. Lernexpress serves beginning-level students an authentic, unique slice of life, language, and culture from their German peers. An upbeat musical score provides a fitting accompaniment. Lernexpress stresses spoken German at a natural pace. A small amount of English functions to orient student viewers, establishing contact by setting the tone and clearly stating the topic that follows.

Support Materials
Lemexpress I Student Textbook; Teacher's Guide for Modules I and 11

Module 1: Programs 1-10  The Lemexpress team goes to Hamburg and Nordfriedsland to film young people at home, at school, with their friends, and in their free time.

Program Titles, Lengths & Outlines

1. Ich Ober mich  (16:00)
Sonja Simmer, an 18 year old pupil at the Helene Lange Gymnasium in Hamburg presents her home city and some of her friends.  Sonja has spent a year in the U.S.A. as part of her studies - the school also teaches Physics and Geography in English, so she speaks both English and German to us.  The language used in this program helps you to talk about yourself and say where you come from.  We also visit a kindergarten, the Dragonboat competition on the Binnenaister where we meet German-speaking competitors from all over the world.  We take part in the extravagant celebrations held to honour the founding of the city.

2. Meine Familie  (15:30)
We visit the homes of Hamburg teenagers and meet their families starting with Sonja, who lives with her mother and her cat Kasimer.  Then we meet li, whose parents still live in Iran.  Ali lives in Hamburg with his brother and sister, who are twins and students.  Svenja's father is a policeman; she has a younger sister, Britta.   Austen Giebener has an older brother Daniel, who is into computers  and designs his own computer graphics.  Finally, Constance Agbablo lives with her mother and father, who is an immigrant from Togo in Africa.  The language is all about family relationships.

3. Mein Zuhause  (16:02)
We stay on with the young people we met in the last program and are shown around their flats, concentrating on their own rooms.  We get an overview of the various types of accomodations available in Hamburg; visit a Schrabergarten and take part in a Richtfest (the ceremony held when the roof is put on a new house).  The language taught is how to talk about where you live.

4. Die Schule  (16:19)
Sonja takes us to the Gesamtschule Horn, where we follow a typical day.  We see the pupils arriving early in the morning and ask what subjects they have on the time table today.  We sit in on an English class and follow the pupils at break.  They are asked which subjects they like the most - and least.  Frank shows us around the school and we see a music class/workshop. 

5. Die Freizeft  (16:34)
This program is about free time, and the language used enables learners of German to talk about their own out of school interests.  We see young people playing chess, football, window-shopping in the city.  They talk about the sort of music they enjoy, and Frank and Sasha choose a record at the VOM store.  We take a look at young people who work in their time off.  Michelle, whose parents run a hairdressing salon; and Sandra, whose parents run a side-show at the Dom funfair. Finally,  four of our teenagers visit the funfair and enjoy the rides.

6. Die Stadt  (16:18)
This program looks in more detail at the city of Hamburg and the young people talk about why they like living there.  The aim is to equip American pupils with the language they need to talk about their city or town, its amenities, etc.  The program starts with a trip on the Hummelbahn, where Sonya points out the major sights.  Frank and Cecilia window shop in the Einkaufspassegen.  Sonja takes up up the TV tower and points out the view.  Sonja shows us a shopping mall.  Nada and Ivanka look at fashion accessories and buy a present.  Sonja asks about the drawbacks of living in Hamburg.

7. Ich habe Hunger  (16:43)
The yooung people talk about their favorite foods and the ones they dislike.  Sascha buys a snack and Sonja asks Frau Engel what else she sells at her Imbio.  Sonja makes breakfast for herself and we see the Spöntjes having theirs.  Sonja shops for bread and cheese and has a snack on the streets.  She interviews other people on what they are eating.  Frau Rauschning and some pupils buy ingredients for their cookery class at a supermarket and then cook Frikadeilen.  Sonja visits the Hamburg Fischmarkt.

8. Vie komme ich nach?  (15:39)
The Lufthansa flight form London arrives at Hamburg Airpot and Sonja interviews the pilot. Sonja buys an air ticket to London and shows the London-Harwich Ferry.  Sonja explains how to buy a Tageskarte on the U-Bahn and Christopher makes a journey.   Sonja interviews the young people on how they travel to school. She then visits the Pundboro to see what is lost and buys a Walkman at a public auction.  She visits the Tourist Office and takes up their suggestion to go on a trip around the harbour.

9. Auf dem Land  (16:40)
This program is destined for German learners who live in the country, but it will also equip city dwellers with the language they need to talk about preferences and give a simple reason, talk about family life and daily routine, describe a small country town, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of where you live.  Young people from Nordfriesland introduce themselves and say ewhy they prefer living in a the town or country.  We see Manon Thomsen working on the family farm and playing the accordian at a family party.  Heiko Zieman is a town guide in Friedrichstadt as he shows us around the various sights.  The interviewees discuss the drawbacks of country life.   We see Andrea Friedrichsen on the island of Nordstrand, her father in the bakery and her mother in the shop and delivery van driving around the island.

10. In den Ferien  (16:26)
In this program American pupils learn how to talk to their German counterparts about their holiday plans, about different countries they may have visited; holiday activities and where they stay.  The program introduces the past tense - what you did yesterday.   The Hamburg teenagers talk about the are going on holiday.  We see various beach activities - land yachts, surfing, wind-surfing.  Sonja asks people where they are staying.  Andrea Friedrichsen and her family are featured at a campsite and we see what activities are available to them. Andre and his friends hire a Tratmobil in Friedrichstadt and drive around the town.  Sonja asks holiday makers what they did yesterday.  Finally, we visit the Nordstrand Inseltage.