$MODULE
DIOCO_DOC_ID: dli_german_intro_reading
TITLE: Introduction to Reading
DESCRIPTION: This module introduces German pronunciation and spelling rules.
TARGET_LANG_G: de
HOME_LANG_G: en
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VOICE_INTRO: ghgFyr7gmpr57xyTgX9q
VOICE_PROMPT: NBqeXKdZHweef6y0B67V
VOICE_RESPONSE: 5KvpaGteYkNayiswuX2h

$LESSON Section 1: Vowels a, e, i, o, u
$GRAMMAR Vowel Pronunciation Rules
INTRO: Let's learn about the basic German vowels: a, e, i, o, and u.

**a.** The letter {a} stands for short {a} or long {a}.

It stands for short {a} in:
- {als}
- {fast}
- {Garten}

It stands for long {a} in:
- {da}
- {Rat}
- {fragen}

{ah} and {aa} always stand for long {a}:
- {nah}, {lahm}, {Bahn}
- {Maat}, {Paar}, {Saal}

**b.** The letter {e} stands for extra-short {e}, short {e}, or long {e}.

It stands for extra-short {e} in (occurs only in unstressed syllables):
- {habe}
- {bekannt}
- {getan}

It stands for short {e} in:
- {elf}
- {denn}
- {nett}
- {rennt}
- {fest}

It stands for long {e} in:
- {den}
- {leben}
- {Feder}

{eh} and {ee} always stand for long {e}:
- {Reh}, {geht}, {fehlt}
- {Tee}, {Beet}, {Meer}

**c.** The letter {i} stands for short {i} and long {i}.

It stands for short {i} in:
- {ist}
- {Hilfe}
- {bitte}

It stands for long {i} in:
- {Igel}
- {Bibel}
- {Tiger}

{ie}, {ih}, and {ieh} always stand for long {i}:
- {die}, {lieber}, {fliegen}
- {ihm}, {ihnen}, {ihre}
- {sieht}, {fliehen}, {empfiehlt}

**d.** The letter {o} stands for short {o} and long {o}.

It stands for short {o} in:
- {oft}
- {konnte}
- {Posten}

It stands for long {o} in:
- {oder}
- {tot}
- {loben}

{oh} and {oo} always stand for long {o}:
- {roh}, {Sohn}, {Kohle}
- {Boot}, {Moos}, {Moor}

**e.** The letter {u} stands for short {u} and long {u}.

It stands for short {u} in:
- {bunt}
- {Butter}
- {drucken}

It stands for long {u} in:
- {tun}
- {nur}
- {guten}

{uh} always stands for long {u}:
- {Kuh}, {Uhr}, {ruht}

$DIALOGUE Sight Reading Exercise 1
INSTRUCTION: Read the following sentences aloud and practice the vowel sounds.

LINE: Guten Morgen, Herr Oberst!

LINE: Herr Hartmann ist im Garten.

LINE: Sie fahren mit dem Boot.

LINE: Die Kinder baden im Fluss.

LINE: Holen Sie bitte die Post!

LINE: Er bekommt die Illustrierte.

LINE: Die Lehrerin war gestern im Kino.

LINE: Geht Ihr Bruder denn mit?

$LESSON Section 2: Umlauts and Diphthongs
$GRAMMAR Umlauts and Diphthongs
INTRO: Now let's look at the vowels with umlauts and combinations of vowels called diphthongs.

**a.** The letter ä stands for short ä and long ä.

It stands for short ä in:
- {älter}
- {bäckt}
- {Hände}

It stands for long ä in:
- {Bär}
- {Käfer}
- {Geräte}

äh always stands for long ä:
- {nähen}, {fährt}, {Kähne}

**b.** The letter ö stands for short ö and long ö.

It stands for short ö in:
- {können}
- {öfter}
- {Löffel}

It stands for long ö in:
- {löten}
- {schön}
- {mögen}

öh always stands for long ö:
- {Höhle}, {Flöhe}, {Söhne}

**c.** The letter ü stands for short ü and long ü.

It stands for short ü in:
- {Glück}
- {müssen}
- {fünf}

It stands for long ü in:
- {Tür}
- {über}
- {müde}

üh always stands for long ü:
- {Bühne}, {führt}, {glühte}

**d.** The sequences ei and ai stand for the same diphthong. 

ei is much more common. It is found in:
- {ein}, {bleiben}, {heissen}, {Gegenteil}, {Konditorei}

ai occurs less frequently. It is found in:
- {Hai}, {Main}, {Kaiser}

**e.** The sequence au is found in:
- {auf}, {Frau}, {glauben}, {genau}, {Hauptmann}

**f.** The sequences eu and äu stand for the same diphthong. 

eu is much more common. It is found in:
- {neu}, {heute}, {teuer}, {Freundin}, {Leutnant}

äu occurs less frequently. It is found in:
- {Häuser}, {läuft}, {Fräulein}

$DIALOGUE Sight Reading Exercise 2
INSTRUCTION: Read the following passage aloud.

LINE: Meine Freundin heisst Trude Kaiser.

LINE: Sie ist nett und gefällt mir sehr gut.

LINE: Sie arbeitet in der Konditorei Bluhm.

LINE: Das Auto dort drüben gehört ihr.

LINE: Es ist neu und fährt gut.

LINE: Ich rufe Fräulein Kaiser öfter mal an.

LINE: Natürlich gehe ich gern mit ihr aus.

LINE: Heute treffen wir uns um fünf Uhr.

$LESSON Section 3: Consonant Rules Part 1
$GRAMMAR Consonants: Word Endings and Sibilants
INTRO: Next, we will cover how certain consonants change their sound at the end of words, and rules for s, z, and combinations like sch, st, and ch.

**a.** At the end of a word:
the letter b is read p:
- {ab}, {gib}, {gelb}

the letter d is read t:
- {Freund}, {Abend}, {Deutschland}

the letter g is read k:
- {Tag}, {Weg}, {Dialog}

the letter v is read f:
- {Gustav}, {Stativ}, {Infinitiv}

**b.** -ig at the end of a word is read -ich:
- {nötig}, {neblig}, {richtig}

**c.** The letter s:
s is read like the z in "zeal" at the beginning of a syllable:
- {so}, {selten}, {sagen}, {lesen}, {gesund}

s is read like the s in "seal" at the end of a syllable:
- {was}, {Fenster}, {diesmal}, {morgens}, {Preis}

ss is always read like the s in "seal":
- {essen}, {wissen}, {Wasser}

ß (if used) is likewise read like the s in "seal":
- {muß}, {ißt}, {Straße}
*(In this course, ss is regularly used in lieu of ß.)*

**d.** z and tz both stand for t + s pronounced in rapid succession.

z is used at the beginning of a word:
- {zu}, {Zeit}, {Zimmer}
after long vowels and diphthongs:
- {duzen}, {siezen}, {Geiz}, {Schnauze}, {kreuzen}
and after consonants:
- {ganz}, {Salz}, {herzlich}

tz is used after a single short vowel:
- {Platz}, {Schütze}, {setzen}

**e.** German sch represents the sound /ʃ/ (as in {Schule}):
- {Schüler}, {schreiben}, {waschen}, {Fischer}, {frisch}

**f.** st at the beginning of a word is normally read "scht":
- {stehen}, {Stadt}, {Stuhl}

**g.** sp at the beginning of a word is normally read "schp":
- {spät}, {spielen}, {sprechen}

**h.** The sequence ch:
ch stands for the "ach"-laut after a, o, u, au:
- {Sache}, {noch}, {Buch}, {auch}

ch stands for the "ich"-laut everywhere else (except in a small number of foreign words):
- {recht}, {Dächer}, {Töchter}, {mich}, {Küche}, {Milch}, {durch}, {manche}, {reich}, {euch}, {Chemie}

$DIALOGUE Sight Reading Exercise 3
INSTRUCTION: Read the following passage aloud.

LINE: Ich bin Schütze, und mein Kamerad ist auch Schütze.

LINE: Wir sind noch nicht lange hier an der Schule.

LINE: Wir sollen hier beide Deutsch lernen.

LINE: Unsere Lehrerin spricht sehr gut Englisch.

LINE: In der Klasse muss sie aber immer Deutsch sprechen.

LINE: Der Unterricht ist interessant.

LINE: Wir lernen täglich einen Dialog.

LINE: Abends nach dem Essen müssen wir unsere Hausaufgaben machen.

LINE: Dazu braucht man gewöhnlich den ganzen Abend.

LINE: Mein Freund meint, Deutsch ist nicht schwer.

LINE: Ich weiss nicht, ob das stimmt.

LINE: Was er sagt, ist aber meistens richtig.

$LESSON Section 4: Consonant Rules Part 2
$GRAMMAR Consonants: v, w, qu, j, y, x, th
INTRO: Finally, let's learn about the pronunciation of v, w, qu, j, y, and some consonant clusters.

**a.** The letter v:
v is read as f (voiceless) in native German words:
- {von}, {viel}, {Vogel}

v is read as a voiced /v/ sound in words of foreign origin (except when at the end of a word):
- {Venus}, {Vatikan}, {Lava}

**b.** w is always read as a voiced /v/ sound:
- {will}, {Welt}, {Wagen}

**c.** In the sequence qu, the u is read as a voiced /v/ sound:
- {quer}, {Quadrat}, {Quittung}

**d.** j is always read as a /j/ sound (like the initial sound in {ja}):
- {ja}, {jeder}, {jung}

**e.** The letter y:
y is read as a /j/ sound before and after vowels:
- {Yacht}, {Yen}, {Bayern}

Before and after consonants, y is read like long ü in some words:
- {Typ}, {physisch}, {Syrien}

like short ü in others:
- {Symbol}, {Gymnasium}, {System}

**f.** x and chs (except where the s is part of a grammatical ending) are read as a /ks/ sound:
- {Hexe}, {Lexikon}, {boxen}
- {sechs}, {Achse}, {Büchse}

**g.** dt is read t(t):
- {Stadt}, {verwandt}, {Gesandter}

**h.** th is always read t:
- {Theodor}, {Thron}, {Mathilde}