Excerpt

Notes for Teachers
These sheets are a continuation to Selbstbedienung I. Both Selbstbedienung 1 and Selbstbedienung 2 are meant for able pupils, who, towards the end of Key Stage 3, are beginning to show some independence in their learning. Often, the teacher does not have time to stop and teach these particular pupils grammatical rules. But they are at the stage where they cannot continue to make progress in their written and spoken German unless they can structure the language accurately. By working through the exercises, pupils will build up their knowledge of German structure and will be able to progress through and beyond National Curriculum Level 5.
Often, students can understand grammatical concepts when they met them and then do well in the exercises which practise them. They then fall down when they try to use structure in their written and spoken work. This is often because they have too many things to remember at once. There are exercises at the end of each section which aid the student to use the grammatical point being made in their work.
These self-help sheets may also be of use for remedial work for pupils in Key Stage 4. If a student is struggling with a particular grammar point, they can be asked to work through the appropriate sheets.
Selbstbedienung 2 contains slightly more sophisticated grammar than 1, and further enhances the student's chance of producing good writing. A thorough mastery of the grammar contained in both volumes would lead to an excellent command of German, and even a AS or A2 student would have very little more to learn about grammar.
It is probably a good idea to set up this resource so that students may help themselves. The sheets have been designed so that the earlier sheets are the most significant, so it is probably a good idea to encourage students to work through them in order. Answer sheets are also provided. However, more open-ended answers will have to be checked by the teacher. You may wish to colour-code each section, by photocopying the sheets on to different coloured papers. You could create answer sheets by copying the answers on to coloured card and laminating it.
These sheets are not meant to be a substitute for a grammar book, or the grammar section of any standard text book. Students will not be able to look up grammar that easily, and the sheets only cover the main points. However, they are guided through a set of exercises which leads to a deeper understanding of some of the grammar. There are also sections on how to use a grammar guide and a dictionary.