We do not understand the exact meaning of every single word we encounter in a text in our own language. But we learn to make educated guesses based on the context and on the wealth of redundancy contained in the text that is crucial to reading comprehension. Texts that have been edited or simplified for pedagogical purposes lack this redundancy. Authentic materials can include charts, graphs, lists, leaflets, ads, jokes, proverbs, announcements, poems and songs, legal and journalistic texts, biographies, short stories, plays, and excerpts from novels and film scripts. Again, as with the video segments, readings should be short.
Parallel texts are also very helpful.
Gather newspaper clippings dealing with the same topic in German and English. Ask students what strategies they used to understand the English text. These can then be applied to the German text. This entire site protected by copyright. All rights reserved.