„Das kann ja jeder sagen“: Neue Einsichten und Ansätze zur Vermittlung der Modalpartikeln im DaF-Unterricht
„Das kann ja jeder sagen”: New Insights and Approaches to Teaching Modal Particles in German as a Foreign Language Courses

Summary/Abstract: Understanding and correctly using modal particles is a particular challenge for German learners due to the complexity and contextual dependence of the particles. Yet, they take on important interactional and social functions and occur with great frequency in spoken language. They can express a common knowledge base and socially shared knowledge of conversation partners, as well as signal discrepancy in expectations. Although a conscious perception and detailed knowledge of how they work are not absolutely necessary in order to roughly understand utterances, such a lack of understanding can impair German learners’ interpersonal communication with native German speakers. Therefore, pedagogical guidance is required that provides practical, interactive language knowledge for the use of the modal particles to enable learners to be effective in social contacts and understanding. The following article deals with a teaching unit for the lower intermediate level, in which the modal particle ja is made aware and conveyed to German learners through approaches from conversation analysis. The integration of language data from the Datenbank für Gesprochenes Deutsch enables authentic language situations when introducing and using the modal particle. Learners analyze the particle in real contexts and derive usage rules. With the help of a five-phase teaching model, they derive the functionality of the modal particle and internalize these patterns through structured language practice that strengthen and expand their communicative, sociolinguistic, and intercultural competence.

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