Discusion topics unit 3
4. These are some English false friends for German speakers. There are many others:
English German
actual (existing in fact,real) aktuell (relevant, topical, fashionable)
become (begin to be) bekommen (obtain, receive, get)
brave (courageous) brav (good, well-behaved, honest)
craft (skill, also boat or ship) Kraft (effort, power)
curiosity (desire to know) Kuriosität (peculiarity, oddity)
eventually (at last, in the end) eventuell (possibly, if necessary)
fabric (cloth) Fabrik (factory)
fatal (resulting in death) fatal (embarrassing, awkward)
floor (surface on which one stands,storey) Flur (corridor)
kind (caring, type) Kind (child)
irritate (to make impatient, make sore) irritieren (to confuse someone)
map (representation of a place9 Mappe (folder, briefcase)
patent (easy and plane to see) patent (ingenious, clever)
plate (dish) Platte (record, sheet of glass, metal...)
sea (ocean) See (lake, pond)
small (little) schmal (narrow, thin)
spend (give out money in payment for sth.) spenden (to donate, offer, give)
spot (to see, recognize) spotten (to mock, ridicule)
sympathetic (feeling or showing sympathy) sympathisch (likeable, pleasant)
5. I agree with statement b): It's the teacher's job to decide which words students need to learn, but leaving some space for autonomy. A teacher will probably know what words can be most useful - and also which words can be more easily remembered - for general use. However, students probably have different interests, so why not let them "discover" and share words that are related to their hobbies and activities? Students are more likely to remember words and any other aspect of knowledge that have been prompted by curiosity.