Using Video Plus: Units

Video Plus German contains ten units, each of which is based on a video clip taken from Deutsche Welle, the German international television station. Working through any one of the ten units in full can take up to a few hours, depending on how much you know already and how keen you are to learn more. The clips and units aren't intended to become more and more difficult as you work through each one in turn. This is partly due to the nature of the material being used: it's difficult enough to unearth suitable authentic video on the required topics, and almost impossible to extend the selection criteria to include ten levels of increased grammatical difficulty. So it's probably best to think of the package as containing ten units on different subject areas rather than ten units where grammatical and other difficulties gradually increase, and as suitable for general language learning and exam preparation. That said, each unit contains more than enough challenges and difficulties for any student, and should be regarded as a level of acheivement in its own right. Once you've done all ten sections, you will have become familiar with a significant range of topics, styles and registers — the 'real' spoken language!

1. Standbein Stuntman
2. Eine Achterbahn in München
3. Focus: ein Magazin
4. Stadt ohne Bürger
5. Junge Deutsche in Hollywood
6. Wohin mit dem Müll
7. Vom Training zum Triumph
8. Vergangenheitsbewältigung
9. Kultur-Sponsoring in Deutschland
10. Africa United

Standbein Stuntman
	The Cologne-Düsseldorf Stunt School is the only one of its kind in Germany. Here, stuntmen and stuntwomen are trained to act as doubles for action scenes in film and theatre. One student, Cora Böhm, who is a health practitioner by day, prepares herself for a terrifying stunt in a musical.
Eine Achterbahn in München
	The 'Eurostar' is a state-of-the-art travelling roller-coaster and a novelty on the German fairground scene. At the Oktoberfest in Munich it is put through rigorous safety checks before its first stomach-turning run.
Focus: ein Magazin
	The German news magazine 'Focus' came on the market in 1993; its aim is to appeal to a younger readership by giving straightforward information combined with appealing graphics. 'News to use' is the production team's motto.
Stadt ohne Bürger
	Empty cities: three German cities, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in the West, and Leipzig in the East, illustrate the growing trend towards the depopulation of city centres and the problems arising from it.
Junge Deutsche in Hollywood
	Katrin and Peter are two young actors from Germany who are determined to try their luck in Hollywood. They live between acting school and fitness studio and have mixed feelings about Tinseltown's all-absorbing cult of beauty.
Wohin mit dem Müll
	What to do with waste is one of the big questions for every industrialised country. In Germany innovative technologies are used for the full recycling of all kinds of materials, so that 'waste' becomes a thing of the past.
Vom Training zum Triumph
	Uta Pippig was one of Germany's best-known and best-loved Marathon runners. Her tremendous success is due to single-minded and focused determination not just on her part, but also on that of her husband and trainer during intensive training periods.
Vergangenheitsbewältigung
	Working towards understanding Germany's dark and traumatic past is a fixed part of the German school curriculum. German school children discuss the issues with their teachers and one group confronts the reality of the Holocaust at Auschwitz.
Kultur-Sponsoring in Deutschland
	As cultural budgets gradually diminish, the cultural scene in Germany is increasingly forced to look to sponsoring as a means of getting necessary funds. The issues surrounding the marriage of culture and commerce are new and complex.
Africa United
	Africa United is a football team entirely made up of African players who live and work in the Ruhr area in Germany. For Mike Nyarko, one of its founders, football plays an important part in his daily life as a foreigner in Germany.