2.5 Media and Communication

Overview of Media and Communication at A2 Level

In this chapter you learn how to use German in everyday communication situations that involve phones, messages, and basic written texts. You will prepare for three important skills: making and receiving phone calls, writing simple emails, and understanding and using subordinate clauses with the conjunction “dass.” These skills help you communicate politely and clearly in both private and professional contexts.

Communication in Modern German Life

Media and communication in German speaking countries use many of the same tools as in other countries: phone calls, SMS, messaging apps, email, social media, and traditional letters. At A2 level you do not need complex vocabulary for all of these, but you should understand the most common words you will see and hear.

Important basic terms include:

You will now learn how these terms appear in phone calls and emails, and how “dass” connects your sentences when you explain information you heard or think.

Speaking on the Phone: Typical Phrases and Structures

On the phone you cannot see the other person, so clear and polite language is very important. German phone calls follow some typical patterns for beginning, asking for someone, checking understanding, and ending the call.

Beginning a Phone Call

When you call someone, you normally say who you are. Germans often give the last name first, especially in formal situations.

Typical ways to start:

When you answer the phone at home or on your mobile, you can simply say your name or “Hallo” plus your name.

“am Apparat” literally means “on the phone” and is quite common in more formal calls.

Asking for a Person or Department

In many calls you want to speak to a specific person.

You can also ask who is on the phone:

Explaining the Reason for Your Call

After greetings you normally say why you are calling.

Common patterns:

You often mix a simple main clause with a “weil” or “ob” clause here. The detailed grammar of these conjunctions belongs to other chapters, but you should recognize their basic use in phone language.

Typical Questions on the Phone

On the phone, you often check details: names, numbers, times, addresses.

Common questions:

Clarifying, Confirming, and Spelling

If you do not understand something on the phone, it is completely normal to ask again.

Useful phrases:

Note how “dass” appears in the last sentence to report and check information. That structure is part of this chapter and will come again in the “dass” section.

Polite Forms on the Phone

Politeness is very important on the phone, especially in German. You normally use the “Sie” form unless you know the person well and are on “du” terms.

Some key polite phrases:

Ending the Call

Calls usually end with thanks, a short summary, and a farewell.

Typical endings:

“Auf Wiederhören” is the standard formal ending for phone calls. In more informal situations you can use “Tschüss” or “Bis später.”

Writing Simple Emails: Structure and Typical Phrases

Emails in German follow a simple structure. At A2 level you mainly write short, clear emails for private or everyday formal situations, for example to a school, company, landlord, or friend.

Basic Structure of a German Email

You can think of an email with these parts:

1. Subject line
2. Greeting
3. Short introduction and main message
4. Closing formula
5. Signature

Even in informal communication, a clear structure is appreciated.

Subject Line

The subject line tells the recipient what the email is about.

Examples:

Often you see “Betreff:” in forms and templates, but in normal email programs you just write the subject without the word “Betreff.”

Greetings in Emails

The greeting depends on how well you know the person and how formal the situation is.

Common formal greetings:

Semi‑formal or informal greetings:

First Sentence and Purpose of the Email

After the greeting, you write one or two short sentences to say who you are and why you are writing.

Typical openings:

At A2 level keep sentences short and clear, even in formal emails.

Asking for Information and Making Requests

Emails are often used to ask for information or to make a request or reservation.

Useful phrases:

You can combine requests with reasons using “weil” or with “dass” when you report what you heard or think. “dass” is explained in detail in this chapter later.

Giving Information, Confirming, and Answering

When you answer an email, you often confirm information, give details, or answer questions.

Common patterns:

Note how “dass” appears again to connect two clauses.

Closing Formulas and Signature

At the end you use a closing expression and then your name.

Formal closings:

Informal closings:

In formal emails, write your full name:

Max Mustermann
In semi‑formal or informal emails, your first name is enough:

Liebe Grüße
Anna

Subordinate Clauses with “dass” in Everyday Communication

The conjunction “dass” is very common when you report information, express opinions, feelings, or say what you know, think, hope, or hear. At A2 level you should be able to build simple “dass” clauses and understand them in phone calls, emails, and messages.

What “dass” Does

“dass” connects a main clause with a subordinate clause that contains information, a fact, or an idea.

Basic idea:

Main clause + “dass” + subject + … + conjugated verb at the end

You often use “dass” after verbs like “sagen,” “denken,” “glauben,” “wissen,” “hoffen,” “finden,” “sehen,” “hören,” and expressions with “es ist gut / wichtig / schade.”

Examples:

Word Order in “dass” Clauses

The word order inside the “dass” clause is like in other subordinate clauses. The conjugated verb goes to the final position. All other elements stay in normal order before the verb.

Compare:

Main clause:

With “dass” clause:

More examples:

Using “dass” with Information from Media

In media and communication, you often report what you read or heard:

Notice the useful pattern with “In der E‑Mail steht, dass …” when you talk about information in written form. You can also say “Im Brief steht, dass …” or “Auf der Webseite steht, dass …”.

Using “dass” with Feelings and Opinions

You also use “dass” to express how you feel about some information.

Common patterns:

In emails, these patterns help you sound more polite and natural.

Optional “dass” in Spoken and Written German

In spoken German and in many texts, “dass” can sometimes be left out after certain verbs like “sagen,” “denken,” “glauben,” “meinen.” This is more advanced, but you will see it, so you should recognize it.

With “dass”:

Without “dass”:

At A2 level it is safer to use “dass,” because the word order is clearer for you. Understanding the shorter version is useful, especially in spoken language and messages, but you do not need to produce it perfectly yet.

Combining Phone, Email, and “dass” in Real Situations

In real life, phone calls and emails often belong together. You may call first and then send an email, or you receive an email and then call to clarify. Here is how the language elements from this chapter work together.

Short typical sequences:

1. Phone call:
   “Guten Tag, hier ist Anna Becker. Ich rufe an, weil ich eine Frage zu Ihrem Kurs habe. Ich habe gelesen, dass der Kurs am 1. Oktober beginnt. Stimmt das?”
2. Email after a call:
   “Sehr geehrte Frau Müller,
   vielen Dank für das freundliche Telefonat. Hiermit bestätige ich, dass ich am 1. Oktober mit dem Kurs beginne. Ich freue mich, dass ich einen Platz bekommen habe.
   Mit freundlichen Grüßen
   Anna Becker”
3. Reporting information:
   “Er hat mir am Telefon gesagt, dass der Termin um 14 Uhr ist. In der E‑Mail steht auch, dass ich meinen Ausweis mitbringen soll.”

The important point is that “dass” helps you connect and report the information you receive via media, and phone and email formulas help you move politely through everyday communication in German.

Vocabulary List for This Chapter