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E8 G - My skills and interests

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E8 G - My skills and interests

Mini description: Talk about simple skills, interests and strengths in English. You can talk about yourself only if you want to. You can always use the fictional profile in this course.

English first: Try in English. Use the context. Ask. Take a hint. Use short German help only if you still need it.

Media start: What do you like?

Watch once without notes. What activities can you understand? Watch a second time and collect three useful phrases.

Try: Say one sentence after the video: I like ... because ...

Hint: You can use I like playing ... / I like reading ... / I like making ...

Deutsch-Hilfe bei Bedarf: because = weil; I like doing ... = Ich mache ... gern.

Look and speak: Choose two pictures. Say: I am interested in ... or I like ...

I can ...

After this course, you can:

talk about skills with can, can’t, can ... quite well and simple examples.
talk about interests with like, love, enjoy and be interested in.
name strengths and give a short reason.
connect ideas with and, but, because and so.
write a short profile or job-related text with a clear structure.
understand the main idea and key details in short, clear audio or video.
pass on simple information from German to English without translating every word.
check and improve your own English with a simple checklist.

Before you start

You already know useful words such as like, can, good, sport, music, school and free time.

Try first: Finish these three sentences.

I like ...
I can ...
I am good at ...

Ask: If you need a word, ask: What is ... in English? or How can I say ...?

Hint: You do not need difficult English. Clear English is good English.

Context vocabulary

Skills are things you can do. Interests are things you like or want to learn more about. Strengths are positive things about the way you work, learn or act.

English	Simple meaning / example
a skill	something you can do: I can cook.
an interest	something you like: I am interested in music.
a strength	something you do well: I am patient.
creative	good at making or thinking of new things
reliable	people can count on you
patient	you can stay calm and keep trying
helpful	you like to help
organised	you plan and keep things in order
confident	you feel able to do something
improve	get better
practise	do something again to get better

Word groups help: play football, take photos, make music, write stories, cook simple meals, help people, work in a team, solve problems.

Pronunciation: clear, not perfect

Your goal is easy to understand, not a perfect accent.

Say these chunks slowly first, then naturally:

I’m interested in ...
I’m quite good at ...
One of my strengths is ...
I enjoy ... because ...

Try: Tap the rhythm with your hand. Stress the important words: I’m GOOD at COOKing. – I LIKE MUSIC because it’s RELAXing.

Hint: Do not rush. A short pause is fine.

Private recording option: You may record yourself on your own device if this is allowed in class. Keep the recording private unless you actively choose to share it. No upload is needed.

Listening and viewing: What can you do?

Watch the video once without the transcript. Listen for the main idea.

First listening – main idea: What is the video mainly about?

A: favourite school subjects B: things people can and cannot do C: weekend plans

Second listening – details: Write down two activities you hear and one sentence with can or can’t.

Try before help.

Hint 1: Listen for activity words after can.

Hint 2: You do not need every word.

Transcript rule: Use a transcript only after your first listening attempt. Then check one difficult part, not the whole video at once.

Reading: Meet Jordan

Fictional profile

Hi, I’m Jordan. I’m 14 and I like being active, but I also enjoy quiet hobbies. I play football twice a week and I sometimes take photos when I go for a walk. I can use simple photo apps quite well. I’m also interested in cooking, especially easy meals for my family. At school I like English and technology.

I think one of my strengths is teamwork because I listen to other people and I try to help. I’m quite organised, too. I sometimes forget new words, but I keep a small vocabulary list and practise them. I’m not very confident when I speak in front of a big group yet, so I want to improve that skill.

Check your reading:

Which two hobbies does Jordan mention first?
What can Jordan do quite well?
What strength does Jordan explain with a reason?
What does Jordan want to improve?

Hint: Find the exact sentence in the text before you answer.

Reading strategy: Find evidence

Do not guess. Use a short piece of evidence.

Example: Question: Why does Jordan say teamwork is a strength? Answer: Because Jordan listens to other people and tries to help.

Useful words: because, but, so, also, too, yet.

Speaking: My skills and interests

You can speak about yourself or use Jordan.

Step 1 – choose four ideas:

one interest
one skill
one strength
one thing to improve

Step 2 – connect ideas: Use at least two connectors: and, but, because, so.

Model: I’m interested in music, and I play the guitar a little. I’m good at practising regularly because I’m patient. I’m not very confident when I perform, so I want to improve that.

Less support: Speak for about 30–45 seconds without reading every sentence.

More support: Use this frame: I like ... . I can ... . One of my strengths is ... because ... . I want to improve ... .

Partner feedback: Listen for one clear strength and one reason. Say: Your reason was clear. or Can you add an example?

Writing: A short profile

Write about 80–110 words. You may write about yourself or a fictional person.

Structure:

Start: name or fictional name + one interest.
Skills: two things the person can do.
Strengths: one or two strengths with a reason or example.
Next step: one thing the person wants to improve.

Useful language: I’m interested in ... . I enjoy ... . I can ... quite well. One of my strengths is ... because ... . I still find ... difficult, but ... . I want to improve ... .

Self-check before feedback:

Did I answer all four parts?
Did I use because at least once?
Did I use capitals and full stops?
Did I check can + base verb?
Is my text easy to understand?

Functional grammar

Use grammar to communicate. Do not force difficult forms.

can + base verb

I can cook.

I can’t play the piano.

Can you draw?

like / enjoy + -ing

I like reading.

I enjoy playing football.

be good at + -ing / noun

I’m good at listening.

I’m good at maths.

because gives a reason.

I like coding because I enjoy solving problems.

so gives a result.

I practise every week, so I’m getting better.

Receptive grammar only: notice, do not force

At G level, you may meet forms that you do not need to produce here.

Passive – receptive: Photos are edited on a computer. Ask: What happens to the photos? The focus is on the action, not the person.

Past perfect – receptive: Jordan had practised before the school event. Ask: Which action happened first? Practising happened before the event.

Reported speech without backshift – simple use: Jordan says that teamwork is important. You may use this to report a present idea.

Do not force a productive passive, complex backshift, reported questions/commands or past perfect progressive in this G-level course.

Mediation: Help a new student

A German classmate says:

Ich fotografiere gern und kann einfache Bilder am Computer bearbeiten. Ich bin geduldig und arbeite gern im Team. Vor großen Gruppen spreche ich noch nicht so gern.

Tell an English-speaking student the important information in 2–3 simple English sentences.

Try first. Do not translate word for word.

Hint: Start with: They like ... . They can ... . One of their strengths is ... .

Possible help: vor großen Gruppen → in front of big groups

Digital safety and AI

Use fictional profiles if you do not want to share personal information. Do not post private social-media names, private accounts, addresses, phone numbers or other personal data.

Recordings are voluntary. Keep them private unless sharing is clearly agreed. Do not upload recordings or texts to external services without permission.

If you use AI as a learning aid, use it to check or explain, not to replace your own work. Check:

Is the English suitable for your level?
Are the facts correct?
Does the feedback match your task?
Can you explain the final text yourself?

A useful AI question can be: Please give me one hint about my sentence. Do not rewrite the whole text.

Direct feedback: Fix one thing at a time

Use this order:

Meaning: Is the message clear?
Task: Did you include skill, interest and strength?
Connection: Did you use a reason with because?
Language: Check one grammar point.
Spelling: Check important words.

Feedback codes:

Code	Meaning	Example
V	verb form	I can cooking. → check the verb after can
WO	word order	I very like music. → check the position of very
WW	wrong word	choose a better word
SP	spelling	check the spelling
?	meaning unclear	rewrite more simply

Important: A correction should help you learn. First try to repair your sentence yourself.

Error analysis

Find the problem and improve the sentence.

I can to cook simple meals.
I am good in playing football.
I like music because is relaxing.
One strength is helpful because I help my team.
I interested in taking photos.

Hint 1: After can, use the base verb.

Hint 2: Use good at.

Hint 3: A sentence with because still needs a subject.

Hint 4: Use an adjective after One strength is ... or say One of my strengths is ....

Hint 5: interested needs am/is/are.

Transfer: A mini job text

Imagine a small school job: helping at a school event, supporting a sports day, working in the library, helping with a class website or preparing snacks.

Write 60–90 words: I would like to help with ... . I am interested in ... . I can ... . One of my strengths is ... because ... . I would like to improve ... .

Challenge: Use one real example to show a strength instead of only naming it.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence talks about a skill? (I can edit simple photos.) (!I am interested in photos.) (!Photos are interesting.) (!My camera is new.)

Which phrase gives a reason? (because I enjoy teamwork) (!and teamwork) (!but teamwork) (!teamwork too)

Which sentence is correct after can? (I can cook.) (!I can cooking.) (!I can to cook.) (!I can cooked.)

Which sentence talks about an interest? (I am interested in music.) (!I can music.) (!I am music.) (!I interest music.)

Which sentence names a strength and gives evidence? (I am patient because I keep trying.) (!I am patient and blue.) (!I can patient.) (!Patient is football.)

What should you do before using a transcript in the listening task? (Listen once and try to understand the main idea.) (!Read every line of the transcript first.) (!Translate the transcript into German first.) (!Skip the audio.)

Which feedback question checks meaning first? (Is my message clear?) (!Did I use a difficult tense?) (!Is every sentence long?) (!Did I use ten adjectives?)

Which sentence is a simple report of a present idea? (Jordan says that teamwork is important.) (!Jordan say teamwork important.) (!Jordan saying that teamwork.) (!Jordan says teamwork was yesterday.)

Which choice protects privacy best? (Use a fictional profile if you do not want to share personal details.) (!Post your private account name.) (!Upload every recording.) (!Use your home address in the profile.)

What is a good way to use AI in this course? (Ask for one hint and check the result yourself.) (!Let AI replace your whole text.) (!Copy feedback without reading it.) (!Upload private recordings automatically.)

Memory

skill	something you can do
interest	something you like learning about
strength	a positive quality
reliable	people can count on you
patient	able to stay calm and keep trying
improve	get better

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
I can cook.	Skill
I enjoy photography.	Interest
I am patient.	Strength
because I like helping people	Reason
I want to speak more confidently.	Goal

Kreuzworträtsel

skill	What is a word for something you can do?
hobby	What is an activity you enjoy in your free time?
patient	Which strength means you can stay calm and keep trying?
reliable	Which strength means people can count on you?
improve	Which verb means to get better?
teamwork	What do we call working well with other people?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Picture vocabulary: Choose five Commons pictures from this course and say or write one English activity for each.
Mini profile: Write four sentences about Jordan or another fictional person: one interest, one skill, one strength and one goal.
Pronunciation practice: Read four useful chunks aloud. Record only if you want to, and keep the recording private.
Listening detective: Watch one embedded video again and collect five activity words you can really hear.

Standard

Partner interview: Ask a partner three simple questions about interests and skills. Personal answers are voluntary; a fictional role is always possible.
Strength with evidence: Choose three strengths and write one short example for each that shows the strength.
Profile card: Create a fictional profile card with 80–110 English words and a simple self-made symbol or drawing.
Mediation task: Turn a short German note about hobbies and strengths into three clear English sentences without translating word for word.

Schwer

School job application: Write a short text for a fictional school job. Connect skills and strengths to the task.
Peer feedback: Exchange fictional texts and give two helpful comments: one about meaning and one about language. The writer decides what to change.
Media comparison: Compare the two embedded videos. Which phrases are useful for talking about interests, and which are useful for talking about ability?
Learning reflection: Explain which strategy helps you most when you do not know an English word: context, asking, a hint, a dictionary or short German help. Give a reason.

Lernkontrolle

Profile transfer: Read a new fictional profile and explain how one interest can become a skill through practice.
Evidence for strengths: Decide whether a sentence only names a strength or also proves it with evidence. Rewrite one weak statement to make it stronger.
Listening strategy: Explain why listening for the main idea before reading a transcript can help you become a more independent listener.
Job connection: Choose one school job and connect two useful skills and one strength to the tasks in that job.
Mediation choice: From a short German profile, choose the three most important pieces of information for an English-speaking student and explain why you chose them.
Error repair: Correct three typical language errors and explain the simple rule behind each correction.
AI check: Evaluate a short AI suggestion: Is it at G level, factually safe, understandable and still close to the learner’s own idea?

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should be able to:

understand the main idea and some key details in a short, clear listening/viewing text;
read a short fictional profile and find evidence;
talk for about 30–45 seconds about interests, skills, strengths and one goal;
connect simple ideas with and, but, because and so;
write a clear short profile or job-related text with a simple structure;
mediate key information without word-for-word translation;
recognise simple passive and past-perfect forms when they occur in context without being required to use them productively;
use feedback to improve your own text;
protect privacy and keep voluntary recordings private;
check AI language, facts and feedback instead of letting AI replace your work.

Can-do check

I can ...	Yes	Almost	Not yet
name interests in simple English	□	□	□
say what I can and cannot do	□	□	□
name a strength and give a reason	□	□	□
understand the main idea of a short video	□	□	□
write a short structured profile	□	□	□
improve a sentence after feedback	□	□	□
use a fictional profile when I prefer not to share personal information	□	□	□

Next step: Choose one Almost or Not yet item. Practise only that item for five minutes.

Follow-up course

Continue with: E8 G - My strengths for a job. There you can use the same language in a simple job context.

OERs zum Thema

Freie Medien im Kurs

The course uses Wikimedia Commons media to support learning: listening, speaking, reading, writing and examples of interests. The embedded videos are used for listening/viewing tasks; no learner upload is required.