German Speaking Activities to Get Students Talking Online

May 2026  ·  9 min read

German has a reputation for being hard to speak, and a lot of that comes down to processing time: the speaker has to plan ahead for word order and case endings before they open their mouth. Learners who can fill in a worksheet often stall in conversation. The way through is plenty of structured speaking practice that automates those decisions, and in a 1-to-1 online lesson you are the partner who makes that happen.

Here are ten German speaking activities built for online video lessons. Each gives a level suitability and a real German prompt you can use right away. They run from heavily scaffolded to fully open, so you can match the task to your student.

Why do speaking activities matter more online?

Alone with you on a video call, the student has no peers to share the talking load. Without a task you tend to fill the gaps and the learner stays passive. A planned speaking activity moves the talking ratio toward the student, ideally 60 to 70 percent, which is exactly what builds the automaticity German speech demands.

1. The bakery or supermarket role play (A1-A2)

Share a short list on screen and play the shopkeeper. The student practises ich moechte, numbers, prices and politeness, and meets the accusative naturally.

Real prompt: "Sie sind in einer Baeckerei in Berlin. Ich bin der Verkaeufer. Bestellen Sie zwei Sachen und fragen Sie nach dem Preis." Add a twist: "Tut mir leid, Broetchen sind leider aus" to push a spontaneous second choice.

2. Information-gap "spot the difference" (A2-B1)

Give the student one image and keep a different one yourself. Neither can see the other's. They describe and question to find the differences, drilling es gibt and the two-way prepositions.

Real prompt: "Wir haben zwei fast gleiche Bilder. Ohne es mir zu zeigen, beschreib dein Bild und stell mir Fragen, um die fuenf Unterschiede zu finden. Zum Beispiel: In meinem Bild liegt eine Katze auf dem Sofa, und bei dir?" The prepositions auf dem versus auf das force live case decisions.

3. Picture description into storytelling (A2-B2)

Share one rich image. Ask for a present-tense description, then a past-tense story. Use it to practise the conversational past (Perfekt) and word order under pressure.

Real prompt: "Schau dir dieses Foto an. Beschreib zuerst die Szene im Praesens. Jetzt erzaehl mir, was gestern passiert ist." Start follow-ups with time words to force inversion: "Und danach? Was hat die Frau dann gemacht?"

4. Two truths and a lie (A2-B1)

The student gives three statements about themselves; you guess the lie and interrogate. It generates natural question forms, which themselves require verb-first or verb-second order.

Real prompt: "Sag mir drei Dinge ueber dein Leben: zwei sind wahr und eines ist gelogen. Ich stelle dir Fragen, um die Luege zu finden."

5. The "weil" and "obwohl" reason game (A2-B1)

Subordinate clauses send the verb to the end, and this trips up speakers more than anything. Ask a chain of warum questions so the student must answer with weil and push the verb back.

Real prompt: "Ich stelle dir viele Warum-Fragen. Antworte immer mit weil. Warum lernst du Deutsch? Warum wohnst du hier? Warum magst du den Sommer?" Then upgrade to obwohl for B1.

6. Opinion debate and dilemmas (B1-C1)

Pick a two-sided topic and argue the opposite. This builds connectors (trotzdem, einerseits, deswegen) and the language of agreeing and disagreeing, with their word-order consequences.

Real prompt: "Thema heute: Ist es besser, in der Stadt oder auf dem Land zu wohnen? Du verteidigst die Stadt, ich das Land. Ueberzeug mich." For C1, push subordinate-clause density and the subjunctive of politeness.

7. The directions and "how do I get there" role play (A2-B1)

Asking and giving directions forces the two-way prepositions and the accusative-versus-dative choice in real time.

Real prompt: "Sie sind ein Tourist in Muenchen und fragen mich nach dem Weg zum Bahnhof. Ich erklaere den Weg." The student must handle geradeaus, links, and in die Strasse versus in der Strasse.

8. The "would you rather" hypothetical (B1-C1)

The Konjunktiv II feels abstract until tied to choices. Pose dilemmas and react.

Real prompt: "Wenn du im Lotto gewinnen wuerdest, was wuerdest du machen? Und wenn du ueberall auf der Welt leben koenntest, wo wuerdest du wohnen?" Model and recast the wuerde forms throughout.

9. Personal storytelling from a prompt card (A2-C1)

Show one prompt and let the student tell a true story. Beginners give a few sentences in the Perfekt; advanced students narrate with tense shifts and subordinate clauses.

Real prompt: "Erzaehl mir von deiner letzten Reise ins Ausland. Was ist passiert? Was war am besten?" Follow up to force the past perfect: "Und warst du vorher schon einmal dort gewesen?"

10. The interview swap (B1-C1)

Have the student interview you, then reverse it. Forming questions is itself word-order practice, and learners who only answer rarely build that skill.

Real prompt: "Du bist Journalist und ich bin ein beruehmter Koch. Bereite fuenf Fragen vor und interviewe mich. Danach tauschen wir die Rollen."

How do I correct speaking without killing the flow?

Do not stop every error. During an activity, note two or three recurring slips, almost always word order or a case ending, and address them at the end. For instant fixes, recast: if the student says "Ich gehe heute ins Kino," and you wanted inversion, simply model "Ah, heute gehst du ins Kino? Was siehst du?" The correct order is heard without an interruption.

Tackling the German-specific speaking challenges

Three features dominate German speech. Verb-second order is best automated by starting sentences with time or place expressions so inversion is forced. The verb-final rule in subordinate clauses needs weil, dass and obwohl tasks repeated until the brain plans ahead. Case endings stick through prepositions and dative verbs in context, not table recitation. A spaced-repetition review system, like the one in Derstina, recycles nouns with their gender and the key case-governing structures so they surface correctly when the student speaks.

Building speaking into a structured curriculum

Speaking practice works best on a clear progression, so each task targets language the student is ready to use. Derstina's German curriculum gives you ready-made, level-aligned lessons with built-in speaking tasks, progress tracking and spaced-repetition vocabulary review, so your energy goes into the conversation rather than the planning. For the wider picture, read our guide on how to teach German online, and for adaptable ideas, the companion post on Russian speaking activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good speaking activities for online German lessons?

The most effective online German speaking activities are role plays such as shopping at the bakery, information-gap tasks, picture description, opinion debates and personal storytelling. They suit a 1-to-1 video lesson because they give the student a concrete reason to speak, scale from A1 to C1, and can be designed to drill German-specific challenges like verb-second word order, the verb at the end of subordinate clauses, and case endings in real speech.

How do I help a German student with word order while speaking?

Design tasks that force the structures. For verb-second order, start sentences with a time expression so the student must invert: Heute gehe ich. For the verb-final rule, ask warum questions so they answer with weil and push the verb to the end: weil ich keine Zeit habe. Repeated, meaningful use beats abstract explanation. Recast slips rather than interrupting the flow of speech.

How do I get a German student to use cases correctly in conversation?

Build activities around the prepositions and verbs that govern a case. A directions role play forces the two-way prepositions, in den Park versus im Park. A gift-giving task forces the dative, Ich gebe meiner Schwester ein Buch. Cases stick through high-frequency, contextual use and spaced repetition, not through reciting tables mid-sentence.

What is a good German speaking activity for beginners?

A guided bakery or supermarket role play suits A1 and A2 well. Put a short list on the shared screen and play the shopkeeper. The student practises ich moechte, numbers, prices and politeness inside a predictable frame, and meets the accusative naturally, ein Broetchen, einen Kaffee. Add a small complication, such as an item being sold out, to push a spontaneous second choice.

How long should a German speaking activity last in a lesson?

Aim for eight to fifteen minute blocks, with two or three activities per lesson. Beginners need shorter, more scaffolded bursts, while advanced learners can sustain a single debate or discussion for twenty minutes or more. Keep a few minutes at the end for targeted feedback on two or three points, often word order or a case ending, so the speaking turns into measurable progress.