In an internal combustion engine, at a first operating point using no exhaust gas recirculation, a first measured value of a load variable is detected. As a function of a further operating variable, a first model value of the load variable is determined using a suction pipe model. At least one parameter of the suction pipe model is adapted such that the first model value approaches or corresponds to the first measured value. A first value of the parameter adjustment is stored. At a second operating point, using exhaust gas recirculation a second value corresponding to the first value of the parameter adjustment, is determined and stored. The first and second values of the parameter adjustment are compared and a parameter value of an exhaust gas recirculation model is adapted such that the first and the second values of the parameter adjustment approach each other or correspond to each other.