Posts in January 2009

We learn…

Posted by Nathalie
Jan
31
2009

Hallo!

Wissen Sie, learning a language is a lot like building a puzzle. You learn bits and pieces of information, try to make sense of them and see how they all fit together. Making those connections strengthens your ability to recall the information. It’s about noticing the subtle linguistic differences, questioning why and finding the answers on your own. By noticing and questioning, you take a more active role as a learner; I find that this is how I learn best.

The quote by William Glasser reinforces how I feel about own my learning experiences and I’d like to share it with you: 

We learn…

  • 10% of what we read
  • 20% of what we hear
  • 30% of what we see
  • 50% of what we both see and hear
  • 70% of what is discuss with others
  • 80% of what we experience personally
  • 95% of what we teach to someone else

Vergessen Sie nicht! Next Sunday, by watching the movie and sharing 5-10 German words with us, you will have the opportunity to push yourself as a learner. Practice, practice, practice!

Bis bald,

Nathalie

 

Vokabel:

Wissen Sie - You know…

Vergessen Sie nicht! - Don’t forget!

 
Posted under Language 2 Comments | Post a Comment

Einen wunderschönen Nachmittag

Posted by Nathalie
Jan
31
2009

In Germany, Kaffee trinken is an important social event. Die meisten Frauen enjoy having weekly — sometimes monthly - gatherings called Kaffeeklatsch. Für sie, it is as much about the taste of Kaffee as it is about whom they share it with (No coffee on the go here!) It is an opportunity to catch up on Nachrichten and socialize mit Freunden, Familie, oder Nachbarn while sipping your favorite beverage, accompanied by some freshly baked homemade Kuchen – mmm…die Erinnerung makes my mouth water.

During my time in Germany, my landlady loved having these special gatherings, usually Sonntagnachmittags. After work, I would hurry back zu meiner Wohnung and as I made my way up the cobblestone driveway, I could see Frau R setting up the Tisch und die Stühle in the shade — right near the corner where the two metal fences meet — overlooking the small river flowing through the property.

Frau R war eine wunderbare Gastgäberin, full of kindness and bursting with energy. To get ready for the Kaffeeklatsch she would always begin by retrieving the Tisch out of the musty old storage space under my apartment, then she would get the mismatched Stühle and set them up, aligning them just right, not too close, not too far apart. She would then scoot nach oben, zu ihre Wohnung, and get the freshly ironed Tischdecke, the dishes, and the silverware which she carried down in einem Korb. Lastly, right before the guests arrived, she would fetch the Kaffee und Kuchen. The process of creating the right atmosphere was very important to her.

Für mich, die Frage war immer, “who would she invite this time?” With Frau R, you never knew until the last minute if you were going to be part of this social hour, even though you desperately wanted too! You see, being invited to Frau R’s Kaffeeklatsch was special because as her chosen guest, you were treated to a pleasant afternoon with great tasting coffee, delicious cake, but most of all great company. It was a wonderful way to share an intimate moment with the people you felt comfortable with and that you wanted to get to know better. How I miss it!

Well, even though I don’t have the pleasure of Frau R’s company anymore, I now have my own great friends with whom I can share a good conversation along with a delicious cup of coffee - the Kaffeeklatsch lives on!

Tschüss,

Nathalie

Vokabel:

  • Kaffee trinken - Drinking coffee
  • Die meisten Frauen - Most women
  • Für sie - For them
  • Nachrichten - News
  • Mit Freunden, Familie, oder Nachbarn - With friends, familie, or neighbors
  • Kuchen - Cake
  • Die Erinnerung - The memory
  • Sonntagnachmittags - Sunday afternoons
  • Zu meiner Wohnung - To my apartment
  • Tisch und die Stühle - Table and chairs
  • Frau R war eine wunderbare Gastgäberin - Frau R was a wonderful Hostess
  • Nach oben - Upstairs
  • Tischdecke - Tablecoth
  • In einem Korb - In a basket
  • Für mich, die Frage war immer - For me, the question always was…

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Posted under Culture 1 Comment | Post a Comment

How about a movie?

Posted by Nathalie
Jan
31
2009

Hallo! 

Do you want to practice your German listening skills? Möchten Sie etwas ausprobieren? etwas dass wir miteinander besprechen könnten? How would you like to watch a movie in German, and then comment on it? The movie we will watch is called: Otto und das Reich (936-973) It is part of a historical series called Die Deutschen.

Sind Sie bereit es zu versuchen? You want to give it a try? Super! Your assignment will be to use 5-10 German words you have learned from the movie and insert them in your comment. Your comment could be a movie review, opinion, or reaction to the story.

If you are serious about learning German, this will be a good practice for you. Not only will you use your listening and writing skills, but you will also “see” the German language in action. I know this task might seem overwhelming to some of you, that’s why it’s important that you stick with it and don’t give up — trust me; you can handle it! The more you practice, the more proficient you will become. I know it works because that’s how I learned English. 

Here is the link to the movie (when you are on the site, make sure you look for: Komplette Folge: Otto und das Reich; it’s 42:09 minutes long):

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/content/615824?inPopup=true

My plan is to watch the movie nächsten Sonntag, which will be February 8th. Check in to see my reaction to the movie, and feel free to share yours, but remember to include the new words you have learned. I look forward to hearing from you!

Bis zum nächsten Mal,

Nathalie 

 

Vokabel:

Möchten Sie etwas ausprobieren? - Would you like to try something?

Etwas dass wir miteinander besprechen könnten?- Something that we could discuss together?

Sind Sie bereit es zu versuchen?- Are you ready to give it a try?

Nächsten Sonntag - Next Sunday

Bis zum nächsten Mal - Until next time

 
Posted under History, Language 4 Comments | Post a Comment

Some of my favorite Sprichwörter

Posted by Nathalie
Jan
30
2009

Guten Abend,

Da es Freitagabend ist, I felt like switching gears by sharing some of my favorite proverbs with you. So here we go:

  • Man kann einen Menschen nichts lehren, man kann ihm nur helfen, sich selbst zu entdecken…

We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves - Galileo Galilei

  • Behandle die Menschen so als waren sie, wie sie sein sollten, und du hilfst ihnen zu werden, wie sie sein können…

If you treat an individual…as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  • Zwei ganz verschiedene Dinge behagen uns gleichermaßen: die Gewohnheit und das Neue…

Two quite opposite qualities equally bias our minds - habits and novelty - Jean de la Bruyère

  • Ich habe keine besondere Begabung, sondern bin nur leidenschaftlich neugierig…

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious - Albert Einstein

  • Was ich nicht weiß, macht mich nicht heiß…

What I don’t know won’t hurt me - Not sure who came up with that on, but I like it just the same

Haben Sie einige Sprichwörter that you would like to share with me? I’d love to hear them!

Bis bald,

Nathalie

 
Posted under Travel 2 Comments | Post a Comment

Meine Lieblingsstadt

Posted by Nathalie
Jan
25
2009
 
 
Grüß Gott! Wie Geht’s?
 
Since I wrote about the Schwäbisch dialect in my last Post, it seemed appropriate to talk about one of the cities located in der Gegend historically known as Swabia. Diese Stadt - meine Lieblingsstadt — is called Heidelberg. Founded in the 12th century, it is nestled in dem Odenwald in Baden-Württemberg. The oldest university (the Ruprecht-Karl Universität) in Germany was established there in 1386, by Rupert I of Wittelsbach. He built it on the model of the University of Paris.
 
When you walk around the Altstadt, look up to your right! What you will see is the beautiful 13th century castle, das Heidelberger Schloss. Although, the castle is very romantic, what really made an impression on me was “das Große Fass” located in the Schlosskeller, wine cellar. This wine barrel is so gigantic that you can actually climb on top of it. Build in 1751; it has the capacity to hold about 220,000 liters. It is believed to have been filled with wine only 3 times.
 
Ich erinnere mich noch an die schöne Aussicht, I must have been about 8 or 9 years old. There I stood, auf der Brücke, near the Schloss, in the distance you could see the river meandering through diese wunderschöne Stadt - the Neckar River — breathtaking! Unvergesslich!
 
I hope that someday you too will have the opportunity to visit this romantic city. In the mean time, if you’d like more information on the Heidelberger Schloss, click here:
 
Vokabel: 

  • Wie geht’s? - How’s it going?
  • Die Gegend -  The region
  • Meine Lieblingsstadt - My favorite city
  • Altstadt - Old part of town
  • Ich erinnere mich noch an die schöne Aussicht - I still remember the beautiful view
  • Auf der Brücke - On the bridge
  • Das Schloss - The castle
  • Diese wunderschöne Stadt - This beautiful city
  • Unvergesslich - Unforgettable

Macht’s gut und bis bald,

Nathalie

 

 

 

 
Posted under Travel 7 Comments | Post a Comment