Learning second Language

[Alexis]

Not to steal the thunder in Warrens thread , not fair towards him . Over the past few months for some strange reason I got this keen interest in my family roots .

When my family come over here during WW2 they hide their identity and it was never spoken of . To this day my grandparents will not speak of Germany . So I started doing a bit of research , a bit and a bit there , don't want it consuming me with only stress for the end results . I happen to like my hair ! Not being able to read German another a few words we pick up as children why not learn the language . Looking online for courses which isn't cheap . I found a site called Duolingo and it's free . Over the past month and a half I being doing the lessons at my pace . Mention this to my boss and he made up SD card of Rammstein , I'm totally hook ! It is a fascinating language . I need to practice and wondering if some of you folks can aid me through e-mails ?



Terri

[Manni]

Nice to hear, that my language is interesting for you. If you like I can try to translate you something or send you some books or Comics in pdf-file  via E-Mail so you can practice a bit.
Bye,
Manni

Schön zu hören, dass Du dich für meine Sprache interessierst. Falls Du möchtest, kann ich versuchen Dir etwas zu übersetzen oder Dir ein paar Bücher oder Comics im pdf-Format per E-Mail zu schicken, damit Du etwas üben kannst.
Tschüs,
Manni

[Borsos]

Hi Terri,
feel free to contact me, I'll help however I can. As Manni said, it is not an everyday experience meeting somebody who wants to learn German.
Best wishes
Borsos

P. S.: Don't take Rammstein for serious! They are a firmer Punkband from GDR and they are highly ironic! They know perfectly how to play with cliches 

[stefanbuss]

And just in case Manni and Borsos are not available: feel free to contact me.

Btw, listening to Rammstein is not the best way to improve your German hearing and/or speaking skills.

Stefan

[IvotB]

The best way to learn a language is being forced a little bit to have to speak it. For us in the Netherlands it is a kind of precondition to be part of the world. So in highschool everybody gets lessons in dutch, english, french and german and I also learned some latin and classic greek, although especially the last two are not spoken anymore. But it really started for me during my work in the RNLAF as an infrastructure officer in charge of renovating the RNLAF sites in West Germany to use the Patriot SAM system in stead of Hawk. Then I had to master german and english as negotiations started between the dutch RNLAF, the german military and civil authorities and NATO international Staff.
I have left the RNLAF a long time ago, but somehow international work seems to stick to me. I still travel a lot.

So, it's excellent advice to find a local association that practices another language at regular meetings. I took a one week individual training course in french this year, which improved my french a lot, but the sound advice was to find the local french club and attend their regular dinners to remain fluent a little bit.

I also like what the Red Baron said: they speak it different in Berlin. But you must keep in mind that there are many dialects in Germany. In Berlin they have a very specific dialect which I hear mostly during conversation with taxi drivers. Try reading the novel Hauptmann von Köpenick. written by Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt after you have the impression you can read german and you'll appreciate the dialect. It is nice too as it somehow describes the german military society before ww1.
The Bavarian dialect is too difficult for me and it gets worse if an Austrian uses their version of german. 

regards,
Ivo

[stefanbuss]

it gets worse if an Austrian uses their version of german

That's like listening to french people speaking what they think would be English. But I'm getting distracted. Sorry.

Listening to Richard Wagner is a much better training then listening to RRRRRRRRRammstein. And it fits very well into the pathetic way of thinking of those times...

[IvotB]

There's an excellent BBC series about english: 'Allo, 'Allo. One of the interesting issues here is that the three dialects cannot understand eachother in the series. 

I hope I'm not insulting anyone, but Stefan, what you said about the french can be said about the germans and dutchies as well. A nice example is the following text, just for fun:

Directors at Daimler Benz and Chrysler have announced an agreement to adopt English as the preferred language for communications, rather than German, which was another possibility.

As part of the negotiations, directors at Chrysler conceded that English spelling has some room for improvement and have accepted a five-year phase-in plan.

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Also, the hard "c" will be replased with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but komputers have one less letter.

There will be growing kompany enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 persent shorter.

In the third year, DaimlerKhrysler akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated shanges are possible.

DaimlerKhrysler will enkourage the removal of double letters, whish have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"'s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps sush as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" by "v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be droped from vords kontaining "o", and similar shanges vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis, and employes vil find it ezi to kommunikat viz eash ozer.

Ov kors al supliers vil be expekted to us zis for all busines komunikation via DaimlerKhrysler.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru ….

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad yu smil, plez pas on to oza pepl.

I'm not sure if this can be understood. The phonetic text may be different for different languages 

But the rules for this forum are to use english. We try to do our utmost 



regards,
Ivo

[coyotemagic]

I have a co-worker from Bavaria who says that English is actually German pronounced incorrectly.  I think he's right.
Cheers,
Bud

[guitarlute101]

I have a co-worker from Bavaria who says that English is actually German pronounced incorrectly.  I think he's right.
Cheers,
Bud

Das ist lustig! Ich kann deutch, nur ein ganz klein bisschen.....

[guitarlute101]

A friend of mine says he knows just enough German to be misunderstood and get his head busted.

Good luck with your studies Terri!!

Mark

[Borsos]

 

I have a co-worker from Bavaria who says that English is actually German pronounced incorrectly.  I think he's right.
Cheers,
Bud

On ze ozzer side ze Gerrmans arre famous for prrronouncing English corrrectly! 

[IanB]

American English is English with German grammar AND bad spelling! I speak a little German as my family emigrated to England from Baden Wurtemburg in the 1890's - I'm still in touch with the family and was last there in 1997.
 Terri, go for it! My German is not good enough for a conversation and I missed a lot on my visit because of that!

Ian

[Alexis]

Thanks guys for the feedback and I apologize for the late reply back . I have done some looking into different associations and with it being summer time here most of the are closed until the fall time . Don't blame them really , our summers are short ..
Yeah , I don't take music seriously I listen to all types , if it's a good beat too it , I'm game . You are right Justin . their earlier stuff is better  They have a play on words , but a lot of music does in this day and age .

Ivo , good one . Will have to share this with a few friends if you don't mind ? Over the weekend I was able to spend some time with my grandfather and he still speaks German and he was delighted on what I have learned so far and he even said there are different dialects through out .

I will be in contect soon ....



Thanks Terri

[WarrenD]

OK, I'm really not sure how you were stealing thunder from my thread Terri.    Despite having a year of German in college, I know just enough to get myself in really deep Scheise.     I had a wonderful professor that really lit the fire under me for a love of languages, but sadly, my real life circumstances have never allowed me a pursuit of them. My son caught the bug too, but realized, after a year, that no matter how much he studied, etc. he'd never speak German as well as a German unless he lived there for years.
(And yes, English is a west Germanic dialect.)
Here's a joke for you:
-What do you call someone that speaks three languages?  Tri-lingual
- What do you call someone that speaks two languages? Bi-lingual
- What do you call someone that speaks one language?  An American. 

Seriously, we Americans are at an  extreme disadvantage when it comes to this. Why?  Over 90% of us in the U.S. will never get to travel to a foreign land for any length of time, much less live there and use it with any proficiency. Whereas those on the European continent can just hop on a train, and in most cases find themselves immersed in another language in a couple of hours. I've had quite a few Europeans get snooty and superior with me on the forums about how ignorant US citizens are regarding language, etc., but they all fail to realize the cost of travel by most to Europe, much less Asia, etc. and even then unless you're employed there with the military or a corporation, you won't get to use it.

My hat is off to you Terri for making this effort!  Good on you!!!

As for me, I still have my German language textbook. When I run into something I can't struggle through, I refer to it. For French, etc. I'll just let Google be my friend.

I love the German language, German culture, food, drink, etc. I only wish I'd have the opportunity to experience it again.

FWIW,

Warren

[Manni]

Warren, if you will ever have the opportunity to come to germany, you are invited to visit me. It will be a pleasure to me to show you Düsseldorf and Köln (Colonge).
By the way, I will do this for every member, that will visit my country.
Manni