Stichwörter (Keywords):
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- Category: German grammar
"Zu..." no. "Nach..."
Wait! Which one do I use? GAH!
Have you said that before? I bet you have, as I’ve heard it from every beginning German learner I’ve worked with. And a lot of intermediate level speakers, too.
The difference is: with “zu” and “nach,” size makes a difference. But not how you might think.
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- Details
- Category: German grammar
This is a source of frustration for so many German learners. "Wann" and "wenn" are too similar and as a result, lots of people mix them up.
They both mean when, however when you use them is completely different.
Are you ready to learn which word to use when?
Los geht’s!
Which “when” is “when”?
First you need to clearly differentiate the two words “wann” and “wenn.”
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- Category: Speaking German
"Alte Liebe rostet nicht" say the Germans.
Old love doesn't rust.
Neither does new love!
So how do you say you're in love in German?
There's the classic, direct way:
Ich liebe dich.
Yeah, that's a good one.
And it's a big one.
If you don't want to jump in at the deep end of the pool, here are a few suggestions for you to talk about it.
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- Category: German learning methods
This is an email that I received from a client this summer after she had her Swiss Citizenship Interview. In addition to practicing speaking in German, we spent several lessons discussing the Swiss governmental system and how to prepare mentally for such an exam. Our final lesson before her interview was a practice interview. Here’s what she had to say.
N.B. This email has been edited for privacy, clarity and formatting.
Hello Nicole!
I did make it through my German language test in Switzerland over the summer. I believe it went well. My tester was great in that she spoke high German, and went very slowly…so in the end, I believe I understood all of the questions, and managed a response for each. I even managed to joke a bit about knowing that my German is “nicht fantastich” but that I was absolutely continuing with my learning and understood the importance of that.
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- Details
- Category: German learning methods
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I have been working on an official certification for teaching German as a Foreign Language. I started at the end of 2015 and got really behind so I ended up spending much of last summer sitting at my computer, working through all the information. It was a tough slog.
Sechs Module - Six Modules
The course has 6 different modules and each module was the equivalent of a 120-page book plus exercises. The exercises ranged from simple reflection to mind maps to in-depth matching exercises. At the end of each module I had to design and execute a project that used one of the techniques in the book or something closely related to the material in the book. My clients were incredibly helpful and were happy to take part in the projects and give me feedback on the projects and worksheets I designed.
One project we did will actually become a little project for you, so when you see a challenge or a special Sprechseminar on vocabulary, you'll know where that project came from! :)
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