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- Category: German culture and food
It's no secret that Germans have a lot of rules. One "rule" that has become more flexible in the last few years is what you can name your child and how you spell her or his name. Now you can even bypass the commonly-accepted French spelling of the name "Jacqueline" and go right for the German phonetic spelling of "Schaklyn."
Yes, really.
Here is an article about the process of naming your child in Germany and for all you German learners out there, here are a few ways to read this article and expand upon your reading skills based on your level. N.B. I recommend you print the article out and grab a pencil no matter what your level is.
Beginners:
Read the article and look for all the different names that are presented. Circle them. Then comb through the article and look for all the verbs. How many of them do you recognize already?
Intermediate:
Lesen Sie den Artikel.
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- Category: Speaking German
Use this Instructional Video to Learn How to Pronounce the "Ich-Laut" in German!
The Ich-Laut can be tough for English speakers to pronounce because it's not a part of English. ...or is it? Ladies and Gentlemen, we *do* have the Ich-Laut in English--it's hidden!
In this video on how to pronounce the Ich-Laut, I show you where to find that hidden "ch" sound in English and then I guide you through a couple of exercises to help you pronounce this sound in German.
The most important factor is that you take the time to find it, and to train the muscles in your mouth to create this sound when you want to create it. Take it step-by-step, practice it slowly, then at a medium pace, and then speed it up to a regular pace.
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- Category: German culture and food
"Amerikaner" means "American" and it is also the name of a most fabulous cake cookie that's available in many locations all over Germany.
They are beautiful, delicious cookies about the size of the palm of your hand and they make a fantastic sweet snack or as part of Kaffee (coffee and cake at 3 p.m. in Germany. What a delicious tradition.)
Here is a recipe for these cookies, known as black-and-white cookies here in the US. I made them for one of my German classes and they loved them. I hope you do, too!
When you bake them, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below.
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- Category: German culture and food
Germans are incredibly direct. A German really will ask you if you've gained weight (Haben Sie zugenommen?), just as someone might ask if you have lost weight at another time (Haben Sie abgenommen?).
Why do they think it's OK to ask such a personal question?
What's disconcerting for people from the States, is that we don't ask this question unless we can tell for certain. For a German on the other hand, this question is simply a matter of fact and by no means a judgement.
Ask any American if s/he has gained weight, and you'll probably get an angry response. Here, that's simply a rude question. Weight is a hot-button issue here, and it's par for the course that someone might ask you if you've lost weight, and then follow it up with a compliment, no matter if your answer is yes or no. But we don't ask if someone has gained weight--in lies in the realm of rudeness.
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- Category: German culture and food
Germans have a wonderful affinity for pancakes, and their pancakes are more in the French crepe style. There is a restaurant in Ulm that specializes in pancakes, and I can highly recommend it.
If, however, you are nowhere near Ulm, here is a recipe from Germany converted into English units (or whatever it's called here in the States).
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