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Would you like to learn more German?
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- Category: Speaking German
If you are already living with less or a minimum amount of possessions, or would like to, this philosophy works in your favor when learning German. Experience a language which is significantly more predictable than English; German is a great language to explore!
You'll also discover here how, in many ways, German is actually easier than English. I say this as a native English speaker, a near-native German speaker, and an instructor for both languages.
Of course both languages have their own unique quirks and things like prepositions are difficult no matter which language you're learning.
English has incredible capacities for expression and creativity that German can't begin to imitate.
At the same time, there are ways of expressing things in German through compound nouns that will never find their full equivalents in English. Schmerzensgeld, for example.
Here are four ways that German is easier than English and is a great fit for minimalists.
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- Category: Speaking German
Assertiveness, old German ladies, and "gut."
Do you hail from the middle of the country? Nothing kicks the Midwest out of you like German, as Laura F. wrote in response to last week's post:
Growing up in the Midwest, one of the principles I absorbed was that it is terrible to hurt other people's feelings. In my early adulthood, I was really too agreeable for my own good. In Germany, living in their culture and using their language, I learned to be more assertive. It was in German that I first told people things like, "No, I'm not going to give you money," or "Leave me alone."
These are incredibly valuable lessons, especially for women who were not taught to make a fuss when they need to make a fuss. It's like those boundaries are simply clearer and they come through the German culture.
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- Category: Speaking German
For some people, German truly changes their lives. I know it did for me--I had never actually learned to speak a foreign language before and it opened up a whole new world of experiences, literature, travel, media, music, and more. Learning to put that verb alllll the way at the end of the sentence helped me think in larger, more encompassing thoughts, which changed how I planned what I wanted to say.
A lot of my clients have had life-altering changes by learning German and I want to share a few of them with you. I also want to hear how German has changed your life (or how you want to or will change your life by learning German!), so be sure to submit your story via the contact form!
So, los geht's!
Understand your German partner/spouse/friend so much better.
1. Have fewer fights with your German spouse.
Long-term relationships are hard. A Long-term relationship with someone who has a very different understanding of the world can be even more challenging, especially if you are married to one and you are not familiar with cornerstones of German culture, one of them being routines.
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- Category: Speaking German
Es war einmal…that I called my German Landlord to ask to get something fixed in the apartment. Although I was in a fantastic mood that day, it only took about 20 seconds for that phone call to change my German speaking habits forever…here’s why:
Nicole: Hallo, Herr Müller!
Herr Müller: Hallo, Frau Warner!
Nicole: Wie geht’s Ihnen denn?
Herr Müller: Ach ja, wissen Sie, nicht so gut. Am Wochenende habe ich im Garten gearbeitet und etwas hat mich am Fuß gestochen! Die Stelle ist angeschwollen—es war riesig! Und mit Eiter gefüllt* war’s auch. Aber jetzt war ich beim Arzt, ich habe eine Spritze bekommen und es wird schon besser!*
Nicole: (inner reaction): Oh Gott, oh Gott! Warum hat er mir das erzählt! Das wollte ich alles gar nicht wissen!
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- Category: Speaking German
The long-awaited Ach-Laut video is here! Hurra!
The "Ach-Laut" means the "ach sound" and it is the airy, throaty sound you hear in the words "ach" and "machen."
Phonetically, this sound is written as /X/ and to that we say "ach." In this video I've broken down for you:
1. What the sound /X/ is and what it isn't.
2. How to feel where it takes place and
3. How to practice the sound, first slowly and then speeding it up step-by-step.
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