Eyes on the Prize

I’m so excited – I managed to win a month’s worth of VIP time to one of my favorite language learning websites. So now that I have access to some more robust study tools, I have a much better handle on the size of my meager vocabulary, and new ways to help make my lessons more easily remembered. My current study strategy has been to expose myself to the same word in multiple places. Not just hearing and seeing it, but hearing it spoken by multiple natives or seeing it written in different mediums and context. I find that I remember the words better that way because each subsequent encounter “rubs off on me”, and I can later recall the circumstances that I previously encountered the word.

Freundlich by any other name

I like the idea of helping my already wonderful Englisch speakers become even more advanced. It may be encouraging to know that Englisch is made of 50% Latin, but 50% of Deutsch. So if you already know Deutsch, you’re halfway there!

For deeper practice with Englisch, today we’re going to look at various ways to say freundlich in Englisch… and why there are so many.

Sprachlos

Für üben, hier gibt meine erster Versuch in Deutsch schreiben. Kein “Google Translate” kopieren und einfügen. Keiner Fragen an “wie sagt man [thing I don’t know how to say]”. Alle tippen…

Melotron: Gib Mir Alles

For practice, I’m fond of looking at German songs I like and translating them. It’s nice vocabulary building/re-enforcement. In the “first pass” translation, I tend to take the words very literally and without the full “feeling” of them. In the free translations, it is a combination of either what is implied or what flows better in Englisch. Things in parenthesis are guesses and ramblings about what I got stuck on or other ways it could have been meant.

Today we’re looking at Melotron’s Gib Mir Alles (“Give Me Everything”).

Hallo zusammen!

Willkommen! Today I decided to separate my Deutsch education posts into this new blog. I got a bit frustrated trying not to spam my friends and fans elsewhere in the internet while I’m increasing my language lessons. You see, I took a trip to Germany last month, and realized what a terrible beginner I am with my Deutsch. So I made a pledge to become conversational by this time next year. To accomplish that, it means: for the next few months my lessons must be “turned up to 11.”

I figure the only way to safely increase my practice is by doing so in a designated place – one where the exposure is limited only to those willing or interested in Sprachtandem. Then at least I know that any torture resulting from reading my copious posts is self inflicted.