German

NEW: Dino lernt Deutsch Episode 10: Schlamassel in Stuttgart

In case you missed it on the newsletter, there’s a brand new Dino lernt Deutsch episode! That’s right, episode 10 is out now and this time Dino is going to Stuttgart, Germany’s 6th largest city, capital of Baden-Württemberg and home to Mercedes-Benz. Ready for your next German learning adventure? In this sequel to Digital in…

Hacks & Tutorials

How To Create ANKI Flashcards From Your Kindle Vocabulary Builder

The Vocabulary Builder on Kindle Paperwhite (and Oasis, Voyager) is a powerful feature for language learners if used right. It collects all the words that you look up, including their definition and context. You can then use a rudimentary flashcard system and group them into “learning” and “mastered”. However, for serious spaced repetition practice, the Kindle…

German

1929: The Year Babylon (Documentary)

Did you enjoy Babylon Berlin, the critically acclaimed German TV series? Perhaps even used it to boost your German listening skills? If you’ve ever wondered about the historical accuracy of the series there’s a great documentary which aims to provide some context around the year in which the event of the series take place. 1929: Das Jahr…

German

Howdy! This is Texas German

Have you ever wondered how many German dialects there are? Between the breezy Northern Platt and the homely Southern Boarisch, it’s actually quite difficult to come up with a definite number. Theoretically there are as many dialects as there are German speakers. Especially when you travel farther away from Europe, it’s remarkable how local communities over time created…

News

Introducing: The Bookshop Redesign

It’s the year 2018. We still don’t have flying cars, but Wikipedia lists more than 30 different ebook file formats. As much as I love to read (and create) ebooks, there are so many different competing formats and platforms out there that it can sometimes get a bit confusing. What’s the difference between PDF and ebook formats?…

German

Tips & Strategies For Learning German With Stories

Learning German with stories can be a great way to expand your vocabulary, boost your passive grammar skills and get a general feel for the language, all while enjoying a (hopefully) entertaining yarn. But how to do it the best way? Preparing vocabulary first? Or just dive right in? Today I’d like to share a few…

German

6 Famous German Beer Styles & Brands You Have To Taste For Yourself

German beer is inarguably one of the most famous staples of German culture, way up there with Sauerkraut, cakes, automotive engineering and wearing socks and sandals. (Sorry for that.) But have you ever asked yourself how many German beers there are? According to some sources, there are more than 7800 (!) different beers from more…

German

These 5 German Cakes Will Make Your Mouth Water

One of the most rewarding aspects of learning a new language is getting to know a whole new culture and cuisine! We have a saying in German: “Liebe geht durch den Magen.” – “The way to a (wo)man’s heart is through her/his stomach.” And the same probably goes for languages, too! Today we’ll take a…

German

Global German: Meet Monte Joffee from New York City

After talking to the German learning group from Sioux Falls, I’m happy to share with you another interview today. Meet Monte! In the late 60s he took some introductory courses in college, fell in love with the language, but through the course of a busy career and family life his skills gradually declined. Being a true…

German

11 Yiddish Words in German And Their Ancient Hebrew Origins

Did you know that some of the funniest, most expressive words in German aren’t actually German but Yiddish? They’ve become such an integral part of our language that even native speakers aren’t always aware of their origins. Interestingly, while American English also embraced many Yiddish expressions, these aren’t always the same ones that made it…

German

Learn German With Radio Plays: Free Audio Dramas For Listening & Learning

Listening to a gripping story as an audio book can be a great way to immerse yourself in narrative German, pick up on on speech patterns, prosody and pronunciation. But you know what’s even more immersive? Radio plays! The difference between an audio book and a radio play is that the former is usually narrated…