There used to be a time when we had to wait 7 days for the next episode of our favorite TV-series; when we needed to hang on until the next morning for our latest fix of news; when a written message from friends and family took many days to arrive. Waiting Is History We don’t…
Indie Publishing
Why Making Books Is Like Baking Cookies
Making books is fun. In fact, it’s rather addictive. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop. The process of bookmaking has long been in the hands of a small intellectual elite, heavily guarded by cultural gatekeepers. The internet has disrupted this machinery and exposed its arbitrary rules of admissions. Now, everyone can make books…
Hacks & Tutorials
3 Writing Tools You Aren’t Using Yet
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the course of the last 15 years of writing, then it’s probably the fact that writing is a craft like any other. Listening to one’s “muse” and getting inspired is all great, but ultimately, if you don’t control the writing, it controls you! And even beyond the mere mechanics…
Games
Of Swords & Dungeons: An Interactive Gamebook For German Learners
After writing three detective stories for German learners in 2012 and seeing people embrace the format, I wanted to do something different and yet very similar in 2013. So, I decided to create an interactive fantasy ebook for German learners which would not just work on fancy tablets and smartphones but even on the fabulous…
Indie Publishing
How The Ebook Limits Innovation
Everybody knows what a book is: a stack of printed paper, held together by glue, staples, etc. If we talk about the ebook, however, it’s not that clear. What is an ebook? Is a huge Word document or PDF an ebook? What about Kindle books, Kobo books or Apple’s iBooks? For many years people have…
Lifestyle
3 Reasons Why Video Games Are Underestimated In Language Learning
Is dabbling in video games a valid method for learning a foreign language? Slaying dragons and fighting epic space battles may be an entertaining way to kill some time, but it’s not what most people would associate with learning a new language. Perhaps it’s easy to change the in-game language of your favorite ego shooter or role-playing-game, but…
Meet detectives Baumgartner & Momsen and learn German effortlessly with special emphasis on idioms and natural language crammed with humor and suspense.
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The Practice Of Not Knowing: A Third Method Of Foreign Language Learning
When learning a new language there are those things we need to know, those things we need to practice and a million other things we don’t know. 1. Knowledge Is (Passive) Power Knowing something usually doesn’t take a lot of effort. Either I know, or I don’t. It’s the process of committing something to memory…
Lifestyle
Books: The Secret Weapon Against Stress
A study at the university of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress levels by 68%. Technology has significantly accelerated the pace of life over the last century. Cities, factories, cars and television may have made our lives more comfortable but they have also taken a toll on our mental well-being. And we don’t even…
German
How Not To Learn German Quickly
Through the years as a German teacher I had the chance to work with learners from all over the world. Not only did I observe a variety of difficulties due to peculiarities of mother tongues but even beyond that each individual student had very different needs in terms of explanation and practice. Therefore, I have…
Lifestyle
Code or Die: The Future Of Work?
In a new video designed to spread awareness about the importance of teaching people how to code, big promises are being made. Backed up by talking heads such as Zuckerberg, Gates and many more, the basic premise is that coding is the core asset for tomorrow’s job market. “Want to enjoy the colorful offices and…
