After more than one year in the grip of a global pandemic, our daily lives have changed extensively. The way we work, travel, socialize and decompress have all undergone strange transformations. And these changes have begun to be reflected in the way we use language. The Leibniz Institute for the German Language, an organisation for documenting…
German
German Language as a Path to Understanding the Mind
Those seeking to gain knowledge about the human mind and spirituality, might think of learning an extra language like ancient Greek, or Sanskrit. Here we will present the view that they should also consider learning German. The German language can be a gateway to accessing the works of some really important thinkers. Sure these texts can…
German
The German Prefix “be-” Explained
Once you’ve started learning a few German verbs, you’ll notice that there are a number of awkwardly similar verbs which have a slightly similar yet sufficiently different meaning. I’m talking about those pesky German verb prefixes which sometimes are just two or three letters long but completely change the meaning of the verb. Let’s take…
German
“I Can’t Get No …”: N-Declension In German
Welcome back to another instalment of our German grammar series in which I answer some of the questions that have popped up on the newsletter. Today’s question is by Douglas: My question: why do some German nouns add a final ‘n’ in the acc. sing., e.g. ‘meinen Namen’ , einen Geldautomaten, which, of course has…
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New: Dino lernt Deutsch Episode 11: “Lockdown in Liechtenstein”
The wait is finally over! Dino is back, and although his world has gotten a lot smaller, he still finds himself at the center of much mischief. Get volume 11 on: Amazon Apple Books EPUB/PDF Kobo Barnes & Noble This book comes integrated with flashcards (Quizlet & Anki) across all platforms and retailers (check at…
German
Demonstrate This! – Demonstrative Pronouns in German – A Brief Overview
This is another instalment in my grammar series where I try to answer some of the questions posed by readers of my newsletter and (hopefully) shed some light on certain bewildering grammar topics, always with a practical focus on how people actually speak. Here’s today’s question, by Myron: “Would you explain all that which is “Demonstrative”…
Hacks & Tutorials
Learning Languages With Netflix Has Just Become So Much Easier
Many language learners are watching movies to improve their listening comprehension and pick up new words. Some like to just immerse themselves in the foreign language with foreign subtitles, others watch it with foreign audio and subtitles in their native languages, but no matter how you’ve been doing it, learning German (or any language for…
News
Battling Corona With Culture: Berlin Philharmonics & Viennese Opera Giving Away Free Access to Livestreams
Ever wanted to visit the Berlin Philharmonic but never found the time or money? Well, now they’re coming to you, free of charge. Due to cancellations of physical events because of the coronavirus, they are now giving away free access to their Digital Concert Hall where you can watch live streams and recordings of concerts….
Games
Boost Your German Vocab With This Quirky Web Game
While sorting through some old files recently (definitely not procrastination but research!) I stumbled over some old notes and re-discovered this quirky little language learning game which is just too good not to share. It’s called Ba Ba Dum, and it’s actually five little games that run directly in your browser, no downloads required. At…
