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…
exercises
3 Simple Rules of German Negation: How To Position “Nicht” in A Sentence
German syntax can be quite daunting. There are many moving parts. It can be helpful to split things up into smaller more manageable bits. Earlier today for example a question came up on the newsletter about the correct placement of the so-called Negationspartikel nicht in a sentence. So here are 3 very simple rules (and some exceptions)…
German
New: German Dialogues For Beginners & Intermediates (PDF, MOBI, EPUB)
Over the past few months I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of dialogue. Whether it’s the Socratic dialogues or the Analects of Confucius, both Eastern and Western traditions have been using dialogue as a teaching tool for more than two millennia! Why is that? Plato for example could have just doled out his…
German
Should German Learners Use Google Translate?
When Wikipedia first became popular I remember my teachers and professors scoffing at it: “A free encyclopedia? On the Internet? Why, that can’t be good! You had better learn to use the library instead, young whippersnapper!” And yet everyone still used it. All the time. Was (or is) it perfect? Of course not. When it…
German
Not Rammstein: German Music Artists Beyond The Teutonic Shtick
When we think of Brazilian music we think of samba, bossa nova, a cool breeze on the beach and the Girl from Ipanema. But what do you think of when you think German music? Do you think of laid-back melodies and velvety vocals? Or more industrial staccato and alveolar trills? Whatever your particular associations may…
German
7 Tools To Help You Write In German
There are many ways to learn German, and they all have their pros and cons. Obviously, I’m a huge fan of learning German with stories. I believe it’s one of the most fun methods of acquiring new vocabulary and making it stick. But if you don’t regularly maintain your treasure trove (we actually call it…
Discover Dino lernt Deutsch: the German story series for beginners that will help you learn German in no time.
learn more German
NEW: Karneval in Köln Workbook (PDF)
Good news, everyone! Jeff Richards and I completed another workbook for the Dino lernt Deutsch series. This time we’re bringing you another 60+ pages packed with exercises, writing prompts, crossword puzzles and other activities for Karneval in Köln. As with the previous two workbooks for Café in Berlin and Ferien in Frankfurt this comes to you…
German
NEW: Digital in Dresden Audiobook
UPDATE: This title is now also on Audible. The latest audiobook in the Dino lernt Deutsch series (episode 9) is finally here! After wrangling with soundwaves for a few weeks the audiobook is now complete and slowly rolling out to audio venues far and wide. While I’m still waiting for it to make an appearance…
German
Top German Grammar Checker Tools for Desktop, Mobile and Browser Extensions
Many people are wondering if there’s an easy-to-use spelling and grammar checker for German like Grammarly for English. Well, yes and no, or as we say in German JEIN. But we before we look at some potential candidates, let’s delve into a bit of historical context. German Spelling: A Reform Of Reforms Did you know…
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…
German
Some German Traditions That Seem Weird to Foreigners
One thing about moving to or visiting a new country is that often the culture and customs are different. This means that when communicating with say, a person from Germany, responses and reactions may not be quite what you might expect. Conversely, how you approach others may be perceived as strange and not in keeping…
