Who or what do you practice your languages on? I now share a flat with a cat (belonging to flat mate) who doesn’t care what you say to him, even if it’s crappy Spanish. I had a moment of self-examination this evening when I came home, and the cat was right there (I will protect his privacy by withholding his name), and I said to … Continue reading Bad German or First Sign of Madness?
Deutschland 83 A lively and tense drama set during the height of the Cold War, it follows a young East German boarder guard who is forced into serving his country as a spy in the West German capital. Against a soundtrack of early 80s music (including ’99 Luftballons’, what else?) and the threat of nuclear annihilation, Moritz fumbles his way through espionage and starts to … Continue reading 3 European Shows to Binge
Coffee Break Languages A well-established series covering major European languages as well as Chinese. The format puts a learner alongside the teacher and concentrates on useful phrases as well as speaking confidence and key grammar points. Great stuff. The Fluent Show The German presenter Kerstin, based in Britain, has interesting guests from the world of languages to get the perspectives of both teachers and students. … Continue reading 6 Podcasts for Language Nerds
Die Wende A “Wende” (f.) means a decisive change, development, or turning point, and for Germans it really means the dramatic period following the fall of the Berlin Wall (die Mauer). Die Wende encapsulates the social and political earthquake not just of 1989 but the years afterwards, as the East German government collapsed and the current reunified republic came into being. When Germans refer to … Continue reading A Word from German History (No.1)
Ideas to up your Beginner-Intermediate language talents Write a mini diary on your phone, a couple of sentences about your day – maybe during your commute. Writing is the hardest skill for most people and doing it in small doses really helps (particularly when practicing useful verbs in the past tense). Read a kids book in translation (Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen, anyone?). … Continue reading Try these Language Challenges
