Chapter 18

Ten Ways to Pick Up German Quickly

Getting comfortable with speaking and understanding a new language and its culture can be a really fun and rewarding experience. So what if you find yourself getting bogged down with grammar explanations? Where do you turn if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer detail involved in putting the right word in the right place in a sentence? Above all, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, be patient with yourself. Take baby steps; after all, that’s how you learned to walk, right? Try out some or all these tips for expanding your German. See which ideas work best for you. Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy experimenting with German.

Labeling the World Around You

Get going on some vocabulary around your home, your car, or even your office by labeling the objects around you. This strategy is fun and simple. Use a German/English dictionary (or the dictionary at the back of this book) to find out the German equivalent of words such as the window (das Fenster) (dâs fêns-ter), the door (die Tür) (dee tuer), the fridge (der Kühlschrank) (dêr kuel-shrânk), or a cup (eine Tasse) (ayn-e tâs-e). Write each word on a sticky note and attach it to the thing it describes. When you come across the object, touch it and pronounce the word to yourself. Who knows, maybe your friends and family will join in!

Organizing Useful Expressions

If you want to memorize words within a certain context, compile lists of expressions or entire sentences that have to do with the topic you’re interested in. As you go through a chapter in this book, write down no more than ten or so phrases you’d like to pick up quickly. For example, write down the phrases you find most important for asking directions (How do I get to. . . ? How far is it?) or dining at a German restaurant (I’d like the. . . . Could I have the check, please?).

Then look for one or more convenient spots around the house to post your list; next to the mirror in the bathroom works well, for example. Then every time you preen yourself, practice saying the expressions in a logical sequence. Before long, you’ll know all those handy expressions. When you do, it’s time to put up a new list.

Writing Shopping Lists

Another way to retain more vocabulary is to make out your shopping lists in German. Write the English equivalents after the German, though, just so you won’t get annoyed in the store when you can’t remember what you meant. For example, write Birnen (birn-en) (pears), Karotten (kâr-rot-en) (carrots), or Zwiebeln (tsvee-beln) (onions) on your list. Take this activity one step further by pronouncing the German word to yourself as you pick up each item. You may find yourself making simple sentences as you’re shopping, such as the following:

Der Käse is sehr teuer. (dêr kai-ze ist zeyr toy-er.) (The cheese is very expensive.)

Wo sind die Kartoffen? (voh vint dee Kâr-tof-en?) (Where are the potatoes?)

Der Fisch ist sehr frish. (dêr fish ist zeyr frish.) (The fish is very fresh.)

Thinking in German

Activate your German by formulating your daily routine into phrases as you go through some simple steps. For example, you might say

Ich gehe in die Küche. (iH gey-e in dee kueH-e.) (I’m going to the kitchen.)

Ich mache Kaffee. (iH mâH-e kâf-ey.) (I’m making coffee.)

Das Wetter ist sehr schön. (das wêt-er is zeyr shern.) (The weather’s really beautiful.)

Wie viel Uhr is es? Es ist 20.30. (vee feel oohr is ês? Es ist tsvân-tsiH oohr drays-iH.) (What time is it? It’s 8:30 p.m.)

Using Language CDs and Downloads

On your way to and from work, try listening to language-learning CDs or download German language broadcasts. Just listening to German voices over and over can do wonders to help you retain words and phrases. Get some German music and listen to it when you’re in the mood.

Watching German TV and Listening to German Radio Online

The government-funded German television stations ARD and ZDF are terrific ways to get excellent quality news in German. Simply go to their Web sites — www.ard.de and www.zdf.de — and choose the type of information you’re interested in: politics, culture, sports, or, of course, Nachrichten (nâH-reeH-ten) (news). At ARD, you can watch a classic weekly TV series, Tatort (taht-ort) (Crime Scene), a murder mystery/thriller. You may want to try more: Deutsche Welle (doy-che vêl-e) (German radio) (www.dw-world.de) broadcasts both radio and TV programs in many languages, including German and English, and quality radio broadcasts are at radioWissen (rah-dee-oh vis-en) (radio knowledge) (www.br-online.de/bayern2/radiowissen). Looking for something else in German? Punch in a major search engine’s name, plus the international code: .de for Germany, .at for Austria, and .ch for Switzerland.

Trying an Interactive German Program

To delve deeper into the intricacies of the German language, check out the selection of interactive German courses on the market. Price may be a factor in your budget, but the best ones offer quality visuals, logical language progression, and excellent speech recognition programs.

Watching German Movies

Another fun way to pick up expressions, the accent, cultural habits, and the like is by getting German movies online and watching them several times. Try selecting a movie by genre, director, or actors you’re interested in. You may be surprised at how much you can understand. As you watch, enjoy some German Bier (beer) (beer) or Wein (vayn) (wine).

Reading German Publications

Buy German magazines, especially those with visuals, or have someone bring you back a few from a trip to a German-speaking country. Start by looking at the captions under the pictures and see whether you can figure out what the picture and its accompanying text are all about. Reading ads is another fun way to discover words. On international flights, you can grab a bilingual in-flight magazine with German on one side and English on the other. German comics for kids are also fun for adults, for example, Asterix and Tim und Struppi.

Eating German Cuisine

Treat your taste buds to some authentic German food. You may find a German restaurant nearby, but there are plenty of other opportunities to sample German cuisine. Splurge on some imported cheese from Germany or Switzerland. Think humble: The nearby health food store may have out-of-this-world fresh sauerkraut. Go all out and try some German recipes. You’ll be delighted to discover that not all German cuisine is your basic meat-and-potatoes fare. Oh, and Guten Appetit! (gooh-ten â-pê-teet) (Enjoy!)