Stichwörter (Keywords):
- Details
- Category: Speaking German
After the Grammy Awards last night one of my German students Facebooked me and proclaimed, "Sandra Bullock speaks German!" Apparently Sandra Bullock's mother was a German opera singer and Bullock grew up in Nürnberg and studied ballet and vocal arts and even sang in her mother's opera productions.
What makes perfect sense and is astounding at the same time is Bullock's German accent--perfectly representative of the area she grew up in.
Here's a video of Bullock accepting a Bambi award, an international prize awarded by the Bambi Committee for excellence in categories ranging from pop music to sports, classical music to charity.
Watch Sandra Bullock Speak German on YouTube
- Hits: 5105
- Details
- Category: German grammar
The Weil sentence structure is a tough one for English speakers. We say "because I said so," but the Germans say "weil ich es gesagt habe," or (translated directly) "Because I so said!"
It's the exact opposite way in German. The verbs go all the way at the end.
Although Germans are, at least in the media, losing this construction faster than the ice caps are melting, there is one almost-guaranteed compliment you will receive when you can say this properly. A German will hear it and say to you, "Oh, Sie können aber gut Deutsch!"
- Hits: 3131
- Details
- Category: German culture and food
Between 1820 and World War I, nearly six million Germans immigrated to the United States. From 1840 to 1880, they were the largest group of immigrants. Though we had had immigrants from the German states as early as the 1670s, none of the groups were as massive as what was seen in the nineteenth century.
Though Germans were mostly eager to fit into American life, learning English as soon as possible, there was still a preference for German customs, foods, and household goods that reminded them of their homeland.
In the 1920s and 1930s, German manufacturers began exporting earthenware to the United States that had familiar styles to those of German ancestry. Sold in shops across the country, they were inexpensive and colorful. The earliest patterns were derivative of 19th century Persian designs, so the import mark identifies them as Persian Ware – Made in Germany. But the designs varied widely, some looking very modern. What were consistent were the bright colors and bold patterns.
- Hits: 7034
- Details
- Category: German culture and food
It's no secret that Germans have a lot of rules. One "rule" that has become more flexible in the last few years is what you can name your child and how you spell her or his name. Now you can even bypass the commonly-accepted French spelling of the name "Jacqueline" and go right for the German phonetic spelling of "Schaklyn."
Yes, really.
Here is an article about the process of naming your child in Germany and for all you German learners out there, here are a few ways to read this article and expand upon your reading skills based on your level. N.B. I recommend you print the article out and grab a pencil no matter what your level is.
Beginners:
Read the article and look for all the different names that are presented. Circle them. Then comb through the article and look for all the verbs. How many of them do you recognize already?
Intermediate:
Lesen Sie den Artikel.
- Hits: 5503
- Details
- Category: Speaking German
Use this Instructional Video to Learn How to Pronounce the "Ich-Laut" in German!
The Ich-Laut can be tough for English speakers to pronounce because it's not a part of English. ...or is it? Ladies and Gentlemen, we *do* have the Ich-Laut in English--it's hidden!
In this video on how to pronounce the Ich-Laut, I show you where to find that hidden "ch" sound in English and then I guide you through a couple of exercises to help you pronounce this sound in German.
The most important factor is that you take the time to find it, and to train the muscles in your mouth to create this sound when you want to create it. Take it step-by-step, practice it slowly, then at a medium pace, and then speed it up to a regular pace.
- Hits: 5459