Guys, Deutsch class is hard on me. I dislike the teacher-he picks on me because I have a German father and therefore SHOULD know the language already-and the grammar confuses the hell out of me. And still I plug away, because I'm stubborn, and because the only thing I've ever allowed to defeat me is math. And so then you have situations like thit in class today:
Teacher: "And you, Christiane, what is your method for learning German?" (Other than the obvious.)
Me: "I listen to German opera and lieder and try to understand what they're saying."
Teacher: "..."
Me: "Have you ever tried running for the train to Wagner? You move twice as fast."
A statement guaranteed not to make you the most popular person in class. :)
You also have strange moments when you're defending Beethoven to a roomful of people who either don't know who Beethoven is, or could care less. Or both. But that's another story.
6 comments:
Apologies for my ignorance, but why would that comment about Wagner not make you popular in class ?
Best of luck for the rest of the classes though.
'sfunny, I thought the teacher was supposed to provide you with a method of learning the language..........
I was once told that the best way of learning a language is to to have a partner who speaks it (and who speaks it well), and who will refuse to speak English to you. Shall I wave my wand and conjure up einen nett und freundlich deutsch Mensch?
And just to let you know: on the basis of your description of Siegfried, I have booked a ticket for Tristan and Isolde with the Texan tenor at Welsh National Opera next May...........
PS. re your Soup Opera - you may be able to get English cheddar more cheaply - also very good
Hang in there. I would have loved to be there for that conversation! I think somebody there had to find you as endearing as you really are!
Aww, I'm sorry. Hugs from me, and presumed avuncular approval from Ludwig von. I'm fascinated by all the different ways people use to learn languages... marvels of the brain. In addition to listening to opera, one of my favorite supplementary methods is reading books in the language--children's books, entertaining lowbrow (simple vocabulary) fiction, or stuff I've read already. I also borrowed lots of DVDs from the Stadtbibliothek, using the excuse that they were helping me improve my comprehension and vocab (true) instead of just helping me hole up in a city where I was lonely (also true.)
Does the institution where you're studying not give you the option of a Sprachtandem arrangement? Would you be able to do that through a university or an independent Craigslist-type thing? It can be fun... I lucked out with mine during my Austauschsemester and got a Master's student who liked opera.
(This is Raine, Btw)
Yeesh, what a grouchy teacher. Students learn more when they have fun, don't they? Someone's not an opera fan, I guess.
Of course, my only German education was Langschwert: Lichtenhauer and Talhoffer, and they have a saying- What Does not Hurt, Does not Teach. I doubt they'd have been keen on opera either, old sticks.
(Spellcheck doesn't like German at ALL)
For learning a language, I watch familiar movies in that language. Emperor's New Groove is just as funny in Spanish. If I were you, I'd find a copy of Harry Potter #1 in German- the movie or the book.
@Peter: I don't know. I'd give coolness points to anyone who knew opera.
@shapta-dakini: Luckily, I have lots of friends who speak German with me, and no one in the shops speaks English with me (they all think I'm Swedish, not American), so I get a LOT of practice. It's just that the language is tough, and my heart isn't fully into it right now.
@Kat: I'm not feeling too endearing these days. I get so much feedback on what I'm doing wrong that I'm beginning to feel I don't do anything right! But this too shall pass...
@Lucy: I'm not too good at watching movies (notoriously bad at sitting still and paying attention for long enough), but I do like to read, so I think I'll have to brave the kids' section at the library and see what I can find. Maybe Harry Potter or something of that ilk. And I do have friends that I talk with auf Deutsch, so that's some practice, too. People in the shops tell me I have "schones Deutsch", so that's something!
@Rainne: Harry Potter! I'm so going to have to get my hands on his German self. Great idea! :)
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