Ich und du, Böckers Kuh
Müllers Esel--das bist du!
(Translated: "me and you, Becker's cow, Mueller's donkey--that's you." Hey, it rhymes in German.)
Needless to say, phrases I learned at home, like "Hast du Geld?", probably won't get me very far in Germany, so I am trying to learn as much as I can before I go. Fortunately for me, there are so many resources out there now. Besides an indispensable textbook and my telenovela, I've found some great resources online:
1. BBC German -- Great for beginners, and it's free!
2. Babbel -- LOTS of vocabulary that I haven't seen in any other program; important words from das Aufladegerät (charger) to der Torwart (goalie) and die Happy Hour (just what you think). Has a free iPhone/iPad app. You have to pay for full use of the website; it is about $10 a month.
3. Yabla -- Another website that I think is worth the money. Watch videoclips in German (music videos, interviews, commercials, etc.) with subtitles in German and English. The best part is that you can S-L-O-W down the speech, but it doesn't sound warped. Any words you don't know in German go into your "flashcards" for you to practice later.
4. Slow German podcast/site -- Hear Annik's podcasts about all things German, from Advent to Zeitungen. The website has transcripts of all podcasts, so you can read while you listen.
5. Deutsche Welle -- I think this one has a little more for advanced students, which is probably why I haven't used it much. Die Nachrichten, Deutsch lernen mit videos und Übungen...
The first three are available in other languages as well. I think they are all wonderful now, but the true test, of course, will be whether or not I can communicate when I get to Germany.
*Just how important is it to learn another language? Check out this video:
I love it! Thank you, TexaGermaNadian, for posting it. :-)
Haha, that commercial still cracks me up, too funny! I love that you learned some basic stuff at home, that will really help you. And thanks for those great links!! The hubs is looking for some good stuff, and I could always use a review :)
ReplyDeleteHey! Have you gotten your Rosetta Stone password from FIS yet? It was super helpful to me before I came to FIS; I recommend it. (And hey, since the school pays for it, you may as well use it...)
ReplyDelete@Lindsey--'hope you can find something of use in there; you don't want to get too out of practice while you are out country-hopping! :-) BTW, love your Texas posts!
ReplyDelete@Bonnie--would you believe I already have it??? That's what happens, I guess, when you get a little TOO eager! I'm so glad to hear from you!