Writing is a good way to practice your language skills, as it gives you time to reflect and to plan your text. And time is crucial, especially at the beginning. This applies to both - your first and your foreign language(s). So, write regularly, e.g. keep a log, not only about your feelings, but also about what you learned that day, what you understood, and what should be clarified (see earlier post). Read the rest of this entry »

As the vocab tests are quite close, here some hints how to learn (vocab).
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Learning a new language can be fuzzy. Especially during the first lessons, you might think that you don’t get a grip. Where do words start, where do they end?

As recent research (cf. Cognitive Daily: Does music help us learn language?) and some years of experience have shown, music is a good “gateway” to language.

There are two reasons for this:

• Singing actually activates a little more brain than just saying.
• But - more important - songs have melodic and rhythmic cues. You cannot sing a text, if something is missing. And it is very unlikely to have a pause in a word …

So, listen and sing German songs. Where to get some? O.k., just click these links, they consist search queries for videos at youtube of some German bands/artists you might like.

• Wir sind Helden
• Die Toten Hosen
• Xavier Naidoo
• Die Fantastischen Vier
• Blumentopf
• Clueso
• Die Ärzte
• Fettes Brot
• Ganz schön feist
• Jazzkantine
• Nena
• Rosenstolz
• Söhne Mannheims
• Tomte
• Kettcar
• City
• Kraftwerk (some songs in English)
• Rio Reiser
• Philip Boa (sings in English)
• Freundeskreis
• Götz Alsmann
• Herbert Grönemeyer
• The Inchtabokatables (Folk-Punk, no guitars - Celli!)
• Keimzeit
• Virginia Jetzt!

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