It is the start of term so everything is incredibly busy. I guess I won't have anytime for deliberate German learning over the next two weeks but I do have to write maths questions for first year students this semester and am back going to German classes. I thought I was supposed to write the questions in German this time but today it was agreed that if it takes up too much of my time/stresses me out too much, K will translate them. Last night I hardly slept (I slept sometime between 6.30 and 7.49) because I was so worried about it. It turns out the one M hadn't proof read was almost totally correct (Germanwise, obviously (?) also mathswise). I was so close to tears in the meeting with my boss today, I really didn't want her to read it. The reason I find it so stressful is that everything has to be so correct and alot of the time, I just have no idea if I've phrased it right or not. Anywho, I'll continue to try to write the questions in German but if there is a particularly troublesome question, I'll send it to K in English and not spend a whole night worrying about it.
I sent an email in German to the Hiwi's (students teaching the exercise clases) today. It was somehow terrorfying, even tho' it was only two sentences. I have no idea if it was correct. Perhaps someone will tell me, perhaps it doesn't matter.
Tonight, I think, as a treat I'll listen to English radio :). I think subjecting myself to German TV/Radio now would be a bad idea.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Sunday, 1 April 2012
podcasts
Ok, not much to comment on right now. Marcus is here, which is lovely. Due to his visit most structured German learning has stopped but there has been lots of unstructured German learning (lots of films and TV and some chatting). In other news, the semester is beginning again next week which means every thing is going to get very busy for a few weeks but also means restarting German classes.
In lieu of any update, I thought I'd post a list of the podcast I listen to, in the hope that they might help someone else. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be really greatful, amazingly I am running out!
Beginner level:
All the beginner level podcasts I have found are from Deutsche Welle
Deutsch - warum nicht?
4 series of podcast - German/English
This podcast takes the learner right from knowing no German at all to understanding a small amount of German. It follows a (not very good) story which makes it slightly less boring. I used this just before I came to Germany and when I first arrived here.
Radio D
2 series - German/English
A lot like Deutsch -warum nicht?, it starts at the beginning and follows a story. I liked it less than Warum nicht?.
Audio Tutor
100 short lessons - German/English
Phrases on a topic said in German and then in English. I would only advise this is you are about to find yourself in Germany or are already in Germany and speak almost no German. If you are in a situation where you need instant phrases then this is actually quite useful but boring as hell.
Intermediate:
Deutsch - Wieso nicht?
20 short scenes (some running together to form a story of sorts) - German only
This is my favourite German podcast so far. I listened to it over and over again way before I could understand it. Then finally, I could understand some of the episodes. Now I understand them all (still not every word). So, why do I like them? First of all, even if you hardly understand any German they sound interesting (they have alot of helpful background noise). When you do finally understand something they are very funny (possibly not to a native German speaker!).
Typisch Helene
More or less a diary - German only
Helene talks about her life and current events in Switzerland and the world. Entertaining enough not hilarious but then it is not supposed to be. One podcast is released every two weeks. There is also a Swiss German version which is released once every month.
Zu Gast bei DagmarMore or less a diary - German only
This is the predecessor of Typisch Helene. It is pretty similar.
Sendung mit der Maus - zum Mitnehmen
Video podcast - German only (intended for children, not language learners)
I highly recommend this podcast to anyone. I find some of the episodes very very funny. It doesn't matter if you don't understand everything because the videos really help. If you try a one and don't like it, I really suggest you try some more until you find one you like.
Two of my favourites:
Suprise!
Suprise!
Das Treffende Wort
In the style of a radio show - German only
5 episodes
Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten
German only.
Does what it says on the tin. Daily news podcast with slow speech. I find it a bit slow now but I still don't understand most of it (if that makes any sense).
Jojo sucht das Glueck
Video podcast - German only.
I tried to use the podcast very early on. I didn't find the story particularly interesting but it's certainly worth a look.
Gruesse aus Deutschland
60 episodes - German only
More or less lessons
A conversation between two people with interviews. About 3 episodes on average per topic. Important words are explained. I enjoyed this the first time through. I'm now listening to it again to find all the words that I don't know and finding it less enjoyable.
Deutsche im Alltag
Weekly podcast new topic each week - German only
Top-Thema mit VokabelnWeekly podcast new topic each week - German only
This podcast has a transcript and a list of vocabulary. Would be great if I could persuade myself to use the vocab lists. I personally find it a bit dull.
German GrammarPod
English - explains grammar.
Slow German
Podcasts on different topics - German only.
Pukka German Podcast
37 episodes -Lovely mix of German and English.
Fun podcast on German slang. Enjoyable to listen to. It's possibly a bit early for me to bother learning German slang but I don't think it hurts.
Freestyle German
6 episodes - German only.
From the same people as Pukka German. Enjoyable to listen to.
German Words Explained
Huge number of episodes - German only.
This podcast explains a commonly used german word or abbreviation per episode. Typically these are not words found in most language courses.
LED Podcast
13 podcasts - Short German Stories from German literature (also translated literature from other languages)
I don't have a link for this. I downloaded it by searching in i-tunes. I'm currently working on ein Traum by Kafka.
In lieu of any update, I thought I'd post a list of the podcast I listen to, in the hope that they might help someone else. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be really greatful, amazingly I am running out!
Beginner level:
All the beginner level podcasts I have found are from Deutsche Welle
Deutsch - warum nicht?
4 series of podcast - German/English
This podcast takes the learner right from knowing no German at all to understanding a small amount of German. It follows a (not very good) story which makes it slightly less boring. I used this just before I came to Germany and when I first arrived here.
Radio D
2 series - German/English
A lot like Deutsch -warum nicht?, it starts at the beginning and follows a story. I liked it less than Warum nicht?.
Audio Tutor
100 short lessons - German/English
Phrases on a topic said in German and then in English. I would only advise this is you are about to find yourself in Germany or are already in Germany and speak almost no German. If you are in a situation where you need instant phrases then this is actually quite useful but boring as hell.
Intermediate:
Deutsch - Wieso nicht?
20 short scenes (some running together to form a story of sorts) - German only
This is my favourite German podcast so far. I listened to it over and over again way before I could understand it. Then finally, I could understand some of the episodes. Now I understand them all (still not every word). So, why do I like them? First of all, even if you hardly understand any German they sound interesting (they have alot of helpful background noise). When you do finally understand something they are very funny (possibly not to a native German speaker!).
Typisch Helene
More or less a diary - German only
Helene talks about her life and current events in Switzerland and the world. Entertaining enough not hilarious but then it is not supposed to be. One podcast is released every two weeks. There is also a Swiss German version which is released once every month.
Zu Gast bei DagmarMore or less a diary - German only
This is the predecessor of Typisch Helene. It is pretty similar.
Sendung mit der Maus - zum Mitnehmen
Video podcast - German only (intended for children, not language learners)
I highly recommend this podcast to anyone. I find some of the episodes very very funny. It doesn't matter if you don't understand everything because the videos really help. If you try a one and don't like it, I really suggest you try some more until you find one you like.
Two of my favourites:
Suprise!
Suprise!
Das Treffende Wort
In the style of a radio show - German only
5 episodes
Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten
German only.
Does what it says on the tin. Daily news podcast with slow speech. I find it a bit slow now but I still don't understand most of it (if that makes any sense).
Jojo sucht das Glueck
Video podcast - German only.
I tried to use the podcast very early on. I didn't find the story particularly interesting but it's certainly worth a look.
Gruesse aus Deutschland
60 episodes - German only
More or less lessons
A conversation between two people with interviews. About 3 episodes on average per topic. Important words are explained. I enjoyed this the first time through. I'm now listening to it again to find all the words that I don't know and finding it less enjoyable.
Deutsche im Alltag
Weekly podcast new topic each week - German only
Top-Thema mit VokabelnWeekly podcast new topic each week - German only
This podcast has a transcript and a list of vocabulary. Would be great if I could persuade myself to use the vocab lists. I personally find it a bit dull.
German GrammarPod
English
- explains grammar.Slow German
Podcasts on different topics - German only.
Pukka German Podcast
37 episodes -Lovely mix of German and English.
Fun podcast on German slang. Enjoyable to listen to. It's possibly a bit early for me to bother learning German slang but I don't think it hurts.
Freestyle German
6 episodes - German only.
From the same people as Pukka German. Enjoyable to listen to.
German Words Explained
Huge number of episodes - German only.
This podcast explains a commonly used german word or abbreviation per episode. Typically these are not words found in most language courses.
LED Podcast
13 podcasts - Short German Stories from German literature (also translated literature from other languages)
I don't have a link for this. I downloaded it by searching in i-tunes. I'm currently working on ein Traum by Kafka.
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