How to study:
Vocabulary:
- Go over the vocabulary page, read, take iin the info, then cover up one column, make yourself guess the other. It's always harder to come up with the Foreign word, but that's our goal!
- Draw words + write down the German word ((remember the German one, that's the one to focus on, your brain needs to learn those)
- Use names: e.g. der Huronen-Fluss, die Maackinaw Insel oder Hawaii ist eine Insel. -- Ypsilanti ist eine Stadt. Michigan ist ein Staat.--
- Use index cards.
- Stick papers with German words on objectss (fridge,....shelves...)
- Use the new words as often as you can in writing, speaking...)
- Play with the new phrases/words - if you do an exercise, always think about all the additional phrases you can form/derive: auf-stehen --> ich stehe um 8 Uhr auf. Mein Bruder....er steht um 9.30 auf. Am Wochenende stehe ich aber um 11 Uhr auf. Meine Eltern stehen um 7.15 auf. (in your mind, or outloud, or in writing.. go through as many examples as you can come up with: of different people, family members, relatives, friends, others....- film stars etc. If you only do one phrase, that's the one you might know and be able to come up with, ....- at home, do your part to help yourself learn.
- To function in the other language - to trranslate = 2 different skills. The other language might structure the phrase differently. If you forget one way of saying it, try another one that is similar.
- Pick up phrases from the internet, songs,, newspapers, film and video, and any piece of paper that contains words/phrases in the other language, practical ones (tickets/receipts/....) and other ones (on shopping bags,...).
Grammar:
There are 2 phases:
1) to understand the rule (+to know the exceptions/to understand the differences between English and German); condition: know the vocabulary well, be careful --> there are some false friends, cognates that do have a different meaning!
2) to be able to come up with the correct phrase when you want to or need to - that's our goal!!! (then we really 'own' the word)
Other strategies:
- Sing songs/certain lines - grammar/difficcult phrases will be easier to learn
- Memorize words/phrases/sentences! This heelps, is often neglected....
- Act out the meaning of words/use intonatiion, gestures, facial expressions to support the learning process. We are actors - when we learn, we have to get a feel for how to say things, to convey what we want to express, to get it across.
- Videos - can be great, especially if you 1) hear the sounds/words, 2) have subtitles, and 3) the visual context - one dimension supports the other.
- Study in a group
- Use a tutor or find some other advanced student, that can help you a lot.
- WRITE, TALK, Dance - USE THE LANGUAGE! (wwhenever possible!)
- Keep your eyes and ears open!
- Whenever you hear your teacher say a new word, phrase, say it outloud, make sure you use it in your answer, if it fits!
- Challenge yourself, don't coast on what yyou learned some time ago. - Don't always let your neighbor or s.o. else provide the answer, try it. You got and want to learn it too.
But above all, use the internet, there is so much out there, in terms of materials, useful, practical, interesting, helpful, stimulating!!!
