h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ah, it's a wonderful and varied language... You can use either, I was just demonstrating the possibilities!

It's just one of these expressions you asked for.

Also, remember what we always called 'flavouring particles', like denn, schon, aber...they alter the meaning slightly.

Wo willst Du hin? (Where do you want to go?)
Wo willst du denn hin? (Well, where do you want to go? or Where do you want to go, then?)

'Doch' and 'wohl' can work like flavouring particles, too.

Das ist schlecht. (That's bad.)
Das ist doch schlecht. (Hey, that's bad.)

Das muss lustig sein. (That must be fun.)
Das muss wohl lustig sein. (I imagine that's fun.)

It puts a little 'body English' on your German.

I used to know a professor of German who was forbidden to teach beginners any more, because he was overheard telling them not to bother learning the genders. He said:'Just do what I do, say DUH, and let the Krauts figure it out!'

Do not try this at home.

What a method!

Hey, I hear that with learningother languages it is best to try to start thinking in them or something, instead of thinking "'Blah blah blah' in German means 'blah blah blah blah'" in English and kinda like having to translate it for yourself... so does anyone have any advice on how to make it so it's like you understand it properly instead of just memorising what a bunch of words mean?

hmm... hard to say. For me it was like that after a few years, but I didn't do anything. Yust learned hard and read much and then suddenly it was there, I even had a dream in English once...

What do the others say?

Well, it sounds banal, but practice, practice, practice! I don't mean look in your s all the time, but do things like listen to music in the other language, watch your DVDs with the subtitles on, label all your things in the other language, and generally just expose yourself to it... And try to conciously think in that language, great way to pass the time on the loo You know you understand a language if you understand its jokes, and you know you've mastered it when you can make up your own (puns, I mean)

Cool. That reminds me, a month or so ago I wanted to watch a movie, but I wanted to practise my German, but I couldn't find any of our DVDs which were dubbed in German. *sighs* Thanks to my brother for having them all in the boot of his car. Damn him. I like to listen to Rammstein... is that any good? 'Cause I really wanna be able to actually speak German properly, and I'm good at memorising things, but other than that, I suck.

*huggle* Thanks.

Rammstein? hmm.. not my thing, but ok...
Maybe I can find some good links for you...
unfortunately I've got to go now... bye

And don't forget the reading! I always practise my French by reading comic books, you've got visuals to help... And I keep up my Dutch by watching Dutch ZV and having my cell phone set to Dutch!

You can watch Deutsche Welle online at:

http://www.dw-world.de/dwelle/cda/popups/mediaplayer/1,3423,,00.html?vidID=1575660&titel=+&live=1&sendHP=&sprache=de

I find that visuals help, because you're engaging all your senses.

When you watch, try not to translate in your head. It gives you a headache at first.

Another thing I find that helps: after you watch or listen, write a precis for yourself in German, see what you remember. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it keeps you thinking in the same languaage.

Try writing your grocery lists in German! It's a mini-vocab test, you get rewarded by buying the right things if you can remember the words

Search for some nice German chatroom and do all the talking in German, that should improve your German in nearly no time. I always think in English now, although I live in Germany and have to all the talking in German, I have to pay attention not to answer in English.

Or get a strange and wonderful mixed semester like mine, we have 45 people and at least 20 languages!

that's not an option for Dani.
Dani, do they sell German audio books in Australia? That, too could be a nice way of learning.

Amazon will ship foreign books just about anywhere, also try ebay!

Not sure about the German audio books. I don't really go out enough to know if they sell them here... and I don't go grocery shopping, either, and I doubt my mum would be keen about me writing a grocery list for her in German, she'd have no idea what it was saying. Wouldn't people in a German chat room get frustrated with my poor German skills? It really frustrates me when I am trying to talk to someone, but their English doesn't really make any sense... And then when I ask for them to clarify, they still make no sense, and I try to assume, but there are multiple options for me to assume, like if someone says "What you do?" I could think it means "What are you doing?" or "What do you do?" (like, a job or something or maybe what are my hobbies.) So I am kinda staring blankly at the words trying to understand them... I'd hate to go and confuse someone with my poor German... I think I should stick to things that don't involve the poor unsuspecting Germans.

Well, if all else fails test it on us, we're the suspecting Germans If you don't want to have to translate everything you say as well, leave me a note in my PS and maybe we can meet in a chatroom somewhere that allows foreign languages. You're welcome to drop by my PS for a little practice anyway, if the German Speaking Thread is too fast-paced for you

Cool. Thanks guys. That reminds me... I haven't checked out the German speaking thread since I first joined the German department... I should probably check it out again some time to see if I am any less lost now.

Do that! At the moment we mainly seem to discuss chocolate...