Heidi Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 We are moving to Germany in the spring! Any resources for learning German that you like? I will probably get a tutor next year, but until then, any suggestions for beginning German? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoppeltGemoppelt Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Two free resources that I can recommend: Duolingo is the first and there are also courses under this link http://www.dw.de/learn-german/german-courses/s-2547 Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 It will be above your kids' heads, but YOU might actually enjoy Usborne Easy German. It alternates pages with some pretty clear explanations of what is going on with the grammar, and a cute, quick to understand story written in German (vocabulary off to one side, but you can get a lot of it by looking at the pictures as you read). Much of it is conversational dialogue. The grammar pages will explicate the differences, when they are important, between written and spoken German. The story is kind of cutesy/silly for an adult, but if you actually practice it daily (translating it first, then reading it out loud in German and kind of translating in your head as you go, then just trying to read in German and "think it in German" and get the meaning "in German" in your head, it really does build your confidence on a lot of vocabulary, common conversation, and grammatical concepts (different cases, pronouns, ordinary conversational stuff, etc). I would peg it as a good start for kids at around high ability age 9 or so; more ready for it at around age 11 or 12. But it is not a bad book for an adult trying to learn the basics, either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I lived in Germany for a few years and am anxious to take my family back there. My dh is from the UK and we stumbled upon this great set of resources for learning German. It is through the BBC, and there is even a show for kids called The Lingo Show on Cbeebies: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/ Also, if you live near a military post you might be quite surprised at the availability of resources such as play groups or support groups... ETA: forgot to mention we have this app, the basics of which are free (in app purchase for entire course or travel phrases, vocabulary) which has been useful: Learn German with busuu! by Busuu Limited https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learn-german-with-busuu!/id379972533?mt=8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Two free resources that I can recommend: Duolingo is the first and there are also courses under this link http://www.dw.de/lea...-courses/s-2547 How awesome is that Deutsch Interakitv course? It's so hard to find online resources that are more than just basic - this one goes up to B1 (which is about the level my girls are at - I'm hoping this will be great for summer practice!) Thanks for the link!! My youngest is doing Duolingo - it is great for practice and reinforcement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lieutenant Stranger Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm searching very hard for German items right now...not having much luck. I'm considering downloading game apps in German for the kids to play. My sister in law lives in Germany and LOVES it. We're pretty sure she's never coming back to the states. Are you putting them in school since homeschooling is illegal there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm considering downloading game apps in German for the kids to play. The ipad apps by Goethe Institut are pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 My SIL is German, and when we went for the wedding, we wanted to be able to say we didn't speak German if we got lost. ;) So I got the Pimsleur CDs from the library, and they worked well for the adults in our party. We listen to them in the car. I don't think they'd be awesome for little kids, as the first lesson starts with a guy meeting a girl on a train, but hey... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoSylvia Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Although I don't know if it would work for kids, I highly recommend Michel Thomas CDs. He really teaches you the language easily (hard to believe I know). I listened only to his beginning set and during a trip I was able to communicate and understand surprisingly well. My dh, who has used lots of different German tapes, etc. was very impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Exciting! Where are you moving? We've lived in Germany for 11 years total (not all at once) and are moving back to the States in 2 months. I'm so going to miss it here! We used a lot of different things to learn German, but honestly, being immersed in it and having to figure out what was being said was the best way to learn. Most people do speak English, so if your German isn't perfect, you can probably have some sort of conversation. Most of my conversations involve a jumble of German, English and whacky hand gestures. It's loads of fun. I can order food like nobody's business though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 I'm searching very hard for German items right now...not having much luck. I'm considering downloading game apps in German for the kids to play. My sister in law lives in Germany and LOVES it. We're pretty sure she's never coming back to the states. Are you putting them in school since homeschooling is illegal there? We're military so we are under US law when it comes to homeschooling, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Exciting! Where are you moving? We've lived in Germany for 11 years total (not all at once) and are moving back to the States in 2 months. I'm so going to miss it here! We used a lot of different things to learn German, but honestly, being immersed in it and having to figure out what was being said was the best way to learn. Most people do speak English, so if your German isn't perfect, you can probably have some sort of conversation. Most of my conversations involve a jumble of German, English and whacky hand gestures. It's loads of fun. I can order food like nobody's business though! We will be south of Frankfurt. I haven't heard a negative thing about living in Germany yet, so I am anticipating loving it as well. I know most people don't learn the language because everyone knows English, but we were wanting to take advantage of our situation and really get to know the language, culture, and people while we're there. Specifically, we would like to live in the country and get to know the farmers. We used to live by an Amish family a few years ago, so my husband would volunteer to work on their farm (he grew up on a dairy so he knows what he is doing), and I would give them rides in exchange for fresh milk. We made life-long friends that way and loved every minute of it. We'd like to do something like that in Germany. The food... so excited about the food! Food is my favorite activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 When you say south of Frankfurt, do you mean Wiesbaden? That's where we are. We're leaving in August though. :( Just so you know, right now they aren't allowing anyone to live off post unless they are civilian contractors. There is soooo much to see and do. We've traveled all over Germany and Europe and even into Northern Africa and Asia. Within just an hour or two of Frankfurt there is a ton to see and do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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