Get Fluent Fast As you may already know, I am an advocate for the immersive learning approach and I encourage language learners to surround themselves as much as possible with the target language. One of my favorite tips for language learners looking to get fluent fast is to watch movies and TV shows in the target language with subtitles on. Hearing the language exposes you to real-world phrases, a variety of speaking patterns, and accents in the target language. Watch something you've seen before in another language. That way, you'll already have an idea of the premise of the movie and understand what is going on so your brain can really focus on distinguishing between the sounds of the new words you're hearing. I highly recommend watching Mean Girls in another language (fun fact: the movie is actually called Girls Club in the German version) or a sitcom like Friends. Challenge Yourself Polyglot Style If you really want to challenge yourself polyglot style - watch the show or movie with the audio in an unknown to you foreign language with another foreign language's subtitles. Example When I was first learning German, I watched a classic French teen movie with German subtitles on. It really made me pay attention to the movie in great detail and I learned so many new words in both languages. I still remember that movie so fondly! Have you ever seen La Boum or La Boum 2? Living That Prime Life I am obsessed with Amazon Prime for so many reasons. Seriously, I have a private Google document with my friends with our favorite Amazon purchases. Along with that amazing 2 day shipping on every purchase, you also have access to thousands of hours of entertainment from around the globe. This is an absolute game-changer for people who want to learn another language! Here are my current favorite multilingual movies and shows for language learning: Girl on a Bicycle This is a great watch. It has the feel of a chick flick and is ideal for polyglots and language lovers everywhere as you'll immediately hear French, German, Italian, and English. Highly recommend you watch this one with your sister or your girlfriends. Fraulein Beautiful Ana breezes into Zurich without a care in the world. She soon starts working in a cafe, injecting new spirit into the hum-drum lives of the cafe workers--throwing parties and inspiring love affairs. But her boundless energy and sexuality soon push the limits and a terrible secret comes to light. This one is in Swiss German and Bosnian with English subtitles. Le Grand Voyage Reda, a handsome young man living in France, embarks on the trip of a lifetime as he drives his father to Mecca, experiencing exotic towns, breathtaking landscapes and life-changing adventures. This one is in Arabic and French with English subtitles. Srugim Srugim is a drama series which deals with the life of religious bachelors from Jerusalem. The series offers a glance into the lives of intelligent and educated young males and females which can't find their place in the existing religious frames, which based mostly on family, thing which brings them, like bachelors from other sectors, to live in rented apartments in a specific geographical area. Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great This major international production traces the sensational rise of Catherine the Great, renowned Empress of 18th Century Russia. She begins her journey as a young German princess selected to marry Peter the Third, heir to the Russian throne. She shows that even in an age of imperial dynasties and arranged marriages, power is not given. It is taken. French Priceless A romantic comedy starring Audrey Tatou (Amelie), set on the French Riviera where nothing comes cheap. And when it comes to men, Irene has very rich taste. One very confusing night, she is duped at her own game. Her knight in shining armor turns out to be a bartender. Irene, however, is the woman of Jean's dreams. The only way to win her heart back is to turn the tables on her. Three Worlds An engaged young car salesman with a bright future commits a hit & run but must face his own guilt when he begins an affair with a witness who has befriended the victim's wife. German Bis Gleich An unspoken connection between two elderly neighbors, who share a daily ritual but have never actually met, deepens when they face the inevitable...together. Polish: Bogowie An incredible story about a rebel who challenged nature, the regime and his own shortcomings. It is a film about the first successful heart transplant in Poland performed by Professor Religa in Zabrze. Tragedy of failed surgeries, fight for each single heartbeat, grand ambitions and painful defeats, solitude of a genius who embarked on a single-handed quest against his mentors. 300 mil do nieba The screen play is based on the famed escape of brothers Zieliński from Poland to Sweden in 1985. Grześ, aged 12, and Jędrek aged 15, stow away in the undercarriage of a truck train to flee poverty, but also to find freedom. Emaciated and starving, they reach the West. Harassed by the Polish consular authorities, they refuse to return to Poland. Zazdrość i medycyna A mountain resort, the 30s of the last century. Wealthy industrialist Widmar finds out by accident about the affair his wife Rebecca. The husband started a private investigation. Ucieczka z Kina Wolnosc During the screening of the film "Daybreak" at the Liberty Cinema, movie characters suddenly come alive and begin to talk to the viewers. The situation surprises communist authorities who send a censor to the theatre. The Road Home Told in the manner of a fairy story, "The Road Home" uses allegory to explore the dilemma faced by Poland as it struggled for a new national identity amid the rise of communism. Let me know if you have any other current favorite foreign language films on Prime! Remember to follow along for more language learning fun on:
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Listening, reading, and repeating - in order to get your mind used to recognizing words and phrases in another language, you'll need to do all three.
I absolutely love the Slow German podcast with Annik Rubens. I highly recommend language learners of all levels listen to podcasts and try to repeat everything the host is saying to get your mouth and muscles used to using different parts of your throat. Even though it might feel uncomfortable, it's important to practice speaking in the target language. It will get easier for you to isolate words the more often you hear phrases being used in conversations and you'll eventually be able to use the phrases on your own! Inspired by Annik Rubens, I created a short video clip of myself slowly speaking in German. There are both English and German subtitles available.
{Deutsch/German}: Heute ist Freitag und ich dachte ich könnte euch ein bisschen deutsch unterrichten. Also eine Methode die ich sehr gut finde ist ‚langsam gesprochene deutsch.‘
Zum Beispiel, es gibt vier Jahreszeiten: Frühling, Sommer, Herbst, und Winter. Jetzt ist der Sommer vorbei und der Herbst beginnt. {Englisch/English}: Today is Friday and I thought I could teach you all a bit of German. So, one method I really like is ‘slowly spoken German.’ For example, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Now, the summer is over and the autumn is beginning. I hope you find this helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions or if there are any specific topics you'd like to see covered in slowly spoken German. In many parts of the world, today is the first day of school! I'm sharing a great lesson plan for homeschoolers and language learners everywhere for their first week of German lessons, from home. Day 1 If you have any background with German, start off by taking a free German Language Placement Test to figure out your proficiency level. You can take this again at the end of the semester to track how much you've improved. If you are brand new to the German language, download the DuoLingo app and complete the first two lessons in the Basics category. Day 2 Learn the personal pronouns: Singular ich - I du - you er - he sie - she es - it Plural wir - we ihr - you all/you guys Sie - you (formal, polite form) sie - they Practice the personal pronouns by completing the following exercise: 1. ____ gehe nach Hause. I'm going home. 2. ____ seid aus Italian. You guys are from Italy. 3. ____ (die Frau) heißt Sabine. Her name is Sabine. 4. ____ wohnst in Berlin. You live in Berlin. 5. Mein Vater und ich, ____ wir lernen Deutsch. My father and I, we are learning German. Continue with DuoLingo by completing the next two lessons. Day 3 Learn three new verbs: sein, gehen, and haben. sein = to be haben = to have gehen = to go
Write out the conjugation of your new verbs in your German notebook by hand, including the pronouns.
Studies show that writing by hand helps your brain memorize new information better and faster. By doing a combination of learning methods, you'll be able to retain your new language skills longer. Complete the following exercise to practice conjugation of your three new verbs: 1. Ich geh_ in die Schule. I'm going to school. 2. Er ___ ein Student. He is a student. 3. Ihr ha___ ein Auto. You guys have a car. 4. Wir geh__ nach Hause. We're going home. 5. Wir ____ zu Hause. We are at home.
Day 4
Complete the next two lessons in DuoLingo. Day 5 Write five, original sentences, using each of your new verbs in the present tense. Write and translate your sentences (by hand) in a notebook. You will be doing this every week so you can keep track of all of your new verbs. As always, feel free to contact me if you're interested in personalized lessons. This fall, Speak at Home Tonight is also rolling out group lesson options so you can practice speaking to multiple people, all from the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, leave me a comment below or get in touch over Instagram or Facebook. Übersetzung/Translation
Beispielsätze/Example Sentences 1.) Ein Ferrari ist __________ als ein Bus. [schnell] 2.) Anna (1,50m) ist __________ als Lena (1,75m). [klein] 3.) Die Hauptstraße (5m) ist __________ als die Friedrichstraße (2m). [breit] 4.) 10 Kilo Gold sind __________ als 50 Kilo Silber. [leicht] 5.) Silber ist __________ als Gold. [billig] 6.) Der Mann (100 kg) ist __________ als die Frau (50 kg). [schwer] 7.) Unser Auto (150 km/h) ist __________ als das der Nachbarn (200 km/h). [langsam] 8.) Helmut (sehr gut) ist __________ als Helga (schlecht). [gut] 9.) Mein Vater (52 Jahre) ist __________ als meine Mutter (49 Jahre). [alt] 10.) 1000 Meter sind __________ als 100 Meter. [lang] 11.) Ein Apfel (1,20 Euro) ist __________ als eine Kartoffel (0,20 Euro). [teuer] 12.) 10 Meter sind __________ als 100 Meter. [kurz] 13.) Mein Bruder (12 Jahre) ist __________ als meine Schwester (15 Jahre). [jung] 14.) Dieter (1,90m) ist __________ als Manfred (1,80m). [groß] 15.) Der Mount Everest ist __________ als die Zugspitze. [hoch] |
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Nikki PršaPolish-American Polyglot, Language Expert, German Teacher, M.Ed., married to my dream guy, the Croatian Sensation. Let's connect! Archives
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DISCLOSUREI aim to provide as much free content as possible to help teach others around the world how to speak another language. I am trying out using affiliate links, which means that I may earn a tiny commission if you click on a link or make a purchase through a link posted here. All opinions and materials are my own, unless otherwise stated. If you use and like my materials, let me know! :)
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