# data[].attributes.body
11/12/2019
In preparation for the oral exam, I used the course book to create 25 flashcards of potential questions that could be asked based on the contents of the course and the summary sections at the end of each chapter.
As my girlfriend is a native German speaker, I asked her to use the flashcards to help create a short conversation in the style of the mock exam that I could have with her. I used this opportunity to try and formulate extended answers, but initially I was finding this quite difficult. I decided to take some additional time to write down some potential responses to each question - not to refer to physically, but rather something to refer back to mentally if I got stuck with what to say. In our next practice this helped me to respond more quickly and with slightly more accuracy.
For example, for the question "Was möchtest du essen?" I wrote down "Ich möchte Pizza essen aber ich sollte einen Salat haben". Thie means that in response to that question I don't necessarily have to come up with an answer on the spot, but I have a pre-formulated answer to refer back to if needed.
Often I found that the challenge was that I understood the key elements of the question, but was formulating answers in English before trying to translate them into German. I also had a lot of uncertainty about whether what I wanted to say was correct gramatically, correct in that it would be said the way a German would say it. This I found a major barrier to trying to express myself as I didn't want to embarass myself.
However, with a bit more practice and going over the questions a couple of times, I found myself more comfortable with using the right articles, prepositions and personal pronouns. I will continue to do this practice with her over the coming week to prepare for the actual exam and then continue this practice at home for my own independent study.

# data[].attributes.body
Date 4/12/2019
Following the class session on separable verbs, I decided to do some further exercises to practice this concept in German grammar. I found it useful to think of separable verbs in the same way as the numbering system after 20 - where the two parts of the number swap places (34 is said "4 in thirty"). Similarly the first part of the verb goes to the end of the sentence.

In the excerises I completed, finishing with the one in the link below, I largely completed the sentences correctly be identifying the prefix and the stem of the separable verb. I also found that I could identify the sentences using a modal verb and so could correctly used the infinitive form of the separable verb at the end of the sentence.

Areas for improvement are definitely the conjugation of irregular verbs, especially those with vowel changes - I did not conjugate fahren to "fährt" on three occasions as I missed the vowel change.

Similarly, I was a bit confused by the final example which splits the separable verb at the end of the sentence, but I believe this is because the verb is not connected to a pronoun. However, on reflection I will have to study this area of German grammar more often as it is cruicial - sentences can change entire meaning as a result of this.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this exercise, you will practice adding separable prefixes to various words in order to create verbs. This is a common characteristic of German with which many non-native speakers have trouble, and so practice in this area is essential to your knowledge of the German language.

You will be given several sentences with missing words, and you will also be provided with the infinitive for each sentence. Your task is to fill in the blanks of each sentence with the correct separable verb. Be attentive: We included some fields to confuse you. To solve all sentences correctly, some of the fields should stay empty.

Exercises

Adding special characters

Ways to add vowels and the ß without German keyboard design:

Click on the desired character below and it will appear in the active field.

A faster and more convenient way: We associated each character with a number from 1 to 4, whereas ä is 1, ö is 2, ü is 3 and ß is 4. Just type in the number and it will be instantly transformed to the character.

Enjoying higher usability

Use the tab key to jump from the current to the next input field.

Press enter key (or return key) to send the form and to see the solutions.

Use numbers 1 to 4 to add vowels and special characters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this exercise, you will practice adding separable prefixes to various words in order to create verbs. This is a common characteristic of German with which many non-native speakers have trouble, and so practice in this area is essential to your knowledge of the German language.

# data[].attributes.body
Date 24/11/2019
Unfortunately we weren't able to cover telling the time in class, so I decided to have a look at this topic in my own time. I reviewed the class slides and page 54 of the course book to read about the basics and to establish the differences between telling the time in German and telling the time in English. Reflecting on this I found lots of differences:

- Saying "half to three" instead of "half past two"
- Saying "shortly before three" instead of "two minutes to three"
- Saying "five to half to three" instead of "twenty-five past two"
- Saying "five past half to three" instead of "twenty-five to three"

There is much more of a focus on the following hour (future-looking) rather than the minutes into the current hour. I found this quite confusing and listening to the audio recordings from the coursebook was quite challenging.

Online I found a website called German ToLearnFree which had lots of user-created quizzes for telling the time. These including sentence building based on the words available, matching the written time to a picture of a clock, and then writing out the full sentence of the time based on the numbers e.g. 3:10 to be written as "zehn nach drei".

I found that by completing lots of the small quizzes I started to think more about the hour ahead rather than the hour I was coming from. This will take much more practice to get used to!

# data[].attributes.body
To help with basic sentences structure and grammar, I started listening to an Audiobook called Learn German with Paul Noble. The format of this book is that Paul, with the assistance of a native German speaker, introduces words a few at a time and gives you time to say the words out loud before the German speaker says them, so you can compare. Slowly Paul helps you to build up basic sentences and ultimately, towards the end of the 8 hour course, to construct more complex sentences using the Nominative, Accusative and Dative cases as well as personal pronouns.

I found this course very beneficial for building up speaking confidence and for comparing my pronunciation to a native German speaker. It also helped introduce grammatical structures in a simple, scaffolded approach.

However towards the end of the course when the structures became more complex I found myself making more mistakes. For example not using the correct article or personal pronoun, not conjugating the verbs correctly, and largely using the wrong case. I think that repeating the course and especially the sections towards the end that are more conked complex will be hugely beneficial in getting to grips with the cases and applying the correct case to nouns/verbs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home > Learn German with Paul Noble for Beginners - Complete Course : German Made Easy with Your Bestselling Language Coach

Publication Date: 13-09-2012

RRP £59.99 - In stock Sale

An exciting approach to learning German with the easy, relaxed appeal of an audio-only product. Over 12 hours of bestselling easy-listening.

No books. No rote memorisation. No chance of failure.

The accompanying booklet is also available here: collinsdictionary.com/resources.

For all those who have struggled to learn German in the past.
For all those who think they're just not a linguist.
For all those who don't have the time - or the inclination - to sit and study a textbook.

This is your chance to have a one-to-one lesson from Paul and his native-speaking German experts, and all in your own time. Importantly, you will also know how to make your new vocabulary work for you. No set phrases, no lists of vocabulary. Just real German at your fingertips.

A more in-depth course for those looking to improve their language skills, with over 12 hours of audio and a handy written revision guide to reinforce your learning.
Which Paul Noble product is right for me?
I need a basic audio course for use on holiday or a business trip - choose The Essential Paul Noble Course.

I am a beginner or near-beginner and need an in-depth audio course - choose The Paul Noble Complete Course.

I have listened to a Complete Course and I would like to take my learning to the next level - choose The Paul Noble Next Steps Course.

I have some understanding and have previously studied the language, I need a book to consolidate what I know and increase my conversational ability - choose The Paul Noble Unlocking Series.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learn German with Paul Noble for Beginners - Complete Course : German Made Easy with Your Bestselling Language Coach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An exciting approach to learning German with the easy, relaxed appeal of an audio-only product. Over 12 hours of bestselling easy-listening.No books. No rote memorisation. No chance of failure.The accompanying booklet is also available here: collinsdictionary.com/resources.For all those who have str

# data[].attributes.headline
ISR 4 - Duolingo (Basics to Acc. Case lessons)

# data[].attributes.subject
ISR 4 - Duolingo (Basics to Acc. Case lessons)

# data[].attributes.body
Date 10/11/2019

I returned to using Duolingo for a couple of days to test using the definite and indefinite articles in context. Duolingo contains lots of basic starter lessons that allow you to listen, write, read and speak sentences while testing basic grammar rules. The first few lessons focus on der Mann, die Frau, der Junge und das Mädchen (and the indefinite article forms). I found it really useful to solidify the link between das/der and ein; die and eine.

I also started the lessons on Accusative case, using the additional lesson information and resources to help. This slowly introduces the alternative form of "der" into "den" when the noun is the direct object of a sentence. I struggled with the concept of this at first as word form doesn't change like this in English, but the additional information and practice with a few different Maskulin words helped me to remember it with greater accuracy.

# data[].attributes.body
Date 03/11/2019

I have started using a Spaced Reptition Flashcard system to learn vocabulary. I was inspired by the book Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner - but lots of online resources, including Brainbox and Memrise, use a similar system to help teach languages. I've been building my own deck of flashcards using a program called Anki which I can access on my computer and on-the-go via a mobile app.

The so-called "Leitner Box" method shows you a flashcard and if you provide the correct answer it moves to the next 'box' to be reviewed in one day's time. The next day you review your flashcards and see the same flashcard again - if you guess it correctly again it will box to the next 'box' and be reviewed in 3 days time, and so on. Eventually, it will be committed to your long-term memory. If at any point you get it wrong the card will be reviewed more frequently.

I have created two flashcards for each vocab word I need to learn. I am creating flashcards using words from the Netzwerk Neu A1.1 textbook.

Flashcard 1
Front Side - Was bedeutet man dieses Wort? [vocabulary word without article]

To provide the correct answer, I need to correctly pronounce the word with its definite article (der/die/das).

Answer Side - [vocabulary word with article] + audio clip for pronunciation

Flashcard 2
Front Side - [Picture representing the word]

To provide the correct answer, I need to pronounce the word with its definite article.

Answer side - [vocabulary word with article] + audio clip for pronunciation

I have immediately found myself able to better recall words and it has really helped with remembering the gender of each noun.

In the future I will create flashcards for the plural form of each noun as well, as I am struggling to recognise any patterns that might help me to remember these too. There are lots of varying endings and vowel changes that are quite confusing and I think the flashcards will be able to help with this.

# data[].attributes.body
Date: 27/10/2019

This week, I continued practicing Minimal Pair Testing - a method of distinguishing the sounds of a new langauge that I learned from a book called Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner. I identified that I continue to have trouble recognising the difference between some words in German with similar sounding German, or even English, words. This is because there are very subtle differences in the way they are pronounced. I realise that it is incredibly important in both the short- and long-term to be able to accurately distinguish between the sounds in order to effectively improve my listening skills. Practicing the different sounds will also help with my speaking.

To practice Minimal Pairs, I use a set of audio-based flashcards purchased from Fluent Forever that can be loaded into an app called Anki. Each flashcard shows two words - sometimes one in German and one in English, and sometimes two words in German. Largely the words are spelled differently but pronounced almost exactly the same. Only one segment of the word changes - the "minimal pair". The flashcard contains an audio file for one of the words, and I have to choose which word I heard. If I get the answer wrong, the flashcard is moved to the back of the deck to be reviewed again. If I get it correct, I say how easy I found that card. If it was OK, I'll review it again the next day. If it was easy, I will review it again in a few days. Each time I review and get it right, I'll review the card again at longer and longer intervals until every card is easier and I can distinguish the sounds more effectively.

I have already found in my practice that some of the cards that I initially found very difficult have started to become more easier and I am starting the distinguish between subtle pronunciation changes more effectively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We'll break this up into two chunks: The Pronunciation video series, and a discussion about Minimal Pair testing.

The Pronunciation Video Series:

This is a series of 3 videos on English pronunciation that will teach you about what's going on in your mouth when you pronounce English words. In Appendix 4 of the book, I use different (significantly less terrifying) vocabulary than I use in these videos, but the content lines up, and the fact that videos can show you pictures and actually make sounds will make these pretty accessible and interesting. Enjoy!

Pronunciation Tutorial 1: English and the IPA - Voicing and Place

Pronunciation Tutorial 2: English and the IPA - Manner

Pronunciation Tutorial 3: English and the IPA - Vowels

Pronunciation Tutorial 4: How to improve your pronunciation using IPA (French Pronunciation)

(Warning! This one gets pretty technical!)

What's a minimal pair test?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a handy video introduction to the topic. To sum it up in a sentence, you can rewire your ears to hear new, foreign sounds by testing yourself using recordings of very similar words ("rock" vs "lock", "rue" vs "roux", etc.)

How do I make my own?

To do this, you'll need to assemble a list of interesting word pairs, get them recorded, chop those recordings up into individual sound files, and get those files into the Anki flashcard software. Depending upon how many sounds you want to train, this process may take some time, but I've found that the work is pretty fun - you're mucking around with your target language's sound system and playing with a bunch of computer programs - and in the end, it's really empowering, as you're teaching yourself your language. So let's get started:

Get a list of minimal pairs to play with

To train your ears on a new sound, you're going to need to find some words that contrast that new sound with some other, extremely similar sound. In French, for instance, there are two "O" sounds that are unfamiliar to English speakers: [o], or "closed O" and [ɔ], or "open O". They sound like this:

Closed O, [o]:

https://fluent-forever.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/o_sot.mp3

Open O, [ɔ]:

https://fluent-forever.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/O_sort.mp3

To train your ears to recognize these two O's, you'll want to find a few words that contrast them directly, like nôtre/notre or hausse/os. So where do you find those words?

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a centralized source of minimal pairs, and each language's resources differ considerably. When I began studying Hungarian, for instance, I found a great list of minimal pairs right in the beginning of my textbook that covered every problematic sound in the language. For other languages (Italian, for instance), I've had a lot of difficulty finding good pairs, and have had to resort to guessing (I know cagna is a word...so what about cania?) and checking in a dictionary or online (Italian Wikipedia says Cania is a commune in the Cantemir district of Moldova...not a particularly common word, but I suppose it counts...). Check the first pages of your grammar books or look into a pronunciation book to look for some options.

Because of this problem, I developed a community-supported list of useful minimal pairs in as many languages as possible. Check out our Pronunciation Trainers, which include minimal pair tests by clicking here. You can also click here to get IPA pronunciation flashcards in other languages, such as French and Spanish. If you have a good list for your language of choice, send it over and I'll link it here.

Get those minimal pairs recorded

In the beginning, you're looking for a single native speaker to record each pair of words. Later on, some variety will produce better overall results, but at least in the beginning, using only one speaker will make it easier to adapt to the new sounds. (Then, if you want to step up the difficulty and improve your ears further, have another 1-3 speakers record some pairs). To make the recordings, either go to Rhinospike.com and have them done for free (you'll need to record some stuff in your native language to boost your request higher in the list), or go to Fiverr.com or Elance.com and hire someone there to do it. Fiverr's neat because it's only $5, Elance tends to produce faster results but is more expensive, and Rhinospike is great but there's no guarantee that you'll get your recording quickly.

A tip: Ideally, you're going to want your native speaker to record each word with the same intonation.

A tip: Ideally, you're going to want your native speaker to record each word with the same intonation. Usually, when you give a native speaker a list of pairs to record (nôtre/notre, hausse/os), they have a very predictable, slightly problematic intonation pattern. They'll go up on the first word, as if it was a question ("Nôtre?"), and they'll go down on the second word ("Notre.") That gives you an aural clue that's not particularly helpful for ear training. You can fix this by having them say each word twice. You'll still get that intonation pattern - "nôtre? nôtre." - but now you'll have pairs that you can compare directly ("nôtre?" vs "notre?" and "nôtre." vs "notre.").

Chop the recordings up into individual sound files

Your cheapest bet for an audio editor is Audacity. It's free and it runs on Macs, PCs and Linux without any trouble. Here's what you'll do:

1. Open up your sound file and select the zoom tool (click each image to expand):

2. Zoom in until you can see each recorded word individually:

3. Switch to the selection tool:

4. Select your first word (you can hit space to play it, if you're not sure what you're selecting):

5. Up top, in the File menu, choose "Export Selection."

6. In the bottom of the window that pops up, select "Format: Mp3 Files", then save your sound file.

7. Do that for each word you had recorded.

One of our users has found another, and easier, way! Audacity can actually do most of this work for you if you use the Sound Finder feature (under Analyze -> Sound Finder). This will create a label track and automatically add labelled regions based on sections of continuous sound. So if you have a long audio file with someone reading words one after another, this will quickly create the selections for you around individual words rather than you having to select each one yourself. It is easy to drag the created regions to tweak them if necessary. And to make it even better, you can use File -> Export Multiple to export all of the labelled sound regions to files. By default, these will be named 1, 2, 3, etc. in order of appearance in the original file but, if you'd prefer, you can change the labels in Audacity and it will use those labels for the file names.

Make your flashcards in Anki

With your list of words and the sound files all cut up, all you need to do is drag and drop those sound files into Anki, type in the corresponding words and hit "Add."

Three tutorials that should be handy:

Also, check out our shop which has some minimal pair cards. There are also other pronunciation resources for Anki in foreign languages already made for you, if that helps. But if you want to make the pronunciation or minimal pair flashcards on your own, then this post and the resources above should help you get started.

Try the Fluent Forever App

By the way, did you know the book is now an app. Check out our Fluent Forever app!

Discover our immersive method rooted in neuroscience designed to take you to fluency in < 30 minutes a day through four steps:

1. Train your ears with pronunciation lessons.

2. Learn vocabulary through images instead of translations.

3. Learn grammar naturally through stories relevant to you.

4. Practice your speech to fluency with native tutors.

Check out our Fluent Forever app!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pronunciation and Ear Training We'll break this up into two chunks: The Pronunciation video series, and a discussion about Minimal Pair testing. The Pronunciation Video Series: This is a series of 3 videos on English pronunciation that will teach you about what's going on in your mouth when you pron

# data[].attributes.body
Date: 20/10/2019

I reviewed what we had learned in class and the lab session by testing myself on the numbers 1-20 using this online quiz site. The quiz was useful because it tested both spelling and comprehension of the numbers - starting with having to write the numbers as words in German, and then having to write the numbers down from the written form.

I then expanded on the numbers 1-20 by looking at the exercises for the numbers 1-100. It found this very useful to establish that there is a distinct pattern to the German numbers after 20 where they become "one in twenty, two in twenty" rather than what we are used to in English which is "twenty one, twenty two". While the numbers 21-99 are reversed, they follow a consistent pattern.

I tested myself then on my spelling and comprehension of the numbers from 1-100 and found that I had a nearly perfect success rate. However, I did find myself struggling with accuracy on numbers containing 6 and 7 (I appeared to often confuse 'sech' and 'sieb') and on numbers containing 30 (spelled without the letter "z").

I therefore continued to test myself on the numbers, focusing particular attention on the thirties and those containing 6 and 7, ensuring that I not only completed the exercise online but also read the numbers aloud for practice at pronunciation. I had a native German speaker listen and correct any mistakes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This set of exercises will allow you to practice the use and understanding of numbers in German. Beginners will learn to write the numbers 1 to 20. More advanced students will learn the numbers 1 to 100. In the comprehension exercise numbers are written out in full. The language learner needs to identify the numbers and write the corresponding numeral. This exercise is perfect for teaching the language learner to understand numbers as they are used in conversation, on the radio and on TV.

You will also see exercises to help you learn and apply ordinal numbers in texts. The ordinal numbers in German are similar to the cardinal numbers except for "one" (eins) and "first" (erste). You will also want to note that ordinal numbers take different forms for different cases, like, for example, "der dritte Tag" in the nominative case versus "am dritten Tag" in the dative case.

Grammar exercises

fill-in-the-blanks exercise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This set of exercises will allow you to practice the use and understanding of numbers in German. Beginners will learn to write the numbers 1 to 20. More advanced students will learn the numbers 1 to 100. In the comprehension exercise numbers are written out in full.