https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh Meine deutsche diary en-us 2019-02-21 15:43:50 UTC 2019-05-10 12:18:54 UTC hello@padlet.com aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/333687093 Through repetition and multiple use of various introductory phrases such as "wie heist du?" etc we have learnt that German has both formal and informal phrases. German also differs from English in that it specifies male and female. This has been challenging but through using the given tables in lessons such as page 51 in our exercise booklet which gives a list of furniture and the associated genders, practicing with friends has helped me to better learn each of them. I have often thought how when using these various words and basic phrases in English in day to day life I might translate them to German, thus further helping me to memorise them. This has encouraged me to get in touch with friends who live in German speaking countries and ask to spend a short time each week speaking with them over skype and written mediums such as whatsapp.]]> 2019-02-21 15:45:37 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/333687093 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/343208952 I find that listening to songs with German lyrics it helps me to improve my understanding of the German accent and various different subtle differences depending on where in Germany the person comes from. It also helps me to learn new words and gain a better innate understanding of the German sentence structure. In particular when listening to German songs I look for a genre that I am personally interested in, from there I will then see what words I recognise just from listening, I will then follow this up by looking for the lyrics online and seeing which words I could not understand or hear properly.

I will then use these lyrics to help me learn the pronunciation and full song, along with the meaning of each word and sentence in full until I know both the song, meaning and pronunciation of by heart. One son example would be 99 Luftballons by Nena.]]> 2019-03-20 08:37:30 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/343208952 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358829293 I find the using quizlet and very effective way of memorising particular vocabulary sets. The pre made sets online for the module setup by MLTC is very thorough and useful as it is the particular vocabulary I need to learn for basic phrases.

The variety of ways of learning mean that it does not get boring, as the option of both memorising, test taking and also listening keeps it interesting.

I have also written out a few key words and phrases that I struggled with on small note taking cards and placed them around my house in key places that I work, such as above my desk and in my bedroom. I find this helps me to commit them to memory. Repetition really helps in memorising the various words.


]]> 2019-05-10 11:40:49 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358829293 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358831009 Michel Thomas CD's were recommended to me by a friend. The medium takes form as something you can listen to on your own at home, with the feeling of being in a class with other students.

The CD's start with basic phrases with very clear links made to the english language and the similarities. I have personally found that whilst this does not give you the technical ability to break down written sentences that we acquire from the lessons with MLTC, I do find it alot easier to have a better understanding of pronunciation and ability to memorise key phrases and vocabulary. I have found that for conversational phrases this is a very quick method for learning and understanding German.

These lessons make a great complimentary learning method to the weekly classes and labs.]]> 2019-05-10 11:47:50 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358831009 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358833658 Watching German movies such as the one above, "The lives of others" I have found is a really good way of gaining a better grasp of listening to and hearing the German language.
Whilst watching the movie I listened with subtitles and would also try to repeat phrases that I would hear. 
 
Whilst watching the movie I activated both German and english subtitles, I have found that this allowed me to repeat the pronunciation easier and also understand the meaning of different words.

Watching movies that I find interesting means that it feels like a more natural way of learning and something in particular I enjoyed doing.]]> 2019-05-10 11:58:10 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358833658 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358834423 https://www.clozemaster.com/blog/german-conjunctions/

Using this website I found was useful for learning key conjunctive words. Whilst I did not find learning these words particularly difficult I did find that they were very useful when having to complete the essential homework. Conjunctive words help a lot in writing sentences that flow and connect better, and the large variety means they are useful in a lot of different circumstances, including when speaking with my German speaking friends.

]]> 2019-05-10 12:01:40 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358834423 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358835532 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJsnuoiiKJI

I found this video very useful when required to learn the different ways of expressing likes and dislikes in German,

In particular I found the section on "Ich mag" and the associated conjugations very useful, as I did not fully understand the use after being introduced to them in the lessons. 

From this video I wrote down what I had learnt on small note taking flash cards, and would use these to test my self until I had memorised some key phrases and better understood the use of the word. The section on the use of gerne was also very comprehensive and assisted in my understanding of the use further. I complemented this video by also using my text book.]]> 2019-05-10 12:06:28 UTC https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358835532 aldunford1 https://padlet.com/aldunford1/2s045vn7m9xh/wish/358836791 Using the duolingo application on my phone I found a very useful way of learning vocabulary.

Whilst on it's own it is not 100% affective, I found that it compliments the other methods of learning very well. For example when travelling on public transport or at home it is a quick, easy and accessible method that I have found is a great way to fill time and quickly revise german words at the same time.

https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/11723485/Strategies-for-Learning-German-with-Duolingo

The forum post above I found was a very useful technique in getting the most out of the duolingo learning process. I used the beginner A1 section of the application at the beginning of the course to help me learn basic words and phrases such as ich, er, sie and personal pronouns such as ich, du, er/sie/es, wir, ihr/Sie and sie.


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