https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR Willkommen zu meine Seite en-us 2019-10-17 16:27:02 UTC 2025-12-23 15:07:21 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f1e9-1f1ea.png ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/399982393 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.]]> 2019-10-20 14:48:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/399982393 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413694289 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.]]> 2019-11-19 21:52:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413694289 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413697765 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.]]> 2019-11-19 22:00:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413697765 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413714041 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.]]> 2019-11-19 22:43:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/413714041 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/417248716 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!]]> 2019-11-27 19:20:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/417248716 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/422404038 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.]]> 2019-12-10 20:00:56 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/422404038 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/423019588 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.

]]> 2019-12-11 22:17:02 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/423019588 ewen1605 https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/423910069 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. ]]> 2019-12-13 17:12:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ewen1605/German_ISR/wish/423910069