Tools and Tricks

Hallo alle. Deutsch lernen, ist eiene Herausforerung! That is very broken German for "hello everyone, learning German is quite a challenge!" After one month I have learned the basics rules of grammar and many words which I can add to my German vocabulary. I was struggling a bit with some of the new information presented in chapter 4 specifically masculine nouns. As I was rereading chapter 1 and 2 to see if I missed anything, I saw it! "Nouns are always written with a capitol letter"(Swick,8). This has been very helpful when working with masculine and neuter nouns. It helped me clearly identify what words I was working with.

 Another helpful tool I found was through watching German films, with and without subtitles. With subtitles I have been able to put German words and pronunciation with the English word. Without subtitles I have been able to create a simulated German environment to submerse myself in. This tactic has helped me become quicker at recognizing phrases and words in an actual conversation. According to Mr. Swick listening to German radio, television and films will give the learner a much better idea of the current pronunciation.

Admittedly, Donald Duck is not the best pronunciation teacher but I have learned how to pick out the vocabulary words that I know and learn new ones. :)

I wonder how other language learners have conquered masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns?

Swick, Edward, MA. The Everythig Learning German Book. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Avon: Karen Cooper, 2009. Print. The Everything.