There's this Romanian girl in my class, she knows no English, and we are both learning German-both can't string a sentence in German yet.
So true dude,
The fast way to learn a new language is find a girlfriend(if you still singel),good to try. I learned my english from my husband.
mostly though it's just Panda blabbers, Panda bores.
Wasn't there a thread not so long ago about the fact the Swiss are such a reserved race, that should a lady be asked out on a date (after they've picked themselves up off the floor from shock) they'd almost always accept?
Replying with a smile and "in any case your English is most certainly better than my German, and I appreciate you speak it in the first place" seems to work as a successful reply to the "nur ein bisschen" English thing.
It works the other way also, you know...a less than 100% fluent English and my pitiful German skills did not seem to deter my German-speaking OH from chatting me up at the time
A confident smile and a pleasant attitude will take you much farther than being fluent in the language in my opinion. Good luck!
Fine advice, but just be very careful to get the consonants in "Kunsthaus" in the right order, or she'll think you're asking where the brothel is.
The best way to learn German is to find a german-speaking partner. The only problem I see is that the swiss gals have a ridiculous accent. I personally speak HOCHDEUTSCH.
When I see a swiss gal in the street, I find them beautiful until the time they start speaking
Goodluck dude
This will work better if you are short on time
Thanks a lot everyone for all of the advices and comments. I would be interested if you could share your personal experience of being in such a situation at any point in your past.
HTH
I thought you spelled Hochdeutsch like I just did. Maybe you are too LOUD!
This video comes to my mind:
This is the problem of teaching a language, the balance between theory and practice. Grammar is like the skeleton of a language. Basic words are the muscles. But to bring the learner(s) to the point to be able to use the stuff is far from easy. Only when the learners have learnt enough words and some basic structures, can you as teacher go ahead to teach full sentences.
Been a language teacher for 30+ years, and I totally disagree with this statement Woolie. Very sad that it is still the way languages are taught in most of Europe - lists of vocab and grammar, without a living context No wonder the kids are not keen. I coach many young students around here - and I grieve for them (both French and Swiss)- but we at least have lots of fun, and it works
What exactly does Hochdeutsch mean in your case ?
Do you mean Bayerisch ?
Do you mean Süd-Hessisch ?
Do you mean Kölsch ?
Do you mean Bärlinerisch ?
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which accent now do you prefer most ?
What you state simply shows that you have found methods to teach languages in a modern way, but most of your colleagues still do not ! I have had four years of "learning" French (one lesson per day) behind me when I in commercial school met a French teacher, a Mr Wirth, who successfully brought theory and practice together. He for example taught us in a lesson how to read French newspapers in a senseful way. We all first went to a nearby news-shop and he had arranged that they had almost 30 French papers around. My one was "Le Monde" which together with "Liberation" still is one of my favourite papers. To create a "living context" for average teachers is miles away from easy. THIs is the problem
I find this easier, than coming up with an hour of the "traditional" teacher-talk lessons. Using realia makes it far easier to put across a point, to encourage students to speak and act, and is just far more interesting.
Agreed Biff - I am happy to report that most of my colleagues in the UK understood this too Sadly Swiss and French languages teachers do not, for the most part. Tragic really.