German Classes

[Bootstrap]

Do you want to speak Deitsch with Amish people or speak German with Germans or read modern or older German texts?

Good point probably generally modern German, but there are certain older texts that might be interesting to read.

If you want to learn modern German, Language Transfer German (https://www.languagetransfer.org/german) is one good place to start, or Duolingo German if you don't mind all the noise and interrupts. There are German language meetups in many places.

Thanks for the suggestions.

If you basically want to read some things in German, and you know what you want to read, you can ask ChatGPT to break it down so you can understand it. If you read enough text this way, you start to catch on.

Break this up into phrases and clauses, with a hyperliteral translation of each chunk.

Es war einmal ein kleines süßes Mädchen, das hatte jedermann lieb, der sie nur ansah, am allerliebsten aber ihre Großmutter, die wusste gar nicht, was sie alles dem Kinde geben sollte. Einmal schenkte sie ihm ein Käppchen von rotem Samt, und weil ihm das so wohl stand, und es nichts anders mehr tragen wollte, hieß es nur das Rotkäppchen. Eines Tages sprach seine Mutter zu ihm: "Komm, Rotkäppchen, da hast du ein Stück Kuchen und eine Flasche Wein, bring das der Großmutter hinaus; sie ist krank und schwach und wird sich daran laben. Mach dich auf, bevor es heiß wird, und wenn du hinauskommst, so geh hübsch sittsam und lauf nicht vom Wege ab, sonst fällst du und zerbrichst das Glas, und die Großmutter hat nichts. Und wenn du in ihre Stube kommst, so vergiss nicht guten Morgen zu sagen und guck nicht erst in allen Ecken herum!"

Here is sample output:

Es war einmal ein kleines süßes Mädchen,
There was once a little sweet girl.

• Es war einmal = It was once (“There was once”)
• ein kleines süßes Mädchen = a little sweet girl

das hatte jedermann lieb, der sie nur ansah,
who everyone loved who only looked at her.

• das = who (referring to the girl)
• hatte lieb = had love (idiomatic: loved)
• jedermann = everyone
• der sie nur ansah = who only looked at her

am allerliebsten aber ihre Großmutter,
but most dearly of all, her grandmother.

• am allerliebsten = most dearly of all
• aber = but / however
• ihre Großmutter = her grandmother

die wusste gar nicht, was sie alles dem Kinde geben sollte.
who did not even know what all she should give the child.

• die wusste gar nicht = who did not even know
• was sie alles dem Kinde geben sollte = what all she to-the-child give should (what she should give the child)

[JohnH]

It would be significantly easier to function in Germany only knowing English versus Quebec only knowing English; in particular a lot of jobs in Quebec will simply not conduct any business in English. You can send an email or even speak to a colleague in English, and they'll understand you, but respond in French.

Whereas in an office in Germany sometimes I forgot English wasn't the prevailing language. During technical discussions often two native German speakers would simply talk to each other in English since the subject matter is so English-dominated.

[ohio jones]

It would be significantly easier to function in Germany only knowing English versus Quebec only knowing English; in particular a lot of jobs in Quebec will simply not conduct any business in English. You can send an email or even speak to a colleague in English, and they'll understand you, but respond in French.

Whereas in an office in Germany sometimes I forgot English wasn't the prevailing language. During technical discussions often two native German speakers would simply talk to each other in English since the subject matter is so English-dominated.

That, and the lange Wörter aneinandergereiht can leave one a bit breathless if you start in on one without planning for it.

My favorite border anecdote comes from the time I landed in Frankfurt on an Air Canada flight from Montreal, at a time when the porosity of the Schengen land border was in the news. The passenger at the passport control booth next to me was apparently a francophone, and the Bundespolizei officer questioning him was none too pleased. "English! Speak English to me, or go back to wherever you came from." The guy at my booth chimed in, "Yeah, we only speak English here." After a slight pause he added under his breath, "...or German, I guess."

[Szdfan]

It would be significantly easier to function in Germany only knowing English versus Quebec only knowing English; in particular a lot of jobs in Quebec will simply not conduct any business in English. You can send an email or even speak to a colleague in English, and they'll understand you, but respond in French.

Whereas in an office in Germany sometimes I forgot English wasn't the prevailing language. During technical discussions often two native German speakers would simply talk to each other in English since the subject matter is so English-dominated.

Well…I guess it’s nice to know that you’d be comfortable attending church with Germans.

[JohnH]

It would be significantly easier to function in Germany only knowing English versus Quebec only knowing English; in particular a lot of jobs in Quebec will simply not conduct any business in English. You can send an email or even speak to a colleague in English, and they'll understand you, but respond in French.

Whereas in an office in Germany sometimes I forgot English wasn't the prevailing language. During technical discussions often two native German speakers would simply talk to each other in English since the subject matter is so English-dominated.

Well…I guess it’s nice to know that you’d be comfortable attending church with Germans.

What does any of what I had to say do with church?

I don’t think I’d be a very useful part of a church or feel included since I don’t understand it well. I used to go to church with native German and Russian speakers and we really couldn’t function well together since we could not discuss complex issues at all.

I also didn’t really see eye to eye with their general attitude of Soviet / Germanic “supremacy”. Always talking about how German-anything is better, be it appliances, furniture, culture, people. I worked with a guy from Romania who had the same attitude. It’s tiresome.

[Szdfan]

It would be significantly easier to function in Germany only knowing English versus Quebec only knowing English; in particular a lot of jobs in Quebec will simply not conduct any business in English. You can send an email or even speak to a colleague in English, and they'll understand you, but respond in French.

Whereas in an office in Germany sometimes I forgot English wasn't the prevailing language. During technical discussions often two native German speakers would simply talk to each other in English since the subject matter is so English-dominated.

Well…I guess it’s nice to know that you’d be comfortable attending church with Germans.

What does any of what I had to say do with church?

I don’t think I’d be a very useful part of a church or feel included since I don’t understand it well. I used to go to church with native German and Russian speakers and we really couldn’t function well together since we could not discuss complex issues at all.

I also didn’t really see eye to eye with their general attitude of Soviet / Germanic “supremacy”. Always talking about how German-anything is better, be it appliances, furniture, culture, people. I worked with a guy from Romania who had the same attitude. It’s tiresome.

John, I was mostly teasing. But I do think it’s interesting that you rail against English as a “trade language,” yet describe Germans switching to English for you because it’s easier.

[JohnH]

Well…I guess it’s nice to know that you’d be comfortable attending church with Germans.

What does any of what I had to say do with church?

I don’t think I’d be a very useful part of a church or feel included since I don’t understand it well. I used to go to church with native German and Russian speakers and we really couldn’t function well together since we could not discuss complex issues at all.

I also didn’t really see eye to eye with their general attitude of Soviet / Germanic “supremacy”. Always talking about how German-anything is better, be it appliances, furniture, culture, people. I worked with a guy from Romania who had the same attitude. It’s tiresome.

John, I was mostly teasing. But I do think it’s interesting that you rail against English as a “trade language,” yet describe Germans switching to English for you because it’s easier.

Obviously a workplace will tend to use trade languages. I would prefer to see minority languages used in their traditional areas and protected. Nazareth should keep being an Arabic speaking place. Montreal French. The Outer Hebrides Gaelic and so forth.

[ohio jones]

I would prefer to see minority languages used in their traditional areas and protected. Nazareth should keep being an Arabic speaking place. Montreal French. The Outer Hebrides Gaelic and so forth.

Nipwaataawi myaamia! Although for me it would be an academic exercise rather than cultural preservation.

[JohnH]

I would prefer to see minority languages used in their traditional areas and protected. Nazareth should keep being an Arabic speaking place. Montreal French. The Outer Hebrides Gaelic and so forth.

Nipwaataawi myaamia! Although for me it would be an academic exercise rather than cultural preservation.

Right. The damage done can’t be undone. But I’d like to see the current situation at least not made worse.

[Szdfan]

I would prefer to see minority languages used in their traditional areas and protected. Nazareth should keep being an Arabic speaking place. Montreal French. The Outer Hebrides Gaelic and so forth.

Nipwaataawi myaamia! Although for me it would be an academic exercise rather than cultural preservation.

Right. The damage done can’t be undone. But I’d like to see the current situation at least not made worse.

Glad to see you're doing your part.

German is kind of pointless to learn since it is quite rare to run into a German speaker who can't communicate in English.