Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey everyone,
I'm trying to learn German again. I've wanted to learn for years but have always had really bad memory problems. Hence trying to learn it at school didn't go too well, rote learning is tricky, just couldn't retain it, I know that was like a gazillion years ago, but I'm having another go. But puzzling over how the heck to get it to stick in my head?
Any tips?
I store hundreds of number plates in my head of all the cars in the neighbourhood in a wide radius (but only on sight if that makes sense) if you ask me to recite such-and-such's licence plate I haven't got a clue, I have a massive database of groceries & their prices in my head (nightmare when it all keeps going up week on week!) but this language thing just keeps confounding me!
It seems like some information is just sucked in by default, I mean not by choice, where some information you actually want to retain, is like trying to shin up a greased pole???
I'm like that too, people have complimented me on my memory but I tend to remember things randomly not when I specifically want to. I think it might be to do with PDA (pathological demand avoidance) i.e if I authentically am interested I remember it, if it's more like 'forced action', I do not. I think I would get on better learning another language if I was immersed in it e.g. lived in an area of that language for a while and liked it there (if I didn't like it I wouldn't learn so much i.e. forced action. I've experienced that when I lived+worked in Munich for 1 year 1993/4). I'd be interested to practise a bit sometimes if you want (I'm around about basic+ level), Prost! #Oktoberfest Funnily enough a particular (long) German word I do remember from that time is Umweltbewusstsein. I'm glad I remember it and think I did/do as it is genuinely of interest+ meaningful to me (then+now). I've learnt a German/Yiddish word too in my short time here Luftmentsch
Thanks, that's all really interesting. I'm considering printing out labels of all the german words and pinning them to objects/stuff in the house to try and hammer them in (as suggested by Ai). I quite like the idea of only speaking german in the house but I don't think my partner would be too pleased! I think you're right Allyboo (Guten Morgen by the way!), living there is gonna chuck you in at the deep end, and you don't have a choice in that scenario. I pick up little bits of Welsh over the years but it's a difficult language, with different rules for the same letters in different positions in words and different contexts, uber confusing! Sure (on the practice), I think I'd need to get going a bit first to get up to your level
Ausgezeichnet That's what our German teacher at school would write on our homework if we got full marks (I got it from time to time and was happy with that). If there was one error i.e. next grade down, he would write 'sehr gut' (which is good but not quite as good as 'excellent' )
Your German is coming along well, well done Mine is probably going backwards (rückwärts) and we're passing each other along the way (travelling opposite directions)
Hallo Allyboo. Ja, okay, danke. Entschuldigung für meine späte Antwort. Wie ist das Wetter bei dir, meine Freund? Vergessen Sie ihren Regenschirm heute nicht! Oh je, ich sehe, es ist Freitag, der 13.! (yikes)
Wünsche dir einen schönen Tag!
freundliche Wünsche, LangesFrettchen
(apologies, I think I got formal and informal mixed up!)
Gut danke, und dir?
Talking of madness, a quote I especially like from Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is 'We are all born mad, some remain so'. I don't know that in German but I do know 'Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker' from Nietzsche.
I like the phrase 'it's a pleasure to meet you' and have learnt it in 5 languages so far over the years as it's a potentially nice thing to say and use imo (although I haven't much so far) 'Ich bin froh Sie kennenzulernen'
Vielen dank! Hallo Allyboo, wie geht es dir?
I'm going around the house saying "Ausgezeichnet, Ausgezeichnet, Ausgezeichnet" - partner says - talking to yourself [in german] first sign of madness!!