So, you’ve decided to tackle German adverbs—good choice. These little words are everywhere, slipping into sentences to explain when, where, how, and to what extent things happen. Want to say you really love chocolate? Or that you’ll finally hit the gym tomorrow? Adverbs make it happen. In this guide, we’ll break down the basics, throw... The post German Adverbs: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners appeared first on LearnOutLive ..read more

Since the launch of German Chat Stories last year I’ve been toying around with various ideas and genres that might fit this format. One idea that has been kicking around in the back of my mind for a while was to do something in the fantasy genre. It came with some interesting implications. If knights... The post NEW: A Fantasy Chat Story For German Learners appeared first on LearnOutLive ..read more

Most browsers these days come with built-in machine translation features, so that when you browse a site in a language different than your own you can easily translate everything with one click. This is great if you just need to look something up quickly, but for language learners, I feel this feature is often less than helpful, because you skip the text-comprehension process entirely, don’t get to use previously learned vocabulary or acquire new words and phrases. So how can we use digital German-English dictionaries productively when reading web-sites? How to get only translations for speci ..read more

Storytelling can be a powerful way to learn a new language. You easily pick up new words from context, get a natural feel for the rhythm and most importantly, it’s a lot of fun. For a couple of years now, I’ve been experimenting with taking this simple but powerful method my books are based on and adapting it into more interactive and shorter formats. The first iteration of this idea was the Schlaflose Sarah story which is told in a chat-like format where learners can unfold the story one message at a time, get helpful translation and pronunciation along the way. The overall response fro ..read more

Good news everyone! There’s a new TalkingBook edition for Walzer in Wien, episode 7 of the Dino lernt Deutsch series, with completely remastered audio narration. As usual I’ve also added this TalkingBook to the Walzer in Wien ebook and audio bundle, and the Dino Complete Series Bundle, so if you purchased either of these bundles from our store in the past you get automatic access. What Is A TalkingBook? Learning a language is a process with many moving parts. There’s speaking practice, reading practice, writing practice, grammar practice, etc. Studies have shown that learners p ..read more

Introduction “Die Küchenuhr” (The Kitchen Clock), first published in 1947, is a popular short story by the renowned German writer Wolfgang Borchert (1921-1947), known for his powerful works that capture the profound impact of war on individuals and society. Borchert himself was deeply affected by his experiences as a soldier in World War II and used his writing to express the disillusionment and suffering of his times. This short story is perhaps one of the most famous examples of the Trümmerliteratur (rubble literature) movement, a literary trend that emerged in Germany in the years followin ..read more

I know many of you have been waiting for this, so I’m very happy to announce that the audiobook for Dino lernt Deutsch, episode 12: Sturm auf Sylt is finally here! Get Audiobook Like all Dino lernt Deutsch audiobooks, this one comes in high quality MP3* format, to enjoy on any device or app you prefer, without limitations, walled gardens and other shenanigans. (Apple Books and Audible editions will follow soon.) (If you don’t have the ebook yet, there’s also a bunch of new bundle offers.) – *Did you know that the MP3 format was invented in Germany? The post New Release: Sturm ..read more

Reading German novels or short stories can be a great way to increase your vocabulary and see grammatical structures in action. There’s no pressure to parse things quickly. You can take your time with each sentence or paragraph until you feel confident you’ve understood everything. But is reading foreign language “comprehensible input” only helpful for improving your passive (comprehension) skills, or can it actually improve your active (production) skills? While there are good studies [1] [2] on the effectiveness of the former, it seems that the impact of extensive reading on productive skil ..read more

Proverbs and sayings play a significant role in German culture, reflecting the wisdom, humor (yes, it exists), and values of the culture. These concise and often poetic expressions provide insights into German customs, beliefs, and everyday life. Whether you’re a language enthusiast, a traveler, or simply curious about German culture, this quiz will put your knowledge to the test. So, if you’re ready to embark on a linguistic and cultural journey through the German-speaking world, get ready to match the proverbs with their meanings, decipher their hidden messages, and discover the fascinating ..read more

German word order can be confusing for beginners, but once you wrap your head around key principles, understanding the flexibility of German sentence structure becomes a lot easier. After having written a detailed beginner’s guide to German word order, today I’d like to share a quick cheat sheet with you that lists some of the principles discussed in this guide. If you’re new to this topic or need detailed examples and exercises please refer to the original guide. You can also download a high-resolution PDF for handy reference and/or printing, and you can find an embed code below to share this ..read more