Where can I do this?

I've looked into classes at Wake Tech... no success

I've looked at the NCSU catalog... no success... interferes with work

Does anyone know of any other places in the area that might offer German classes?

If not, has anyone had any good experiences with any self-teaching materials?

Thx

6/13/2007 7:41:29 PM

It might help to know what your reasons for learning Deutsch are...

6/13/2007 7:55:04 PM

Well, first of all, a recent trip to Europe has inspired me to learn another language.

On top of that, it is possible that I'll have an opportunity to take a temporary job in Germany in the near future. I'd like to be able to at least fumble my way through a conversation.

6/13/2007 8:06:13 PM

Ich denke das für Deutsch, du sollst sich Zeit geben, ins Universität zu studieren.

Aber du könnst hier gehen, zu Hause zu studieren.

http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/indlearn/german.htm


(I did my second semseter through UT-Knoxville, but they dont seem to offer German any longer. this program at UW-Madison is the same thing)

EDIT: oh, this is for yourself, and not for degree reqs?

well, you should get a class or a tutor of some kind. learning via books and cassettes is okay, if all youre trying to do is fulfill requirements,

but the best thing to do is speak with other students/teachers/native speakers.

Mitch's in raliegh is the meeting place for the NCSU German club, i dont know how active they are over the summer though.

i would email some German profs at NCSU, for their advice.




[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 8:26 PM. Reason : ]

6/13/2007 8:19:57 PM

Emailing a prof sounds like a decent idea... I think I could only get so far learning with a book and cassette

[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 8:28 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/13/2007 8:26:00 PM

^^ wouldn't it be lernen and not studieren in this case?

6/13/2007 8:37:27 PM

buy/download the Pimsleur lessons. They're really good. I learned more in 2 weeks listening to Pimsleur MP3s than in 2 months of face-to-face lessons in germany (from the "Berlitz method", there the instructor speaks in nothing but German all the time)

here's where you buy it - http://www.simonsays.com/content/index.cfm?sid=128
but you can probably find a torrent somewhere

6/13/2007 8:41:13 PM

^ second the Pimsleur if you're trying to get conversational in a relatively short period of time. Nothing will replace taking lots of courses on grammar and hammering in massive amounts of vocab, but not many people have that kind of time. Besides, you can probably get by with less than you might think.

6/13/2007 9:52:09 PM

Man, if anyone knows where to get a torrent or something of that, I'd be very interested to find out.

6/13/2007 9:57:23 PM

if you are generally good at learning languages, you can learn a LOT on your own through books and cd roms.

then when you are able to form some sentences on your own, you find who in your area can speak (or a friend) and then practice with them. initially, it will just be like talking to a wall trying to learn from a friend. so you take the first few steps yourself, and then enroll a friend's occasional help for conversation.

this is supposed to be one of the best in the industry:

http://www.rosettastone.com

6/13/2007 9:59:35 PM

I'm not neccessarily good at learning languages at all. I took 4 years of Latin and was above average, but its not a spoken language so it doesn't really count.

If anyone knows about the Torrent, please let me know as well.

6/13/2007 10:12:14 PM

i actually have 4 Units of Pimsleur lessons on MP3, each containing thirty, 30-minute lessons.

... PM me and i'll figure out a way to get them to you

6/13/2007 10:17:46 PM

^^ there's a few torrents up a mininova.

6/13/2007 10:29:45 PM

I will add to the recommendations for Pimsleur. While I havent used their german language course, I have used their stuff for a few other languages. They are great for getting you conversational in a relatively short amount of time.

6/13/2007 10:48:05 PM

Cameron Village Library had a lot of the Pimsleur series last time I checked...

6/13/2007 11:13:38 PM

never mind

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 3:00 AM. Reason : -]

6/14/2007 2:40:45 AM

What about Rosetta stone? I've been curious about that myself, and I'm actually wanting to learn Italian

6/14/2007 8:38:16 AM

i recommend rosetta stone; it really is a good tool to use. i use it for teaching myself russian; and i plan to learn german at some point down the road too. it can be found easily on torrent sites.

6/14/2007 9:00:55 AM

Quote :

"this is supposed to be one of the best in the industry: http://www.rosettastone.com"

6/14/2007 10:22:05 AM

Quote :

"wouldn't it be lernen and not studieren in this case?"

bah.

6/14/2007 11:01:58 AM

Wake county library has a bunch of Pimsleur CDs. Sehr gut!

6/14/2007 11:03:48 AM

Everyone in Germany speaks English, though I'm sure they'd appreciate you at least trying a little.

Have you tried looking at UNC (I know I know), or Campbell for classes?

6/14/2007 11:20:32 AM

Quote :

"Everyone in Germany speaks English"

true, about 90% of people under 40

/thread

6/14/2007 11:35:47 AM

^ Depends on where you go.

/thread ??? Just because they speak English, doesn't mean we shouldn't learn German.

6/14/2007 11:48:44 AM

Quote :

"Just because they speak English, doesn't mean we shouldn't learn German."

After taking 4 years of that shit in high school, this is more than enough of a reason.

6/14/2007 12:58:35 PM

May have to try these out myself...

I took four years in high school and then a year in college and yet when faced with talking to my aunt and cousin, who are native speakers, I struggled.

I need to step my game back up.

6/14/2007 1:29:50 PM

I would have to suggest Pimsleur over Rosetta Stone; but this is based on the spanish version of both programs

6/14/2007 2:44:55 PM

Kay, du sollst nach Deutschland reisen!

6/14/2007 3:43:26 PM

thanks for the advice.... i'm about to look into all of it next week when i get back from out of town

anyone else have any experience with either pimsleur or rosetta stone?

6/14/2007 8:26:28 PM

rosetta stone is good in that it helps you to associate the words with the things they represent, so that you don't have to stop and think about what you want to say

6/14/2007 8:38:53 PM

http://www.amazon.com/German-Speak-Write-Beginners-Guides/dp/0486202712

German: How to Speak and Write It

Seems like a good book. Dover, less than 10 bux. I know for a fact they have a copy of an older edition at Nice Price Books (since yesterday). I'd just get the new one for <$10 though.

6/14/2007 9:42:40 PM

If you're willing to pay a little, my boyfriend could teach you.

He was born and half raised in Germany, parents are still over there along with all his family. Plus he worked at Audi for a year and AKG for 3, so knows some business lingo that could help out.

I wouldn't worry too much. One of his best friends at Audi who worked there for a year was from Australia and couldn't speak a lick of German, and he got along fine.

6/14/2007 10:32:59 PM

Yeah last time I went to Germany the Germans spoke English much better than anyone I knew I could speak German..and they all were pretty fluent in it. They have to study either French or English starting in like second grade or something like that and most of them choose English. I don't speak a damn bit of German, but after a few weeks of being there I picked up enough to understand some of what was being said..

6/14/2007 10:49:27 PM

Quote :

"wbbuesch: Kay, du sollst nach Deutschland reisen!"

Ich bin nach Deutschland vorher gewesen.

(and shoot, I had to look up vorher...and I'm not sure that's even right)

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 11:51 PM. Reason : add]

6/14/2007 11:50:01 PM

^ Would it be "Ich bin schon einmal in Deutschland gewesen?"

6/15/2007 2:01:22 AM

BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING


http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

go there, its extremely helpful and free

6/15/2007 2:22:00 AM

More like "Ich bin ein Berliner", am I right

6/15/2007 7:43:45 AM

Quote :

"Would it be "Ich bin schon einmal in Deutschland gewesen?""

See...my point exactly.

Pimsleur, you say?

::off to find the torrent::

6/15/2007 1:06:42 PM

Quote :

"Mitch's in raliegh is the meeting place for the NCSU German club, i dont know how active they are over the summer though. "

They're still meeting.

6/15/2007 3:24:47 PM

^^ already found it last night

6/15/2007 3:25:33 PM