Saturday, February 21, 2009

Language

So i came to germany with no german language skills at all. So i have been learning pretty much on my own since i got here. I had a month long language school in my first month, but it didn't really help to much. Of course it benefited me a little, but i think i would have learned faster/better if i would have began school when i first got in germany.

But i have gotten better since i got here! Ive been here a little longer than 5 months and i can understand most things... i want to say that i understand alot, but i also dont understand alot. When people talk directly, i can understand alot. But when people are talking in groups, its alot harder. For example, in class, its extremely hard to understand. Like history. She talks the entire class, and i dont have enough vocab to understand. That being said.. sometimes i understand and sometimes i dont. Its hit and miss. One good thing that i can do now is that when i dont understand a word in a sentence, i can ask a person to explain it to me in german so i dont have to speak englisch. Most of the time, i can figure out what they meen! It feels good to figure it out like that.

Im "conversational"...
somewhat.


Dreaming in german
. I dont really dream that much. I think i have about one dream every month. I had a short one last night and it was in german. I wish that i would dream more (or remember them) so i could practice my german while ill sleep! PLus that would meen that im understand the language more!


Thinking in german/translating.
I wouldnt say that i "think" in german yet... i think that i think in the language of the hour. When im speaking englisch.. i think in english. But when im speaking in english, i dont have to think....it just comes out. When i speak german, i dont think of the english sentence, and then translate it. I just simply say it. It not like i think.. tree. oh thats Baum... Baum is just simply tree. And when people speak german to me, i dont translate their sentences into english as its coming into my brain. It just simply is what it is. This is hard to explain.

As you all can probably see by reading this post, my englisch skills are deteriorating. I cant spell or use proper grammar anymore. I also forget words constantly. I can always picture the object in my head, but not what its called. It can be extremely frustrating.. especially when i know it in german!

It was difficult to articulate what i was trying to say in this post. Mainly the thinking in german thing. If any of you out there speak another language, how do you think? Post in the comments!

Ill be gone next week. So i wont be posting at all.

Comments

so i do enjoy reading everybodys comments on my posts..and i think you all should do it more often.  So i just went back through all my posts and reread the comments...  Now im going to answer all the questions that you all asked.... and i also figured out that there were not to many questions... ASK MORE! Give me something to write about.

It's foosball you goofball. Still remember what that means? Is that Leo with you in one of the pics? He went to the camp too? How many kids were there? - Myan

So that whole foosball thing... i completly forget what it was called..and even after getting the answer.. i still didn't quite believe it.  It sounds like such a wierd name.   Yes that was leo in the pictures.. he came to the camp too because hes going with AFS to panama next year.   There were 6 kids there including me.  Genix(france) Bjarni(Iceland) Maeve, (USA), Ariel(USA) Leo(dland) and me.


Is it easier to write this, or say it? Dad

That was for my german post.  And it definetly easier to say all of that.. because with speaking, i can get away with saying the wrong article...because all i have to say is Duh... und not die,das,der... as long as i mumble a little and say duh, it comes out perfectly. But its the easiest to understand everything. by far


that's very strange about the tv shows.. don't they have german actors? so do they have the office with german voiceovers? Molly

They do have german actors but the majority of the shows are american with voiceovers.  I acutally have not seen the office on TV in germany.  But its not on very often apparently.  the germans dont find it funny


The butter thing sounds good, I thought butter came salted and un-salted.
Is it richer or lighter than American butter? Dad

It comes in tons of differnt ways.  Fresch Butter, Cheese Butter, Krauter cheese butter. Normal butter. Margerine.   there are really way more..but i cant remeber them all.


that's cool so they're not even really grading you? you just get an A for effort? Myan

Im getting grades now...and it seems that all my classees got double difficulter because its the second half year.....difficulter is not a word... atleast I dont think it is but im using it anyway.


it's good that you're taking a politics class..that should be interesting i think..physics sounds rough for a sophomore..do you like any of your classes? Molly?

Some of my classes are...ok. and some, I hate. I really hate history because the teacher talks the entire class. And never writes anything down on the board.. I dont have enough vocab to understand what shes saying. Bio ist ok and so is englisch. I understood chemistry yesterday. Physics isn't horrbile. Sometimes I understand whats going on. But not all the time. Politics is also difficult. we just changed themes so ill let you all know how it turns on.


how is the german coming?

Hmm. The german is coming. Thats the only way to put it.
Ill write a post about the language soon... maybe today depending when I finish my german AFS report thing.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

ALPs



LEDERHOSEN!


I went to the Alps from the 31st of january until the 7 th of February! It was only a 6 hour ride from aschersleben to the house in austria I find it crazy how small germany actually is! because if you drive in any one direction for a couple of hours, you could have gone through a couple of differnt countrys!

We skieed there for a week. I skied everyday, atleast half the day. Most of the time, i skied most of the day. It was pretty exhausting. But i havent skiied all winter and i really missed it! it felt really good to be back on the hill. and the hills were awesome! its hard to compare jackfrost to a place like the alps. its so big! You could take a couple of gandalas. and then ski down the other side of the hill, and be in a completly differnt town. Its quite easy to get lost.

If you all dont know already, and cant see by the pictures... i bought some lederhosen. it was so worth it.







On Tuesday the 24th (hmm..24...something interesting about that numberr) im taking a train to bonn! AFS is having a midstay camp fur the other congressbundestag exchange students. I will be gone for a week and im sure it will be fun. I think ill write a little bit about if when i get back. im sure there will be plently of pictures.

If you interested in hearing my spoken german! Check out my latest video at Amikinder!
I talk with another german about Fasching or Karnival!



http://www.youtube.com/user/amikinder

I havent put any subtitles in yet. sorry!
I might make a video thats just for this blog. If you all have any questions that you would like to be answerd, post it in the comments! give me something to talk about.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Update

A few weeks ago i went to an AFS camp. We arrived late friday night and stayed till sunday morning. Friday night consisted of playing....the game with the ball...and its like soccer..and you hit the ball with little men....i forget the name...Post in the comments if you know it. We watched some movies, ate some food, and spoke alot of english. But i did have an hour long conversation in german with someone that night.


Whats this called?

Saturday we went hiking from 12 to 6. I dont remember what it was called but it was nice.

When we got back to the house, i went to take a shower....i walked down the stairs to find a puddle of water coming out of some door. I told someone and 10 minutes later, they opened the door. Water came flooding out and the entire thing was under about 3 inches of water. It was a pretty big basement and there was sitll about 3 inches of water...it was crazy. We spent an hour trying to bucket it out but we ended up calling the firemen.. They came and saved the day.
I also made perogies with a polish girl. She found it funny when i told her only real perogies have old ladys fingernails in them.

I'm in the Alps now in Austria. Ill make a post on the weekend about it.