Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer My first success (English/German Dictionary)

I am currently learning the Photoreading system with margin success (early days).

I have played the dictionary game a few times now and have only succeed on what could be refered to as a swing/miss affair.

The thing I found amusing is this:

On the train home from University today I photoread a German/English dictionary. I am currently learning German in a non-intensive course, so my skills in the language are not the best. I photoread it once, right way up, and I was fumbling all around the place. I was able to keep the rythym, but in doing so missed HUGE chunks of pages. This was due to the fact that it is an old pocket dictionary with tissue-paper thin pages.

I photoread the book, did my closing affirmations, and let it go. No more than a minute later a word just popped into my head. "Mussesphrache" Having no idea what this was, I looked it up. Not finding any entry, I looked it up as two seperate words. Musse = leisure, sprache = language, speak. I interpret this as meaning "the language I do for leisure", which is what German is to me.

Now I don't know if this is just a lucky shot. It is quite possible given the "lost in translation" problem being thrown into the mix. What does everyone think of this? Any theories why I had no luck with the english dictionary, but a first shot score with a book that is smaller, harder to photoread and half in another language? :P

Would like to hear.

Viel Glueck!

Try to listen to some German audio. And scan some basic textbooks.

One word : Rammstein. :P

Rammstein,die spricht ein sehr reines Deutsch. Ich verbessere noch meine Deutchkenntnisse. Gestern habe ich auch das Woerterbuch 'Fotogelesen.'
Sie brauchen aber Hoermaterialenen, wo man etwas langsamer spricht.

My German is far from perfect btw.


Photoreading may help a lot with vocabulary learining. You are always 'activiating' as you learn the language. I noticed a big improvement when I photoread Duden series a year ago. In a way it is like direct learining but you always get opportunity to practise. Look up every word you do not know to begin with. But just scan books too.

However, you need to learn the language's grammar. Getting used to the sounds is very important. Start with the alphabet. It is very boring but essential. Get a travel phrasebook initially.

Look up a Rammstein song's lyrics and translate them. Caution they are somewhat disturbing.


Eins hier kommet die Sonne, zwei hier Kommt die Sonne
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen usw
Alle warte auf das Licht furchtet euch furchtet euch nicht

I am taking the German 1st year course offered by a section of my University, and thus have beginners course books.

I have read the translation of most of Rammsteins songs, and can sing phrases from some of their songs. For lack of a better word, Till is demented.

I would assume there is a good reason that "furchtet" doesn't get picked up by the translator. :P

I must restate my orginal question though, why did it work so well with the German dictionary, and no luck at all yet with an english one?

Greater interest. Because German isn't your native language you didn't have any expectations with it and just played. You were more able to accept possible failure with German than with English.

Alex

As it is part of the verb furchten - to fear ihr fuerchtet. I think I missed the umlaut. English speakers or rather German speakers use an e afterwards to denote an umlaut, if they do not have a German keyboard. Perhaps I made a mistake but I am pretty sure it is correct 90% or so.



So what level is your German. What grammar do you know etc? Did you do higher level exams in Australia? Check out the Goethe institut page for an online test? Goethe institut exams are the international standard. There are also excellent free audio courses at Deutsch Welle.
Type Deutsch wieso nicht lernen or deutsch warum nicht in Google or yahoo.
If you can understand fragments of the songs your German must be quite good.

http://www.goethe.de/dll/prf/enindex.htm

http://www.goethe.de/cgi-bin/einstufungstest/einstufungstest.pl

The online test is very good for gauging level. It gets progessively more difficult . It is only 30 questions. There is also free audio material there.

Have you tried speeding the foreign audio with media player ?

http://www.goethe.de/dll/prf/pba/sd2/mat/deindex.htm

try the downloads at the top for material for A2

there is a gret basic grammar course too if u do a search . You can switch teh language to english.

This is the beginners course at Deutsche Welle . Instructions in English.
There is audio for each lesson and worksheets too. I use the advanced materials on the site(business). It is university level. It is a Economics course for the layman. They are outstanding. I assume the beginners course will also be very good. Deutsche Welle is subsidised to promote German learining for foreigners.


http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,2142,2548,00.html