Last week I wrote about German business letters which lead to the question: Is there anything I need to watch out when writing a German email? Just like with the letters, you still use the formal salutation – Sehr geehrter Herr … (Dear Mr …) Sehr geehrte Frau … (Dear Mrs …) Sehr geehrte Damen und … Read more
Every year a German organisation declares a word as ‘Unwort des Jahres’, the word of the year which shouldn’t be used. This morning they announced the ‘Unwort des Jahres 2013’. The word this time is Sozialtourismus – social tourism. According to a report from the University of Westminster, “Social tourism” is a term used to describe a … Read more
Three weeks ago I posted a blogging competition with the challenge of writing a story in 26 sentences from A to Z. I didn’t get many entries but those who did enter told me how much of a challenge and yet how much fun it was! Four people entered, one beginner and three intermediate/ advanced and … Read more
Google Translate has been around for a long time now and over the years has improved immensely. For the internet surfer/ buyer this is extremely useful. You can now check out any website for information and/ or to buy something from foreign sites, even if you don’t understand the languages. Google Translate makes it possible … Read more
EDIT 2025: Sadly, it seems the website has gone. I get a lot of email newsletters every day, most get a quick scan and then deleted, but every so often there is a gem in one of them. One of those I spotted a few days ago: phraseum Phraseum doesn’t teach you a language. Instead … Read more
EDIT: The Post-it notes have sadly been discontinued. Maybe you can still find some secondhand. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. It means I’ll get a few pence if you buy anything – at no extra cost to you. Last weekend I went to the Language Show to attend some seminars, meet other language teachers … Read more
I used to do a lot of cross stitch but in the last few years had very little time. A while ago I thought to have a go again, especially as I was given a cross stitch kit. So I opened the pack and started. After a few hours I began to wonder … How … Read more
A few weeks ago I went to France for the Twinning weekend. Devizes is twinned with two towns, Waiblingen in Germany and Mayenne in France. Apart from a great fun weekend, it also means work for me as I translate when the German delegates speak at the conference. I don’t always remember or even know … Read more
This morning my friend Pia Parry came across an unusual website, where you can generate a love letter in German. What a great and fun way to practise some German, I thought. So, this is what you do: You give the name and gender of the person you want to send the letter. Add your own … Read more
Once my students have acquired a basic knowledge of German they often ask me what other text (rather than just their textbooks) they could read. One answer is: German newspapers or magazines! Most newspapers nowadays have a website with lots of news and other topical information. Some have newsletters you can subscribe to and some … Read more
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