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Failing with Language Classes
I have been struggling with learning German for years in spite of lots of classes both in Washington, DC, as well as in Berlin, Germany, a city I moved to over Halloween 2007 through Christmas 2008....
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Learning German – Round 2
I arrived in Berlin, terrified of sounding like a toddler and a moron while trying to speak German. So, I just didn’t — I spoke English. After a while in Berlin, I signed up for another language...
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Third Time’s a Charm
In the middle of my German language learning travails, Rosetta Stone reached out to me and asked me to blog about my language-learning process in light of being able to try out their new solution,...
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Listen to Reinforce Your Comprehension
I’ve learned that the only way to really learn a language is to soak yourself in it. I try to maximize my exposure to everything German as often as possible. One of my favorite ways to do this is to...
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Top Sieben German Language Films
Movies are one of the most fun ways to get an ear for a language while also experiencing some of that country’s popular culture, scenery and history. I went over lists of top German cinema, and also...
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Finding the Native Accent
Perhaps you’re like many Americans who get so bummed out when they spend a lot of time learning a second language, and then they go abroad, excited to use their new language, and foreigners look at...
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Have Fun with Your New Language!
One thing I’ve noticed while trying to use German during my time in Berlin is that I’m having a lot of fun. While it’s true that I’m often frustrated—by what I cannot say—I really try to celebrate all...
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Be Willing to Say “Huh?”
Nodding my head and saying, “Ja bitte,”—yes, please—is my default. It seems to me that smiling, nodding, saying “Ja, ja,” and then, if the conversation continues, adding “Genau,” (literally meaning...
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A Meeting With Swiss Billionaires in Zurich
It was a rare time—my business partner, Mark, and I were in Berlin, and we had scored a meeting with the Zurich-based investment company that had funded two of our clients. As you may know, the primary...
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The Dinner Party to End All Dinner Parties
I have a little corporate apartment in Berlin, in an unfashionable neighborhood called Moabit, right across from the main train station, Berlin Hauptbahnhof. My business partner, Mark, also spends half...
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