Calling German beginners who want to learn with each other in a group via online chat or instant messaging, Msn, skype or anything else prefered.
I am a beginner. I have been studying German for a few months. I’m also a native speaker of English.
Like I said in the other thread, I’m not fluent, but I’d be willing to help you guys in any way I can.
Yeah thanks a lot for your offer. I thought i’d make a separate thread for german, so it’s more focused. If you have msn please add me here ben_y_1991@hotmail.co.uk, or on skype. ben91young
Hallo! I am new to German and I speak some Japanese. English is my native language. Ich wunsche dir einen gute Tag!
Hi Susanne! I cannot imagine at the moment how I can help beginners in a new language. I believe that speaking with a native speaker from start would be the best way. But I can’t imagine that beginners have the courage to speak with a native speaker. This only because I have troubles with my own courage speaking with native speaker. I have contacted Ben yesterday by skype and we have chatted, but in English. Indeed I hope that will speak in both German and English some time soon. From my site I would have not problems to speak with beginners in English about German so that the German gradually flow into the conversations. But despite my certainly higher level in English I have problems with my courage not to make a complete fool of me. However, I volunteer to try it. Let us make a proper Charlie!
The first step is to aquire some vocabulary. You can do this by listening and reading at LingQ or using other resources. If you have no vocabulary, you cannot speak. That’s simple.
To start with easy conversations at the level Beginner 2/Intermediate 1 is fine (in my opinion).
I offer a group conversation on Tuesday for this level.
Maybe you prefer 1 on 1 (that is what I did at this stage). Than you can look up for 1 on 1 conversations on the speak page or use other possibilities. The fact is that everyone has to learn on his own. I teacher cannot learn for you. He can motivate and help you, but at least you have to become active!
Good luck for all of you with your German.
This may be one of various possibilities. For me dogmas are more of a hindrance than a help within this issue. I don’t be missunderstood. For me learning with Lingq is the best way learning a foreign language without stress. But there are enough examples for other ways. And for me your understanding of language learning sounds like my former school lessons, anyway. But generally it isn’t problematically. But why not start with language learning close to natural conversation with a native speaker. That’s may be another possible way and costs not more courage than group conversation or prepared lesson with a tutor. Many ways lead to Rome, as they say.
Where is there a dogma? I wrote “… using other resources”. I also do this.
I wonder why you get the impression that this sounds like school education? Conversations usually are very informal and natural. You have natural conversation with a native speaker, as you recommend. I never had another kind of conversations. Did you made other experiences?
Ich wollte hier eigentlich gar keine Grundsatzdiskussion über den richtigen Weg führen. Mir ist nur aufgefallen, dass jeder Versuch den man hier im Forum unternimmt, sich einfach und ungezwungen mit anderen zu unterhalten, mit vielen Argumenten abgeblockt wird. Interessierte, zu denen gehörte auch ich, wurden darauf hingewiesen, dass das nur Sinn macht, wenn man sich an (zu bezahlenden) Tutorenrunden oder face-to-face Gesprächen anmelden muss. Ansonsten macht es gar keinen Sinn. Da habe ich Stevens Buch anders verstanden. Da wird nämlich vom Abenteuer Sprachenlernen gesprochen. Nicht, dass ich falsch verstanden werde, ich bin mir sicher, dass die gut gemeinten Ratschläge auch wirklich gut gemeint waren. Manchmal gilt aber auch die Weisheit (leider weiß ich nicht mehr von wem sie ist): ein Ratschlag kann unter Umständen auch ein Schlag sein. Ich muss gestehen, dass mir die Ratschläge meine Motivation, als Tutor tätig zu werden, geschadet haben. Ich finde dein Engagement aussergewöhlich lobenswert und ich glaube auch, dass die Teilnehmer an deinen Gesprächen sehr viel bei dir lernen. Aber, ich suche für mich andere Wege. Und so soll es glaube ich auch sein.
Hallo Horst,
wenn man Argumente für oder gegen etwas bringt, dann blockt man nicht ab, dann diskutiert man, habe ich immer gedacht.
Es wird doch nirgends gesagt, dass es gar keinen Sinn macht, wenn man sich frei verabredet. Aber es wird darauf hingewiesen, welche Vorteile es hat, wenn man das System von LingQ benutzt. Ist es nicht erlaubt, darauf hinzuweisen? Natürlich steht es dir frei, dich anderweitig zu verabreden. Das kann dir doch keiner nehmen!
Ich habe mich nur von deinem vorhergehenden Post etwas auf den Schlips getreten gefühlt, weil du da kritisierst, dass Gespräche mit den Tutoren etwas mit dem Unterricht in der Schule gemein haben. Ich habe deshalb gefragt, warum du diesen Eindruck hast und ob du diese Erfahrung gemacht hast. Hast du das so erlebt in Gesprächen mit Tutoren? Meine Erfahrungen sind da ganz anders. Wäre es mit den Tutoren wie in der Schule, ich wäre die Erste, die hier weg wäre!
Und in meinem Post davor habe ich auch nichts davon gesagt, dass frei verabredete Gespräche schlecht sind. Ich habe nur darauf hingewiesen, dass ich (übrigens schon seit zwei Wochen dort stehend, also bevor dieser Thread hier begann) ein Gruppengespräch für Anfänger angeboten habe und dass außerdem Gespräche 1 zu 1 gebucht werden können. Ich denke, es sollte mir doch erlaubt sein, das hier anzumerken. Und alles andere ist ganz allgemein auf Sprachenlernen bezogen und nicht speziell auf Gespräche mit Tutoren oder irgendjemand anderem. Niemand kann sprechen, wenn er keine Vokabeln kennt, denke ich. Oder bist du da anderer Meinung?
Und darüber hinaus finde ich auch dein Engagement in Bezug auf Steves Buch großartig und sage danke dafür.
I agree with the advice that Vera provided. In my experience it is difficult and even stressful to speak before one has enough vocabulary and familiarity with the language. I strongly recommend focusing your effort on listening, reading and accumulating vocabulary, in other words LingQing. It is easier to build up your feel for the language that way than by trying to talk all day, even assuming you had the time to spend the day struggling to speak German.
When you feel like talking, and only then, start talking. There again I would suggest only a little at a time, say once a week, and only one on one, as Vera suggested. This is in part because the tutor can encourage you and address your problems directly, and also because having a beginner in a group discussion is usually quite annoying to the other participants. You will find that at first 15 minutes in a new language is a long time. Yet in a few months the 15 minutes will just fly by.
I think it useful for members to share their experience here. This is hardly dogma.
There is a reason why we have designed LingQ the way we have. I think that if you are encouraged by your goals and statistics to LingQ, Listen and Read, your language skills, and communication potential will grow quickly. You will be able to use a lot of “dead” time in order to get in sufficient time with the language to make a breakthrough. This cannot be done by speaking unless you are literally surrounded with the language and using it all the time. As a beginner, most of your “conversation” time actually consists of listening, in any case.
Let me make it clear that we have designed that Profile page so that members can make their email addresses and skype names visible to other members, or just to Friends, or not visible, as they wish. This is to encourage exchange amongst members. The Forum also serves this purpose. If people want to exchange language, or discussions with each other, that is their choice and we facilitate it.
On the other hand, I prefer to see discussions organized using the LingQ system. We think there is a considerable added value in having things more organized, with a commitment from the Tutor and the learner, with a report from the tutor at the end of the discussion which can easily be Imported and integrated into the learners LingQing activities. This system also makes it possible for people who only want to practice in their target language, or only want to tutor, to do so. However, where two members are interested in each others’ languages and want to connect directly, that is obviously their decision and I believe many people are doing so. The more interactivity within our community, the stronger the community becomes.
Many of our tutors are also our keenest learners. I think that becoming a tutor, even for one discussion session a week, is a valuable thing to do, for the community and for the member involved. I heartily encourage it and greatly appreciate those who commit to doing so.
We are in an English speaking forum not in a German - sorry for this. Somehow I was wrong. I have realised it at this moment. And wow! How fast I have been miss-interpreted if I try to explain anything in a foreign language - and unfortunately in my own language. This isn’t the language adventure I want. I haven’t criticized the lingq system - quite the contrary. I haven’t criticized the work as an tutor generally - quite in contrary. I haven’t criticized the work of an special tutor - quite the contrary. I don’t like it if anyone puts words in my mouth and vice versa. And what have I learned for me - only for me: not take part in forum not hold in my mother tongue. I have offered only my help and unfortunately have kicked off a discussion. This isn’t the language adventure I want. Learning other languages this has been and remains my first priority.
As far as I am concerned all points of view expressed here have been of interest, and have been expressed respectfully. I see no need for people to be concerned about expressing their views. A little debate and controversy is a good thing. It stimulates discussion. Horst your views are most welcome in whatever language. I only wish others would also chime in. Thank you for your 30 posts on our Forum. Keep it coming. i also thank you for volunteering to translate and record my book and for the other help you have given us.
Our community will only get stronger if we have more and more members, each with their own likes and dislikes and own points of view.
On December 8th, 2009 the number of members who were learning German at LingQ was 255. Now, 305 members are learning German. Ich drücke Ihnen den Daumen.