New Podcast: Episode 21 - Why Your Language Learning Goal Sucks and What to Do About It

In episode 21 of the podcast, I'm flying solo! This episode is a shorter version of our usual podcast. A snack size, so to say. I've been so busy creating, promoting and talking about Speak German like a Native that there was little time to do anything else.

But Wait! Here's What I Just Had to Tell You

language learning goals

You language learners and your goals.

You all say you're going to be efficient and effective and committed, and then I ask you what your goals are in the Summer Giveaway and 150 people say get fluent.

Me language learner and my goal!

When I was asked about my short-term language learning goal recently, I wasn't much better. In my language tag video on YouTube, I shared my short-term goal for Welsh..except I had no idea what my short-term goal is! I managed to say "I want to have a conversation", but is that really any better? I don't think so.

So in this podcast, I collected five great tips to help you and me become better goal setters in language learning. Listen to the episode to find out why your language learning goals suck and how to make better ones.

My Improved Goal for Welsh

My next short-term goal for learning Welsh is much clearer now. It is a mini one, nothing particularly large, and it doesn't follow all the rules outlined in the podcast. This is difficult stuff, yo, especially since I seem to have chosen a REALLY unpopular language to learn.

As such, the goal is this:

I will listen to episode 3 of Say Something in Welsh and write down all new vocab in my notebook by Saturday.

I'd love to hear your new and improved goals, especially if you're guilty of "my goal is fluency". Share them in the comments for feedback!

Three Little-Known Facts about Speaking German

One of the most common ambitions that language learners share at all stages is that of speaking the language fluently. Fluency means a lot to you, and it pulls together aspects of confidence, expertise, speed and pronunciation.

Maybe you're dreaming of speaking German with ease and a perfect accent. No one will recognise you as Jonny Foreigner as you flirt your way through the trendy bars of Berlin.

If you're a German learner, I'll soon be ready to help you out with one of the five: sounding more like a native speaker. Behind the scenes of Fluent, I'm currently building my first German course, and this one will focus on making you sound very good indeed.

Curious about how I'll do it? Let's start with a few home truths:

1) The e is never silent in German

Even at the end of a word, you have to sound this out. Confusingly that sound is called a 'schwa', but don't worry, you don't have to 'schwa'-y as you produce the sound. In my course, I'll show you how to do it.

2) V and f and w are all fricatives

What the heck is a fricative? 

The Fricative Mouth Shape: Teeth touching lip slightly, air pushed through the space produces the sound.

The Fricative Mouth Shape: Teeth touching lip slightly, air pushed through the space produces the sound.

Well, it looks a bit like this:

Fricatives are all the sound that you make when pushing air through a constricted space. I know that sounds kinky, but it's more or less an "f" sound - sometimes they're harder and sometimes softer. In German, the most unusual fricative fact is the fact that we pronounce our w as one of these little things. Ever heard a German speak English in a heavy accent? You might notice them saying "ve are valking to the vall". This is what you want to reverse-engineer when you learn German. Crazy, right? I'll be teaching you more about it in my videos - good job you'll get to hear my demo along with the explanations!

3) Germans don't all roll the r

Some of us can't even do it at all. We make a sound that's much closer to the French r...it's called an uvular fricative but you don't have to learn the whole phonetic language too. Just listen, try out how you can produce the sound and see if you can hear the difference in the practice words. Here's a video explaining how to do this in detail:

In the coming weeks, Fluent Language is going to run a powerful email series to help you improve your German pronunciation. We'll share specific steps with you that make it easy to develop the perfect German accent. No matter if you're a German beginner or very advanced, you will learn something new.

Of course Southern German dialects such as Franconian and Bavarian are known for their beautifully rolled r, so it isn't true to say that rolled r doesn't appear in German. But it helps to know that this is proof of our very strong regional dialects (you have to read about the Mosel one).

What do you struggle with in German?

Now you know that you're not alone if you find it difficult to say some German words, I would love to hear which ones cause you the biggest problems.

Leave me a comment here and tell me all about the trickiest German words!

I'm very excited about bringing you the course by the end of next month, and would love to keep you up to date. If you want to learn more about speaking German with confidence, check out the German Pronunciation Masterclass. It's a video course focused on one thing: helping you sound AWESOME in German.

The course includes 

  • close-up photos and videos of every letter in the German alphabet to help you practice saying them at home
  • easy explanations that don't confuse you with a lot of phonetic words or complex diagrams
  • interesting examples and a special lecture on dialects to help you understand German speakers from anywhere

Slower Travel: How to Buy Cheap European Train Tickets (Plus: Travel Itinerary from Germany to Sweden)

train-germany-sweden

Back in January I showed you how Christian and I travel Europe in my article on train travel from the UK to Germany via Belgium. This time, let me share a trip I am taking as a solo traveller!

Vineyards and Scandi Forests

As I am writing this, I am sitting on a train to Stockholm Central, typing on my laptop. I am on day 2 of travelling by train and have come a long way from the South! My summer trip started out with a flight from Manchester to Cologne (best flight option currently by Germanwings) for a family event. But as I was preparing to book my normal return flight, a Facebook post caught my eye:

“Need someone to look after our cat while we travel. Would any of our friends be interested?"

This came from a friend who lives in Stockholm! A new cat to hang out with and accommodation in an apartment in Stockholm? I was excited, and after some planning we matched up the dates and I decided to make my summer trip home to Germany into a big train adventure.

Here’s how the trip breaks down:

Day 1: Travel by plane from Manchester to Cologne, then by train to Wittlich Hbf

Img ©Christian

Img ©Christian

The first destination in Germany is always the Mosel valley to me. I was there to visit my family, but don’t think that this wouldn’t be a beautiful place for you. The Mittelmosel can be reached by train to Wittlich Hbf with a bus connection to any of the small villages. It’s focused on winemaking, with lush green vineyards on the hills and a stunning river winding its way through the valley.

Language Tip: Hbf stands for Hauptbahnhof, the central station of any city.

The Mosel region is world famous for its wines and amazing scenery. Visit a local wine estate and enjoy a wine tasting with the original producers - guys who know what a vineyard, wine cellar and tractor look like. There are over 15 wineries in my home village alone, and of course I recommend Weingut Hammes (tell them I sent you!). The biggest wine festival of the region is called the Weinfest der Mittelmosel and takes place in Bernkastel/Kues in early September. If you are in town, don’t miss out on the parades, funfair, fireworks and the wine street.

The temperatures during my visit regularly reached 35 degrees, with nighttime temperatures around 20. Some of my favourite things to do include getting amazing gelato at Venezia, swimming outdoors and camping by the river.

Day 7: Travel from Wittlich to Hamburg, via Koblenz.

This is a 7 hour journey including one change and features the lovely rivers Mosel and Rhine as its backdrop up until Cologne. On the trip you will get to see German landscapes changing to the flat and the nautical. Hamburg makes a very beautiful overnight destination, as everything is close by and the city’s sights are within easy reach. It also allowed me time to catch up with a long-time-no-see school friend, Verena who is chief blogger at Hamburg von Innen. She has kindly put a few tips together for you so you can get the most out of Hamburg:

Start at the Landungsbrücken and get set for your day with a Fischbrötchen, the classic Northern German snack. While you're there, take the lift to the old Elbtunnel and cross the river to admire the new Elbphilarmonie building (set to complete in 2017). The views in this part of town are fabulous.
Walk through the Portugiesenviertel to the Michel, Hamburg's iconic church which offers the best views in town from its tower. On the way there, stop at Milch for an excellent coffee break. You shouldn't miss Jungfernstieg and Binnenalster, with a visit to Warnecke for some ice cream.
Take a stroll around the Speicherstadt and admire this UNESCO-listed cultural treasure. The best Hamburg-style food is Labskaus or Hamburger Pannfisch with an Alsterwasser (shandy).

My accommodation in Hamburg was a friendly little Airbnb apartment in Altona.

Day 8: Travel from Hamburg to Stockholm, via Copenhagen

There’s currently no direct train running between Hamburg and Stockholm, but the trip via Copenhagen is fun and adds little time in total. For this journey, I was on the tracks for 12 hours in total, with a 2 hour changeover. Hamburg to Denmark offers views of picturesque Friesland and a crossing of the Baltic Sea to get to the island of Fehmarn.

Evernote Camera Roll 20150720 155633.jpg

The journey features a truly exciting extra: Your train drives ONTO A BOAT. I was absolutely amazed by this. The ScandLines crossing between Fehmarn, a German island in the Baltic Sea, and Roedby in Denmark takes 45 minutes and gives everyone a chance to stretch their legs. 

The Swedish part of the train journey is all trees and meadows and water, a wealth of things to look at. The SJ train was comfortable and fast, offered free wi-fi, plugs and a little bistro so that you couldn’t be more comfortable.

Here in Stockholm, I’m getting around using the T-Bana (the city metro). My city guide book recommends Skansen, the open air museum to take visitors back to Viking times. I’m also planning to give a little bit of time to a nice walk around Södermalm, the beautiful old town and the open air baths. Being self-employed and staying here as a house sitter has made it possible for me to combine working and discovering this new city and I am very much looking forward to my stay (and to hanging out with Moppet, the cat I’m looking after).

How to Purchase your Tickets

Although navigating the Deutsche Bahn website can take a little getting used to, its wealth of connection and saver fare data means it remains a must when you are planning Euro train travel. Journeys abroad are open for booking as long as they’re offered by or in partnership with Deutsche Bahn. Alternatively, try The Trainline Europe.

I decided to opt for a mobile ticket, meaning I had to download the DB Navigator app and log in. I was amazed at how well this worked, conveniently allowing me to access my tickets and timetables on my phone, research alternative routes and get platform information. Even on the trip from Copenhagen to Stockholm, the conductor accepted my foreign e-tickets without question. Deutsche Bahn offers the option of posting the train ticket to you in hard copy. Be aware that lost tickets will not be replaced if you take that option, and there’s a small extra charge for it.

I bougnt a BahnCard too, a special offer from Deutsche Bahn which gives you 25% off each journey you take. Since the full trip from Wittlich to Stockholm was booked and paid through the Deutsche Bahn website, I was able to make this journey for just €110. That’s an outstanding deal, especially since I realised that it includes a ferry!

Notes on Learning German, Swedish and Danish

Learning German? My native language? Oh yes! This trip took place so recently after I developed my new German pronunciation course that my ears were more attentive than ever. My parents and I watched the news and listened closely to make sure the pronunciation is real Hochdeutsch. And we spoke more Moselfränkisch to each other than ever. On the train trip to Koblenz, I got to listen to some Trier boys drink beer and speak dialect. Do any of these expressions make sense to you German learners? I love and understand them all:

  • Hal dau mol de Schniss weile!
  • Du komen am Sunndisch die Frimmen vorbéi.
  • Dau Flappes!
  • Eisch hann die Freck, haut kann eisch néist.

The prize for most languages during a train announcement goes to the Danes this time, who racked up Danish, Swedish, German and English on their leg of my journey. I didn’t really stop in Copenhagen for very long, skimming over the Danish language on my trip to Sweden.

Everyone I have spoken to in Stockholm so far speaks English at an incredibly high level. But once again, you can tell that the “they all speak English anyway” excuse just doesn’t fly. They may be able to speak English to me, but they don’t choose to. I am happily wandering around at the moment armed with this little beauty, a dictionary from 1975:

This should not be missed in any pocket. I have a 1975 edition #swedish dictionary from my mother. Features the very important phrases "please develop this film" and "please do shave the eyebrows" #fluentshelfie #mamaistdiebeste

"This should not be missed in any pocket. I have a 1975 edition #swedish dictionary from my mother. Features the very important phrases "please develop..."

The way I use my dictionary to help me learn the language is so much fun to me. I carry it around everywhere and take time to look up words that I see come around again and again (på, och, uttlev) and translate written texts. The dictionary also contains a pronunciation guide, and once I feel like I’m ready to do it I’ll try out my new word on a Swedish person just to check I’m getting it right. Spoken Swedish is not making a lot of sense to me yet, which is to be expected on day 2 a 10 day visit. But every day, I'll be adding words and making memories.

And here’s a little closing note on the languages of this trip (no Norwegian included): 

If it’s got an ø (pronounced “gulp” or something like that), it must be Danish. If it’s got an å (pronounced “oh”), it must be Swedish.

I would love to hear from you! Have you ever been to Sweden? Have you travelled a long distance by train? Share your best train travel experiences with me in the comments. 

New Podcast Episode: Mobile Language Learning and Big News with Lindsay Does Languages

Big news for the ladies of the Creative Language Learning Podcast in episode 20: Lindsay is engaged and Kerstin is married! 

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • What makes a German wedding and an English engagement special
  • Lindsay's and Kerstin's recent language learning updates - we've been learning Semaphore and Welsh!
  • How do you use Memrise for language learning?
  • Lindsay's exact process for learning a new way of communicating with online resources
  • Should you speak early? Is there any reason to hold back?

Article of the Week

Can you really learn a language using mobile apps? on Languages around the Globe

Tips of the Week

Summer is my favourite season, so you won't have to guess hard to work out which tip I chose as the big tip of the week!

1) Get outside and away from all your screens for a summer's learning session

2) Make Language Study your first task of the day with Early Morning Study Sessions

3) Watch your foreign movie...but watch the commentary!

Tips and Links from this Podcast

Question of the Week

Are you in an international relationship? Maybe a bilingual one? Tell us your story of living across borders in the comments or over on Facebook!

New Podcast Episode: Chilled out Success with Language Surfer Ron Gullekson

““Languages are ultimately designed to bring people together.””

This episode of the Creative Language Learning Podcast is brought to you by Flashsticks - use code KERSTIN for 10% off vocabulary aids in French, German, Italian, Spanish or BSL.

languagesurfer

Welcome to episode 19 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast, featuring a current article of the week and an inspiring interview with one of my favourite language bloggers: Ron Gullekson from Language Surfer. His relaxed language learning attitude will make you so comfortable. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why Ron's blog is called Language Surfer
  • How formal language learners all know what "drawing a line down the middle" means :)
  • How Ron structures his on curriculum for language learning
  • Which level of language learning you might be at if you studied Arabic for 8 hours a day..for 64 weeks!
  • Free listening, and how soon you can start doing this in your own study routine
  • How to create your organic SRS system
"I want to get used to the idea of being lost as soon as possible."

Tips of the Week

I had secretly expected Ron to choose tip 3 as a music fan, but his own choice was tip 1: Get out and talk to people.

1) Meet up in conversation groups offline

2) Find local podcasts by switching itunes to the country's store

3) Learn with music on Spotify

Tips and Links from this Podcast

If you loved this podcast episode, don't forget to check out the other episodes in the Archive and visit our sponsor Flashsticks to use your KERSTIN10 coupon code.