Piggy pedagogy
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Media today 186
Reading: Volker Friebel, Rätsel für Kinder, letters L, M, N; Imke Stotz, Sagt Ulf zu Gnulf... : Die 500 besten Kinderwitze, 1-19; Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 1233-1358/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von den Anfängen bis zum Mittelalter, 43:00 - 54:00; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Katastrophen, 35:00 - 46:00 (end); Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt: Beim Kinderarzt und im Krankenhaus, 0 - 8:00. Viewing: Rabadabading, "Meine knuffige Minecraftwelt" (39 min.).
Total audio 2015: 54.47 hours
Total video 2015: 75.38 hours
Age 5.9.23
Total audio 2015: 54.47 hours
Total video 2015: 75.38 hours
Age 5.9.23
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Media today 185
Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 1019-1233/2997 (kindle edition); Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser, loc. 449-509/4180 (kindle edition). Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Katastrophen, 0-35:00.
J really enjoyed the definition of "philosophy" provided by Albert: "Philosophie ist ... ganz viel nachdenken, etwas kluges sagen!"
Total audio 2015: 54.17 hours
Total video 2015: 74.59 hours
Age 5.9.22
J really enjoyed the definition of "philosophy" provided by Albert: "Philosophie ist ... ganz viel nachdenken, etwas kluges sagen!"
Total audio 2015: 54.17 hours
Total video 2015: 74.59 hours
Age 5.9.22
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Media today 184
Roger Hargreaves, Mister Daydream.
Since J loves the Hargreaves stories, but we've read all of them that exist in German, we're going to read the rest in English and translate them ourselves. This is the first.
We went through this sentence by sentence. It was clear right away that J is a very good translator. For example, for this sentence:
It was a small, cloud-shaped figure,
He rattled of without any hesitation:
"Es war eine kleine, wolkenförmige Figur."
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that. I don't recall ever explicitly teaching him the suffix -förmig for ______-shaped. He obviously picked it up somewhere along the way.
Since J loves the Hargreaves stories, but we've read all of them that exist in German, we're going to read the rest in English and translate them ourselves. This is the first.
We went through this sentence by sentence. It was clear right away that J is a very good translator. For example, for this sentence:
It was a small, cloud-shaped figure,
He rattled of without any hesitation:
"Es war eine kleine, wolkenförmige Figur."
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that. I don't recall ever explicitly teaching him the suffix -förmig for ______-shaped. He obviously picked it up somewhere along the way.
Improving mommy's German
My wife tells me that J told her today that they need to work on her German so that when we go to Germany next summer, she won't have to use English!
Monday, July 20, 2015
Media today 183
Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 926-1019/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von den Anfängen bis zum Mittelalter, 34:00 - 43:00; A. A. Milne, Pu der Bär, 9:00 - 58:00. Viewing: Let's play Kung Fu Panda, episode 2 (20 min.) and 3 (24 min.). App: "Der Apfel."
Total audio 2015: 53.42 hours
Total video 2015: 74.59 hours
Age 5.9.20
Total audio 2015: 53.42 hours
Total video 2015: 74.59 hours
Age 5.9.20
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Media today 182
Reading: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser, loc. 383- 449/4180 (kindle edition). Listening: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von den Anfängen bis zum Mittelalter, 0 - 34:00; A. A. Milne, Pu der Bär, 0 - 9:00.
The audiobook of the Gombrich is read by Christoph Waltz; what a treat!
I love his very precise, almost diffident manner of speaking. Plus it's nice that they chose an Austrian, since Gombrich was too.
In Winnie the Pooh, J finds this passage towards the beginning hilarious and has been repeating it:
Es war einmal vor einiger Zeit, und diese Zeit ist schon lange, lange her, etwa letzten Freitag ...
Total audio 2015: 52.44 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.19
The audiobook of the Gombrich is read by Christoph Waltz; what a treat!
I love his very precise, almost diffident manner of speaking. Plus it's nice that they chose an Austrian, since Gombrich was too.
Es war einmal vor einiger Zeit, und diese Zeit ist schon lange, lange her, etwa letzten Freitag ...
Total audio 2015: 52.44 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.19
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Media today 181
Reading: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser, loc. 327-383/4180 (kindle edition).
Friday, July 17, 2015
Media today 180
Reading: Ernst H. Gombrich, Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser, loc. 0 - 327/4180 (kindle edition).
I first began to read this famous little world history to J a year ago or so, but he wasn't ready for it then and told me he was bored. Now he is very interested.
I first began to read this famous little world history to J a year ago or so, but he wasn't ready for it then and told me he was bored. Now he is very interested.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Media today 179
Reading: Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 67-69; Roger Hargreaves, Mister Faul. Listening: Kennst du den schon? Witze von Kindern live erzählt (41 min.); Dimiter Inkiow, Griechische Sagen I, 0-10:00.
I have done many German tongue-twisters and riddles with J, but not jokes, until the audiobook today. He greatly enjoyed them, and it seems to me he "got" about one third or so of them. I think I'm going to start doing jokes with him on a regular basis.
This audiobook purports to be a "live" recording of schoolyard joke-telling among a group of kids. Linguistically it does make a very authentic impression, with lots of pauses and hesitations, stops and startovers, etc. The children are also sometimes quite difficult to understand (despite the excellent recording quality) because they mumble and slur. But that's how kids talk of course and it's good practice to listen to. J seemed to have few difficulties in this regard, since he already has lots of experience with normal youth speech patterns through his video-game videos and shows like Hello Benjamin!
I myself, having begin German at age 21, never really experienced German jokes in their natural habitat. I was interested to learn that, like "knock knock" jokes in English, there are distinct genres of jokes in German. Two of them featured here are Häschenwitze ("bunny jokes") and Fritzchenwitze ("Fritzie jokes") here et al.). The former feature a juvenile bunny who repeatedly asks for carrots ("Haddu Möhren?), prompting humorous reactions and responses; and the latter center around a quick-witted and rascally little boy—Fritzchen—in interactions with authority figures, usually teachers.
I was also very interested to learn (see link above) that the Häschenwitze first arose in East Germany as political jokes.
Total audio 2015: 52.01 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.15
I have done many German tongue-twisters and riddles with J, but not jokes, until the audiobook today. He greatly enjoyed them, and it seems to me he "got" about one third or so of them. I think I'm going to start doing jokes with him on a regular basis.
This audiobook purports to be a "live" recording of schoolyard joke-telling among a group of kids. Linguistically it does make a very authentic impression, with lots of pauses and hesitations, stops and startovers, etc. The children are also sometimes quite difficult to understand (despite the excellent recording quality) because they mumble and slur. But that's how kids talk of course and it's good practice to listen to. J seemed to have few difficulties in this regard, since he already has lots of experience with normal youth speech patterns through his video-game videos and shows like Hello Benjamin!
I myself, having begin German at age 21, never really experienced German jokes in their natural habitat. I was interested to learn that, like "knock knock" jokes in English, there are distinct genres of jokes in German. Two of them featured here are Häschenwitze ("bunny jokes") and Fritzchenwitze ("Fritzie jokes") here et al.). The former feature a juvenile bunny who repeatedly asks for carrots ("Haddu Möhren?), prompting humorous reactions and responses; and the latter center around a quick-witted and rascally little boy—Fritzchen—in interactions with authority figures, usually teachers.
I was also very interested to learn (see link above) that the Häschenwitze first arose in East Germany as political jokes.
Total audio 2015: 52.01 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.15
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Media today 178
Reading: Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 62-66. Listening: Roald Dahl, Matilda, 0-49:00; Paul Maar, Jaguar und Neinguar. Gedichte,"Alles vom Aal," "Land auf dem Sonntag" (3 min).
My wife is reading J the Dahl in English. As I've mentioned several times before, reading a story simultaneously in L1 and L2 is very productive language-wise.
J is going through a phase in which he is very interested in comeuppance, paybacks, and vengeance. In two of his favorite Roger Hargreaves stories, Miss Ärger and Mister Fies, the main characters very satisfyingly get a "taste of their own medicine" at the end. Matilda has some great episodes in this regard. In German the idiom jemanden etwas heimzahlen is used, which is great because it's very important and I don't believe I've used it with J yet. Possibly we have not even encountered it in our L2 media.
Total audio 2015: 51.10 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.15
My wife is reading J the Dahl in English. As I've mentioned several times before, reading a story simultaneously in L1 and L2 is very productive language-wise.
J is going through a phase in which he is very interested in comeuppance, paybacks, and vengeance. In two of his favorite Roger Hargreaves stories, Miss Ärger and Mister Fies, the main characters very satisfyingly get a "taste of their own medicine" at the end. Matilda has some great episodes in this regard. In German the idiom jemanden etwas heimzahlen is used, which is great because it's very important and I don't believe I've used it with J yet. Possibly we have not even encountered it in our L2 media.
Total audio 2015: 51.10 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.15
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Media today 177
Reading: Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 49-61.
Inkiow's version of the story of Sisyphos is fantastic (as are Wilfried Gebhard's illustrations). The drinking episode with death is especially funny; J seemed to find the notion of being able to laugh at death delightful and liberating.
He also enjoyed Zeus's consternation.
Inkiow's version of the story of Sisyphos is fantastic (as are Wilfried Gebhard's illustrations). The drinking episode with death is especially funny; J seemed to find the notion of being able to laugh at death delightful and liberating.
He also enjoyed Zeus's consternation.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Media today 176
Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 690-926/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Robert Gernhardt, Versonnen blickt der Borstenigel: Geschichten und Gedichte für Kinder, 38:00 - 1.16. Viewing: Gronkh, Let's play Minecraft, episode #004 (15 min.).
The Gernhardt audiobook had a delightful version of the omnipotence paradox featuring a supposedly omnipotent "mouse god" about whom a character asks if it can create a bread-roll so big that even it cannot eat it. I unpacked the paradox very clearly to J and it baked his noodle. We listened to this 20-minute story twice, once with Ulli and Sabine.
Total audio 2015: 50.18 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.13
The Gernhardt audiobook had a delightful version of the omnipotence paradox featuring a supposedly omnipotent "mouse god" about whom a character asks if it can create a bread-roll so big that even it cannot eat it. I unpacked the paradox very clearly to J and it baked his noodle. We listened to this 20-minute story twice, once with Ulli and Sabine.
Total audio 2015: 50.18 hours
Total video 2015: 74.15 hours
Age 5.9.13
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Media today 175
Reading: M. E. Martin, Die Legende des Minecraft Drachenjunge: Drachenjunge und der Enderdrache; Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 43-49. Listening: Robert Gernhardt, Versonnen blickt der Borstenigel: Geschichten und Gedichte für Kinder, 13:00 - 38:00.
So this Minecraft comic ...
... is poorly written and full of typos—and consequently also overpriced—but still J loved it, listened and looked with rapt attention to every word and scene. Obviously this has a lot to do with the fact that he himself plays Minecraft and watches player videos. But whatever: for L2 if not for literary purposes, I think these comics are going to be worth the time. Another great thing about reading this today is that J chimed in alot with—often very lengthy and detailed—explanations of what aspects of the world being experienced here he was familiar with already.
Total audio 2015: 49.20 hours
Total video 2015: 74.00 hours
Age 5.9.12
So this Minecraft comic ...
... is poorly written and full of typos—and consequently also overpriced—but still J loved it, listened and looked with rapt attention to every word and scene. Obviously this has a lot to do with the fact that he himself plays Minecraft and watches player videos. But whatever: for L2 if not for literary purposes, I think these comics are going to be worth the time. Another great thing about reading this today is that J chimed in alot with—often very lengthy and detailed—explanations of what aspects of the world being experienced here he was familiar with already.
Total audio 2015: 49.20 hours
Total video 2015: 74.00 hours
Age 5.9.12
Friday, July 10, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Media today 173
Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 627-690/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Greifvögel, 19:00 - 48:00. Viewing: Gronkh, Let's play Minecraft, episode #003 (15 min.); #004 (15 min.). App: Der Kleine ICE.
Total audio 2015: 48.55 hours
Total video 2015: 74.00 hours
Age 5.9.9
Total audio 2015: 48.55 hours
Total video 2015: 74.00 hours
Age 5.9.9
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Media today 172
Reading: Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 370-627/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Greifvögel, 0-19:00. Viewing: Gronkh, Let's play Minecraft, episode #002 (15 min.). App: Der Kleine ICE.
Total audio 2015: 48.26
Total video 2015: 73.30
Age 5.9.8
Total audio 2015: 48.26
Total video 2015: 73.30
Age 5.9.8
Wortschöpfungen 6: Alles ist blöd!
J is going through a phase where pretty much everything is "blöd" (stupid). Below are a few of his recent neologisms.
das Blödzeug = Flugzeug
das Blödtagessen = Mittagessen
das Blödvertrauen = Selbstvertrauen
das Blödzimmer = Wohnzimmer, Esszimmer, oder Arbeitszimmer
der Zauberer von Blöd = Der Zauberer von Oz
der Blödizont = der Horizont
der Minoblödian = Minotaurus
That's my favorite.
der Schießblöden = Schießbogen
die Sonnenblödcreme = Sonnenschutzcreme
das Brandenblöder Tor = Brandenburger Tor
eine Halbblöde = Halbnote
eine Ganzblöde = eine Ganznote
sich erblödern = sich errinern
in der Blödigkeit = in der Wirklichkeit
das Blödzeug = Flugzeug
das Blödtagessen = Mittagessen
das Blödvertrauen = Selbstvertrauen
das Blödzimmer = Wohnzimmer, Esszimmer, oder Arbeitszimmer
der Zauberer von Blöd = Der Zauberer von Oz
der Blödizont = der Horizont
der Minoblödian = Minotaurus
That's my favorite.
 |
| der Minoblödian |
der Schießblöden = Schießbogen
die Sonnenblödcreme = Sonnenschutzcreme
das Brandenblöder Tor = Brandenburger Tor
eine Halbblöde = Halbnote
eine Ganzblöde = eine Ganznote
sich erblödern = sich errinern
in der Blödigkeit = in der Wirklichkeit
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Media today 171
Reading: Roger Hargreaves, Miss Glanz, Miss Neugierig.
Miss Glanz was the last of the German versions of the Hargreaves stories we didn't yet own. Unfortunately, quite a number have never yet been translated into German, including these:
Miss Glanz was the last of the German versions of the Hargreaves stories we didn't yet own. Unfortunately, quite a number have never yet been translated into German, including these:
Maybe I'll do my own translations.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Media today 170
Listening: A. A. Milne, Pu der Bär, 5.27 - 6.18 (end). Viewing: Gronkh, Let's play Minecraft, #001 (15 min.), #002 (15 min.), #003 (15 min.).
The final scene in The House on Pooh Corner is very poignant for the parent of a child about to go off to kindergarten. Christopher Robin is sad because, as he tells Pooh, he will soon go to a place were "They don't let you ... do Nothing anymore."
But then: "So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."
Auf Deutsch:
"Und sie gingen zusammen fort. Aber wohin sie auch gehen und was ihnen auf dem Weg dorthin auch passieren mag: An jenem verzauberten Ort ganz in der Mitte des Waldes wird ein kleiner Junge sein, und sein Bär wird bei ihm sein, und die beiden werden spielen."
I was in tears as we were listening to the final scene. J's commentary: "Das ist blöd."
Total audio 2015: 48.07
Total video 2015: 73.15
Age 5.9.6
The final scene in The House on Pooh Corner is very poignant for the parent of a child about to go off to kindergarten. Christopher Robin is sad because, as he tells Pooh, he will soon go to a place were "They don't let you ... do Nothing anymore."
But then: "So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."
Auf Deutsch:
"Und sie gingen zusammen fort. Aber wohin sie auch gehen und was ihnen auf dem Weg dorthin auch passieren mag: An jenem verzauberten Ort ganz in der Mitte des Waldes wird ein kleiner Junge sein, und sein Bär wird bei ihm sein, und die beiden werden spielen."
Total audio 2015: 48.07
Total video 2015: 73.15
Age 5.9.6
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Media today 169
Reading: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Der kleine Prinz, p. 20-24; Roger Hargreaves, Miss Schüchtern, Mister Lustig, Mister Schlampig, Miss Sturkopf, Mister Perfekt.
At this point J knows most of these Hargreaves stories practically by heart. But he still loves them and requests them practically every evening. They are a great deal of fun to read and great practice for all sorts of silly voices.
At this point J knows most of these Hargreaves stories practically by heart. But he still loves them and requests them practically every evening. They are a great deal of fun to read and great practice for all sorts of silly voices.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Media today 168
Reading: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Der kleine Prinz, p. 11-20; Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 36-42.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Media today 167
Reading: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Der kleine Prinz, p. 7-11.
When I was first learning German (at age 21), I would make an effort to find stories that I could both read and listen to as recordings (cassette tapes in those days!). I would listen to the recording over and over, as well as practice along with it to improve my pronunciation. This famous story was the first I ever did this kind of thing with.
J was instantly interested, since there is a giant snake right at the beginning.
When I was first learning German (at age 21), I would make an effort to find stories that I could both read and listen to as recordings (cassette tapes in those days!). I would listen to the recording over and over, as well as practice along with it to improve my pronunciation. This famous story was the first I ever did this kind of thing with.
J was instantly interested, since there is a giant snake right at the beginning.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Media today 166
Reading: Dimiter Inkiow, Die spannendsten griechischen Sagen, 31-36. Listening: Gudrun Mebs, Harald Lesch, Evolution ist, wenn das Leben endlos spielt, 52:00 - 1.13. Viewing: Der kleine Eisbär, Folge 6: "Der Schlittenhund" (26 min.), Folge 10 "Im großen Hafen" (24min.); Rabadabading, Das Leben der Verlassenen #02 (17:00).
Hans de Beer's The Little Polar Bear stories were a big part of J's media world during the second L2 year (see discussion here).
He hasn't been interested in them for a couple of years now. Today they came up in connection with the theme of evolution; we were discussing how animals have adapted to their environment, and the white fur of polar bears was one of the examples.
Total audio 2015: 47.16
Total video 2015: 72.30
Age 5.9.2
Hans de Beer's The Little Polar Bear stories were a big part of J's media world during the second L2 year (see discussion here).
He hasn't been interested in them for a couple of years now. Today they came up in connection with the theme of evolution; we were discussing how animals have adapted to their environment, and the white fur of polar bears was one of the examples.
Total audio 2015: 47.16
Total video 2015: 72.30
Age 5.9.2
Overgeneralization
Lately I've heard J overgeneralizing the umlauting of plural forms: Der Knoten, die Knöten, and das Monster, die Mönster.
 |
| Mönster |
I love it!
Deutsches Käseschloss für die Mäuselis / German cheese castle for the Mousies
J has just built an awesome cheese castle for Ulli and Sabine, our German mouse puppets.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Media today 165
Reading: Roger Hargreaves, Mister Geburtstag, Miss Ärger. Kathryn Lasky, Die Legende der Wächter 2. Die Wanderschaft, loc. 228 - 370/2997 (kindle edition). Listening: Gudrun Mebs, Harald Lesch, Evolution ist, wenn das Leben endlos spielt, 40:00 - 52:00.
Total audio 2015: 46.55
Total video 2015: 71.23
Age 5.9.1
Total audio 2015: 46.55
Total video 2015: 71.23
Age 5.9.1
Eulenprofessor
J: "Diese Eule kommt aus Deutschland und arbeitet an einer Eulenuniversität, wo viele Eulen Sprachen machen, und diese Eule macht Deutsch."
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