Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 203-222 (end).
Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Taschengeld: Umgang mit Geld, 16:30-36:30
Viewing: Let's Play Kung Fu Panda, Episode 2 (20:00) and 3 (24:17)
In the money audiobook there is a scene (min. 22), very similar to the one in the Inkiow book from a couple week ago, where the children wonder why enough money can't be created to give everybody enough, whereupon a grandfather character explains to them about inflation, specifically the hyperinflation in Germany after WW1.
This really brings home why the Germans are so deathly afraid of loose monetary policy. They get it very young! Let's just hope German inflexibility in this regard doesn't destroy the Euro.
At 31:00 there is a scene where the sister charges her brother interest (one gumdrop) on a loan of sixty cents. When the father learns of this, he is quite unhappy, and the sister drops the interest. The ensuing section is by no means simple-minded and condemnatory of interest. Still, I find it interesting that interest is introduced into the story as something negative in itself (it's not like the father thinks, for example, the sister has charged too much interest).
Total audio 2015: 15.57
Total video 2015: 24.13
Age 5.4.23
Piggy pedagogy
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
L2 flow
This morning as I walked into J's room, he was having trouble with his little tablet. He burst into tears and delivered himself of something very close to exactly the following:
Papa, ich wollte im Bett bleiben und ein bisschen mit diesem Gerät spielen, aber als ich es angeschaltet habe, hat es nicht funktioniert. Ich hab die Kiste hinten aufgemacht und es gab nur drei Batterien drin, und eine ist dann herausgekommen und auf den Boden gefallen!
This all just flowed out of him in one piece, obviously under conditions of emotional duress, and as far as I was able to tell, the grammar and syntax were perfect.
I worry all the time that my son's ability express himself actively in German might fall behind his English. It seems inevitable, especially with kindergarten looming next year and the disappearance of our L2-heavy Mondays. I get stupidly paranoid every time I hear him falter in L2 or not find words (which of course kids—adults—HUMANS!—do all the time, even in their native language). So these moments of flow are very heartening.
Papa, ich wollte im Bett bleiben und ein bisschen mit diesem Gerät spielen, aber als ich es angeschaltet habe, hat es nicht funktioniert. Ich hab die Kiste hinten aufgemacht und es gab nur drei Batterien drin, und eine ist dann herausgekommen und auf den Boden gefallen!
This all just flowed out of him in one piece, obviously under conditions of emotional duress, and as far as I was able to tell, the grammar and syntax were perfect.
I worry all the time that my son's ability express himself actively in German might fall behind his English. It seems inevitable, especially with kindergarten looming next year and the disappearance of our L2-heavy Mondays. I get stupidly paranoid every time I hear him falter in L2 or not find words (which of course kids—adults—HUMANS!—do all the time, even in their native language). So these moments of flow are very heartening.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Media today 80
Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 179-190.
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 2.04-2.11; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Taschengeld: Umgang mit Geld, 6:30-16:30.
Viewing: Der gestiefelte Kater 41:00-80:00; Der König der Löwen, 0-44:00.
Total audio 2015: 15.37
Total video 2015: 23.29
Age 5.4.23
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 2.04-2.11; Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Taschengeld: Umgang mit Geld, 6:30-16:30.
Viewing: Der gestiefelte Kater 41:00-80:00; Der König der Löwen, 0-44:00.
Total video 2015: 23.29
Age 5.4.23
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Media today 77
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.36-2:04
Viewing: Benjamin Blümchen, "Benjamin Blümchen als Lokomotivführer" (26:00) and "Die kleinen Schildkröten" (26:00); "Der gestiefelte Kater" 0-41:00.
The Puss in Boots film is a 2008 animated French production dubbed into German.
At first I thought that it was borrowing ideas and motifs from the recent animated Hollywood film (the swainishness of the feline hero and the love interest as a masked dancer), but now I see it was certainly the other way around, since the Hollywood film was from 2011. Anyway, the French version is closer to the traditional fairy tale (a Perrault appears in the film) than the Hollywood version, which has virtually nothing to do with the traditional story—while still being a great film, I must admit!
Total audio 2015: 15.20
Total video 2015: 21.55
Age 5.4.19
Viewing: Benjamin Blümchen, "Benjamin Blümchen als Lokomotivführer" (26:00) and "Die kleinen Schildkröten" (26:00); "Der gestiefelte Kater" 0-41:00.
The Puss in Boots film is a 2008 animated French production dubbed into German.
At first I thought that it was borrowing ideas and motifs from the recent animated Hollywood film (the swainishness of the feline hero and the love interest as a masked dancer), but now I see it was certainly the other way around, since the Hollywood film was from 2011. Anyway, the French version is closer to the traditional fairy tale (a Perrault appears in the film) than the Hollywood version, which has virtually nothing to do with the traditional story—while still being a great film, I must admit!
Total audio 2015: 15.20
Total video 2015: 21.55
Age 5.4.19
Friday, February 20, 2015
Reading words of the week 5
5.1 ich
5.2 lieben
5.3 lieblich
5.4 dich
5.5 sich
5.6 schieben
5.7 der Dieb, Diebe
somehow I got off track on this one and it ended up like this:
5.1 ich
5.2 mich
5.3 lieben
5.4 sieben
5.5 dich
5.6 sich
5.7 der Dieb, Diebe
It didn't work out too well to mix vowel combinations.
5.2 lieben
5.3 lieblich
5.4 dich
5.5 sich
5.6 schieben
5.7 der Dieb, Diebe
somehow I got off track on this one and it ended up like this:
5.1 ich
5.2 mich
5.3 lieben
5.4 sieben
5.5 dich
5.6 sich
5.7 der Dieb, Diebe
It didn't work out too well to mix vowel combinations.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Wortschöpfungen 2
Alex: "Es war ein anderer, der das Känguru gekidnappt hat."
Jamie: "Nein, gekängurunappt."
Jamie: "Nein, gekängurunappt."
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Media today 75. Formal / informal address, Siezen / Duzen
Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 134-151.
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.12-1.36.
Viewing: Der kleine Eisbär: Der Traum vom Fliegen (22 min.); various videos about lasers, here (5:30), here (4:00), here (14:00)—and here (10:45) and here (9:00) with HARALD LESCH, OMG! I did not know about this series. Cool! I have a very high opinion of Harald Lesch and he has made some great audiobooks for children and young adults.
J loves the scene in Saubande at 1.21:30 (p. 120 in the book) where Max the "scent pig," with whom the characters have been using the formal address (Sie), tells Matheo that he can use the informal: "Du kannst mich ruhig duzen." He wanted to hear this several times.
By the way, I've never yet mentioned it, but from the beginning I've had all the puppets use the formal address with me, though I refer to them in the informal. At some point soon I'll probably offer them the Du, and maybe with new arrivals start out with Sie and then switch to Du.
Total audio 2015: 14.52
Total video 2015: 20.22
Age 5.4.16
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.12-1.36.
Viewing: Der kleine Eisbär: Der Traum vom Fliegen (22 min.); various videos about lasers, here (5:30), here (4:00), here (14:00)—and here (10:45) and here (9:00) with HARALD LESCH, OMG! I did not know about this series. Cool! I have a very high opinion of Harald Lesch and he has made some great audiobooks for children and young adults.
J loves the scene in Saubande at 1.21:30 (p. 120 in the book) where Max the "scent pig," with whom the characters have been using the formal address (Sie), tells Matheo that he can use the informal: "Du kannst mich ruhig duzen." He wanted to hear this several times.
By the way, I've never yet mentioned it, but from the beginning I've had all the puppets use the formal address with me, though I refer to them in the informal. At some point soon I'll probably offer them the Du, and maybe with new arrivals start out with Sie and then switch to Du.
Total audio 2015: 14.52
Total video 2015: 20.22
Age 5.4.16
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Spielgruppe 3
Heute schien es uns zu kalt, um draußen zu spielen, also haben wir uns an der Uni getroffen und verschiedene Gesellschaftsspiele gespielt.
Da gab's Obstgarten:
Die Schwarzwald-Ausgabe von Monopoly:
sowie freies Buchstabieren:
Mäusefreunde Ulli und Sabine sind auch mitgekommen und haben sich von Jamie und Luca die Namen buchstabieren lassen:
.JPG)
Sabine und Leyla zeigten einander ihre Ohrringe:
Da gab's Obstgarten:
Die Schwarzwald-Ausgabe von Monopoly:
sowie freies Buchstabieren:
Mäusefreunde Ulli und Sabine sind auch mitgekommen und haben sich von Jamie und Luca die Namen buchstabieren lassen:
Sabine und Leyla zeigten einander ihre Ohrringe:
Zum Schluss musste doch noch ein bisschen Auslauf sein:
Media today 74
Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 125-133.
Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Taschengeld: Umgang mit Geld, 0-6:30.
J found the following statement by Albert E. about how money can also make people unhappy very interesting and we ended up talking about it for several minutes:
"Ihr solltet also lernen, mit Geld umzugehen. Sonst geht das Geld womöglich mit Euch um." (1:50)
Total audio 2015: 14.28
Total video 2015: 19.17
Age 5.4.15
Listening: Ich weiß was, Albert E. erklärt Taschengeld: Umgang mit Geld, 0-6:30.
J found the following statement by Albert E. about how money can also make people unhappy very interesting and we ended up talking about it for several minutes:
"Ihr solltet also lernen, mit Geld umzugehen. Sonst geht das Geld womöglich mit Euch um." (1:50)
Total audio 2015: 14.28
Total video 2015: 19.17
Age 5.4.15
Literary-critical Sunday school, part 11
Listening: Arnulf Zitelmann, Die Weltreligionen, 0-7:00.
This audio/book, written for "Jugendliche und Erwachsene," is too advanced for J, but he seemed to enjoy listening to the first short snippet, about which he asked a lot of questions. We ended up playing the seven minutes over the course of about half an hour, pausing to discuss every few sentences.
Among other things we talked about whether its possible to believe in the biblical creation and the big bang (Urknall) at the same time (J thought so); what the difference is between the Urknall and that other big Knall, namely when the asteroid that was later to form part of the moon crashed into the earth; and the meaning of the fascinating statement by the narrator: Jeder, der neben mir auf der S-Bahn sitzt, kann sein Leben bis auf den Urknall zurückführen ("Everyone sitting next to me in the S-Bahn can trace his existence back to the big bang.")
By the way, the author identifies himself as a frommer Atheist (1:00), a "pious" or "spiritual atheist." He doesn't say he's an atheist because he doesn't believe in god, but because he doesn't believe in Gottesbilder, "images of god." The reason is because Gottesbilder can become dangerous if you cling to them. But as an atheist he doesn't want to have to live—not a single moment!—without a "feeling of spirituality" (Gefühl der Frömmigkeit). As for what that feeling is supposed to be exactly, he doesn't yet explain. Is it that he's "spiritual, not religious"? Or is this related to the "sense of wonder" atheists claim to feel when contemplating the universe? We'll see.
As for me and my family, we will serve the Golden Rule. Besides literary-cultural reasons, the main impulse behind my Sunday school is to cultivate deep empathy for others, not a private-emotional sensibility.
This audio/book, written for "Jugendliche und Erwachsene," is too advanced for J, but he seemed to enjoy listening to the first short snippet, about which he asked a lot of questions. We ended up playing the seven minutes over the course of about half an hour, pausing to discuss every few sentences.
Among other things we talked about whether its possible to believe in the biblical creation and the big bang (Urknall) at the same time (J thought so); what the difference is between the Urknall and that other big Knall, namely when the asteroid that was later to form part of the moon crashed into the earth; and the meaning of the fascinating statement by the narrator: Jeder, der neben mir auf der S-Bahn sitzt, kann sein Leben bis auf den Urknall zurückführen ("Everyone sitting next to me in the S-Bahn can trace his existence back to the big bang.")
By the way, the author identifies himself as a frommer Atheist (1:00), a "pious" or "spiritual atheist." He doesn't say he's an atheist because he doesn't believe in god, but because he doesn't believe in Gottesbilder, "images of god." The reason is because Gottesbilder can become dangerous if you cling to them. But as an atheist he doesn't want to have to live—not a single moment!—without a "feeling of spirituality" (Gefühl der Frömmigkeit). As for what that feeling is supposed to be exactly, he doesn't yet explain. Is it that he's "spiritual, not religious"? Or is this related to the "sense of wonder" atheists claim to feel when contemplating the universe? We'll see.
As for me and my family, we will serve the Golden Rule. Besides literary-cultural reasons, the main impulse behind my Sunday school is to cultivate deep empathy for others, not a private-emotional sensibility.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Reading words of the week 4
4.1 du
4.2 zu
4.3 gut
4.4 der Mut
4.5 mutig
4.6 die Wut
4.7 der Schuh, die Schuhe
I've also been including quick practice word lists, phrases, and sentences in the daily exercise to review the material covered.
ist
bist
ist
Mist!
Der Hund ist listig.
Die Schlange ist listig.
die
sie
sie
die
Sie ist listig.
Wie ist der Hund?
Wie ist das Land?
Wie ist Hund-Land?
dies
sie
sie
die
wie
sie
wie
die
dies
dies
die
wie
sie
dies
mies
dies
die
wie
sie
mies
fies
mies
fies
dies
wie
Der Hund ist fies und mies.
fiese Hunde?
liebe Hunde?
lieb
fies
mies
dies
lieb
sie
Du bist listig!
Du bist Mist!
Das ist Mist!
du
zu
zu
du
sie
die
wie
du
zu
sie
zu
gut
gut
du
die
du
die
die
sie
gut
zu
Hör gut zu!
Mut
gut
gut
Mut
du
zu
Mut
sie
4.2 zu
4.3 gut
4.4 der Mut
4.5 mutig
4.6 die Wut
4.7 der Schuh, die Schuhe
I've also been including quick practice word lists, phrases, and sentences in the daily exercise to review the material covered.
ist
bist
ist
Mist!
Der Hund ist listig.
Die Schlange ist listig.
die
sie
sie
die
Sie ist listig.
Wie ist der Hund?
Wie ist das Land?
Wie ist Hund-Land?
dies
sie
sie
die
wie
sie
wie
die
dies
dies
die
wie
sie
dies
mies
dies
die
wie
sie
mies
fies
mies
fies
dies
wie
Der Hund ist fies und mies.
fiese Hunde?
liebe Hunde?
lieb
fies
mies
dies
lieb
sie
Du bist listig!
Du bist Mist!
Das ist Mist!
du
zu
zu
du
sie
die
wie
du
zu
sie
zu
gut
gut
du
die
du
die
die
sie
gut
zu
Hör gut zu!
Mut
gut
gut
Mut
du
zu
Mut
sie
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Media today 73
Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 112-124.
Listening: Grimms, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, KHM 6, "Der treue Johannes" (21 min.); Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.08-1.12; Ich weiß was, "Albert E. erklärt Freundschaft," 0-6:00.
Viewing: Der König der Löwen (85 min.)
In the fairy-tale, J found the long, complicated prophecy by the ravens very amusing. It's so over the top, I wonder if it's not supposed to be a parody of animal prophecy type-scenes.
Es trug sich aber zu, während sie nun auf dem hohen Meere fuhren, daß der getreue Johannes, als er vornen auf dem Schiffe saß und Musik machte, in der Luft drei Raben erblickte, die daher geflogen kamen;
da hörte er auf zu spielen und horchte, was sie miteinander sprachen, denn er verstand das wohl. Die eine rief: „ei, da führt er die Königstochter vom goldenen Dache heim!“ „Ja, antwortete die zweite, er hat sie noch nicht!“ Sprach die dritte: „er hat sie doch, sie sitzt bei ihm im Schiff.“ Da fing die erste wieder an und rief: „was hilft ihm das! wenn sie ans Land kommen wird ihm ein fuchsrothes Pferd entgegen springen, da wird er sich aufschwingen wollen und thut er das, so sprengt es mit ihm fort und in die Luft hinein, daß er nimmer mehr seine Jungfrau wieder sieht.“ Sprach die zweite: „ist da gar keine Rettung?“ „O ja wenn der, welcher auf dem Pferd sitzt, das Feuergewehr, das in den Halftern stecken muß, heraus nimmt und es damit todt schießt, so ist der junge König gerettet; aber wer weiß das! und wers weiß und sagts ihm, der wird zu Stein von den Fußzehen bis zum Knie“
Da sprach die zweite: „ich weiß noch mehr! wenn das Pferd auch getödtet wird, so behält der junge König doch nicht eine Braut! wenn sie zusammen ins Schloß kommen, so liegt dort ein gemachtes Brauthemd in einer Schüssel und sieht aus, als wärs von Gold und Silber gewebt, ist jedoch nichts als Schwefel und Pech; wenn ers anthut, verbrennt es ihn bis auf Mark und Knochen.“ Sprach die dritte: „ist da gar keine Rettung?“ „O ja, antwortete die zweite, wenn einer mit Handschuhen das Hemd packt und wirft es ins Feuer, daß es verbrennt, so ist der junge König gerettet. Aber was hifts, wers weiß und es ihm sagt, der wird halbes Leibes Stein vom Knie bis zum Herzen.“ Da sprach die dritte: „ich weiß noch mehr! wird das Brauthemd auch verbrannt, so hat der junge König seine Braut doch noch nicht! wenn nach der Hochzeit der Tanz anhebt und die junge Königin tanzt, wird sie plötzlich erbleichen und wie todt hinfallen; und hebt sie nicht einer auf und zieht aus ihrer rechten Brust drei Tropfen Blut und speit sie wieder aus, so stirbt sie. Aber verräth das einer, der es weiß, so wird er ganzes Leibes zu Stein vom Wirbel bis zur Fußzehe!“ Als die Raben das miteinander gesprochen, flogen sie weiter, und der getreue Johannes hatte alles wohl verstanden, aber von der Zeit an war er still und traurig, denn verschwieg er seinem Herrn, was er gehört hatte, so war dieser unglücklich, entdeckte er es ihm, so mußte er selbst sein Leben hingeben. Endlich aber sprach er bei sich: meinen Herrn will ich retten, und sollt ich selbst darüber zu Grunde gehn.
Total audio 2015: 14.15
Total video 2015: 19.17
Age 5.4.12
Listening: Grimms, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, KHM 6, "Der treue Johannes" (21 min.); Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.08-1.12; Ich weiß was, "Albert E. erklärt Freundschaft," 0-6:00.
Viewing: Der König der Löwen (85 min.)
In the fairy-tale, J found the long, complicated prophecy by the ravens very amusing. It's so over the top, I wonder if it's not supposed to be a parody of animal prophecy type-scenes.
Es trug sich aber zu, während sie nun auf dem hohen Meere fuhren, daß der getreue Johannes, als er vornen auf dem Schiffe saß und Musik machte, in der Luft drei Raben erblickte, die daher geflogen kamen;
da hörte er auf zu spielen und horchte, was sie miteinander sprachen, denn er verstand das wohl. Die eine rief: „ei, da führt er die Königstochter vom goldenen Dache heim!“ „Ja, antwortete die zweite, er hat sie noch nicht!“ Sprach die dritte: „er hat sie doch, sie sitzt bei ihm im Schiff.“ Da fing die erste wieder an und rief: „was hilft ihm das! wenn sie ans Land kommen wird ihm ein fuchsrothes Pferd entgegen springen, da wird er sich aufschwingen wollen und thut er das, so sprengt es mit ihm fort und in die Luft hinein, daß er nimmer mehr seine Jungfrau wieder sieht.“ Sprach die zweite: „ist da gar keine Rettung?“ „O ja wenn der, welcher auf dem Pferd sitzt, das Feuergewehr, das in den Halftern stecken muß, heraus nimmt und es damit todt schießt, so ist der junge König gerettet; aber wer weiß das! und wers weiß und sagts ihm, der wird zu Stein von den Fußzehen bis zum Knie“
Da sprach die zweite: „ich weiß noch mehr! wenn das Pferd auch getödtet wird, so behält der junge König doch nicht eine Braut! wenn sie zusammen ins Schloß kommen, so liegt dort ein gemachtes Brauthemd in einer Schüssel und sieht aus, als wärs von Gold und Silber gewebt, ist jedoch nichts als Schwefel und Pech; wenn ers anthut, verbrennt es ihn bis auf Mark und Knochen.“ Sprach die dritte: „ist da gar keine Rettung?“ „O ja, antwortete die zweite, wenn einer mit Handschuhen das Hemd packt und wirft es ins Feuer, daß es verbrennt, so ist der junge König gerettet. Aber was hifts, wers weiß und es ihm sagt, der wird halbes Leibes Stein vom Knie bis zum Herzen.“ Da sprach die dritte: „ich weiß noch mehr! wird das Brauthemd auch verbrannt, so hat der junge König seine Braut doch noch nicht! wenn nach der Hochzeit der Tanz anhebt und die junge Königin tanzt, wird sie plötzlich erbleichen und wie todt hinfallen; und hebt sie nicht einer auf und zieht aus ihrer rechten Brust drei Tropfen Blut und speit sie wieder aus, so stirbt sie. Aber verräth das einer, der es weiß, so wird er ganzes Leibes zu Stein vom Wirbel bis zur Fußzehe!“ Als die Raben das miteinander gesprochen, flogen sie weiter, und der getreue Johannes hatte alles wohl verstanden, aber von der Zeit an war er still und traurig, denn verschwieg er seinem Herrn, was er gehört hatte, so war dieser unglücklich, entdeckte er es ihm, so mußte er selbst sein Leben hingeben. Endlich aber sprach er bei sich: meinen Herrn will ich retten, und sollt ich selbst darüber zu Grunde gehn.
Total audio 2015: 14.15
Total video 2015: 19.17
Age 5.4.12
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Jamie teaching his friends German
Up to now, J has not really liked it when his friends or cousins ask him to say things in German or what this or that word is in German. Today after school, however, he told my wife that he's started to teach some of his friends some German phrases. He mentioned three: Hallo; Komm(t), gehen wir! and "another one I forgot."
Media 72
Reading: Nina Weger, Die sagenhafte Saubande. Kommando Känguru, 108-112.
The second main human character, Polly "Hinkebein," has just been introduced.
J was very interested in her explanation of how she came to have a non-functioning kneejoint—the result of an infant strep infection that was diagnosed too late. He asked me to demonstrate what limping (hinken) looks like, then proceeded to limp around the living room, then to lie flat and demonstrate how Polly probably swims.
Another interesting thing about Polly is that she has a no-nonsense attitude about her handicap, consciously and cleverly deploying it to her own advantage. She calls it her Behinderten-Bonus. She's an appealing character. She also uses a good bit of slang. J loves it that she calls money Mäuse. That is, five hundred euros = fünfhundert Mäuse.
Update 2.12: Mäusezählen mit den Mäusen
Update 2.12: Mäusezählen mit den Mäusen
Monday, February 9, 2015
Media today 71
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 1.00:30-1.08.
Viewing: Unten am Fluss, Season 2, Episodes 1-3 (70 min.)
The witch stories have awesome illustrations. J was especialy excited about the Wohngemeinschaft of witches at the end of the first story:
I suggested he take this as a model for a Wohngemeinschaft drawing of his own.
Later in the day:
I especially like the arches in the basement.
Total audio 2015: 13.45
Total video 2015: 17.52
Age 5.4.9
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Spielgruppe 2
Eine zweisprachige Aufforderung von Grace:
Jamies Yin-Yang-Symbol (freundlicherweise zur Verfügung gestellt von Kung Fu Panda):
Domi und Luca backen Erdbeerkuchen (oder war das Erdbär-Kuchen?):
Niko in eigener Sache:
Graziöses Kippen—im Wortsinn!
Vera will und will nicht kippen!
Jamies Yin-Yang-Symbol (freundlicherweise zur Verfügung gestellt von Kung Fu Panda):
Domi und Luca backen Erdbeerkuchen (oder war das Erdbär-Kuchen?):
Niko in eigener Sache:
Graziöses Kippen—im Wortsinn!
Vera will und will nicht kippen!
Literary-critical Sunday school, part 10
Reading: The Beginner's Bible, 146-163; Monika Tworuschka, Udo Tworuschka, Guido Wandrey, Die Weltreligionen Kindern erklärt, loc. 1-97/2119.
Listening: Karlheinz Koinegg, Moses und die Wüste der Wunder, 1.39-2.45 (end).
J had an interesting reaction to something in the book on world religions.
When I read the section where the Jewish girl Ruth is explaining how Jews believe that Jesus is a Jewish man, not the son of God or the messiah, his brow wrinkled and he said that he "didn't like that." When I asked him what exactly he didn't like, he said that he didn't like the way she said what she said, not what she said.
At least I think this is what he was getting at; I deliberately refrain from ever pressing him about his thoughts on religious questions or giving him the impression that there is a right way a priori to think about these things. By way of follow-up, I told him that we always have to keep in mind that the Jesus stories we have been reading from the bible were written by Christians, not Jews; that Christians generally think Jews were wrong about Jesus, and so the stories often make a lot of the Jews look bad, sometimes even without trying to make them look bad; but that the Jews, too, think the Christians are wrong. People of different religions disagree about a lot of stuff, and that's ok, they just have to learn to get along.
***
After this, I also broached the subject of the shoah for the first time. A couple of weeks ago (in connection with the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks), I had begun telling J about the Germans' role in the second world war. Today I told him that during that war, Germans persecuted the Jews; that many fled, but very many were killed; that after that, not many Jews have wanted to live in Germany; that many came to America and many went to Israel, which is where most of the bible stories take place and which many Jews still think of as their homeland.
J didn't evince much of a reaction, either to this or to the WW2 discussion. In connection to the latter he did say, "But the Germans are good now, right, daddy?" Which I confirmed.
On a related note. Who knows if J will continue to progress in the German language at the current rate as he grows up. But if he does, he will essentially be a native speaker, but without any of the usual identity-conditioning factors like family and heritage (very important for traditional notions of German identity). I'm very curious to see—if it happens—what this German-American "third space" identity-hybrid will end up looking like. Obviously I will have a huge role in the process, which is quite a responsibility but very exciting as well.
***
The conclusion to the Moses story moves into theologically pretty interesting territory. After the Israelites make and worship the golden calf, Joshua wants to execute the perpetrators. God himself tells Moses that he feels similarly, that he has decided to wipe his entire people out, except Moses, and give the latter "a brand new people that will be good and wise and hardworking and obedient, not rebellious and lazy like the Hebrews."
Obviously the Noah-flood story is the subtext here. But the really interesting part is that in talking God out of this plan, Moses tells God that the latter doesn't really know human nature; doesn't have the power to create beings that are without flaw; that the problem with the ten commandments is that they are "lacking in love"; that God's view that he is always right is wrong; and that God has "been evil" and "done evil things" (there is a deliberate play on and conflation of the two main senses of the word böse here, "evil" and "angry"):
"Wie viele Menschen hast Du umgebracht, weil Du böse [ = angry] auf sie warst? Du hast uns nach Deinem Bild erschaffen. Aber wenn Du selber böse [ = evil] bist, können wir nicht besser sein!"
After Moses's reprimand, God admits that he himself has sinned ("Ich sehe ein, dass auch ich gesündigt habe") and asks for forgiveness. Moses grants it, asking for forgiveness as well. God says that he has now changed and doesn't want to be a fearsome God anymore. Moses, he says, has shown him that God, too, is a pupil (Schüler).
At this point J chimed in from the back of the car and said he didn't understand what was going on. He said he understood Moses's words, but didn't really know what they mean. I laughed and agreed, telling him that this version is very different from most bible stories, where God is always right and he's the one teaching the people and telling them what to do. Here, in contrast, Moses is able to teach God things and tell God he's wrong, and he can tell God what to do and he does it!
Pretty strong tobacco, as they say in German.
Listening: Karlheinz Koinegg, Moses und die Wüste der Wunder, 1.39-2.45 (end).
J had an interesting reaction to something in the book on world religions.
When I read the section where the Jewish girl Ruth is explaining how Jews believe that Jesus is a Jewish man, not the son of God or the messiah, his brow wrinkled and he said that he "didn't like that." When I asked him what exactly he didn't like, he said that he didn't like the way she said what she said, not what she said.
At least I think this is what he was getting at; I deliberately refrain from ever pressing him about his thoughts on religious questions or giving him the impression that there is a right way a priori to think about these things. By way of follow-up, I told him that we always have to keep in mind that the Jesus stories we have been reading from the bible were written by Christians, not Jews; that Christians generally think Jews were wrong about Jesus, and so the stories often make a lot of the Jews look bad, sometimes even without trying to make them look bad; but that the Jews, too, think the Christians are wrong. People of different religions disagree about a lot of stuff, and that's ok, they just have to learn to get along.
***
After this, I also broached the subject of the shoah for the first time. A couple of weeks ago (in connection with the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks), I had begun telling J about the Germans' role in the second world war. Today I told him that during that war, Germans persecuted the Jews; that many fled, but very many were killed; that after that, not many Jews have wanted to live in Germany; that many came to America and many went to Israel, which is where most of the bible stories take place and which many Jews still think of as their homeland.
J didn't evince much of a reaction, either to this or to the WW2 discussion. In connection to the latter he did say, "But the Germans are good now, right, daddy?" Which I confirmed.
On a related note. Who knows if J will continue to progress in the German language at the current rate as he grows up. But if he does, he will essentially be a native speaker, but without any of the usual identity-conditioning factors like family and heritage (very important for traditional notions of German identity). I'm very curious to see—if it happens—what this German-American "third space" identity-hybrid will end up looking like. Obviously I will have a huge role in the process, which is quite a responsibility but very exciting as well.
***
The conclusion to the Moses story moves into theologically pretty interesting territory. After the Israelites make and worship the golden calf, Joshua wants to execute the perpetrators. God himself tells Moses that he feels similarly, that he has decided to wipe his entire people out, except Moses, and give the latter "a brand new people that will be good and wise and hardworking and obedient, not rebellious and lazy like the Hebrews."
Obviously the Noah-flood story is the subtext here. But the really interesting part is that in talking God out of this plan, Moses tells God that the latter doesn't really know human nature; doesn't have the power to create beings that are without flaw; that the problem with the ten commandments is that they are "lacking in love"; that God's view that he is always right is wrong; and that God has "been evil" and "done evil things" (there is a deliberate play on and conflation of the two main senses of the word böse here, "evil" and "angry"):
"Wie viele Menschen hast Du umgebracht, weil Du böse [ = angry] auf sie warst? Du hast uns nach Deinem Bild erschaffen. Aber wenn Du selber böse [ = evil] bist, können wir nicht besser sein!"
After Moses's reprimand, God admits that he himself has sinned ("Ich sehe ein, dass auch ich gesündigt habe") and asks for forgiveness. Moses grants it, asking for forgiveness as well. God says that he has now changed and doesn't want to be a fearsome God anymore. Moses, he says, has shown him that God, too, is a pupil (Schüler).
At this point J chimed in from the back of the car and said he didn't understand what was going on. He said he understood Moses's words, but didn't really know what they mean. I laughed and agreed, telling him that this version is very different from most bible stories, where God is always right and he's the one teaching the people and telling them what to do. Here, in contrast, Moses is able to teach God things and tell God he's wrong, and he can tell God what to do and he does it!
Pretty strong tobacco, as they say in German.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Media today 70
Listening: Nina Weger, Kommando Känguru (Die sagenhafte Saubande 1), 39:30-1.00:30.
Total audio 2015: 13.37
Total video 2015: 16.42
Age 5.4.7
Total audio 2015: 13.37
Total video 2015: 16.42
Age 5.4.7
Vocabulary 3: rep training
Everyone knows you never learn a new word right off the bat, be it in your native language or in a foreign language. What many people don't realize is how many encounters with a new word it takes before you really learn it.
Between five and sixteen, according to English language teaching guru Johanna Sterling. Eight times is a decisive threshold in this study. And according to this site, it takes "the average student about twenty-five experiences with a word before they 'own' it in speech." Twenty-five experiences!
When I first heard this kind of thing as I was learning German (seven reps was the magic number I heard at one point, and that's been my general rule of thumb), I started writing down my new words and phrases in little index-card notebooks, which I would carry with me everywhere and review constantly. I did this for many years, well into graduate school. When I was living in Salzburg in 1993-1994, I would take long walks through downtown at night with the Duden reference book of idioms under my arm ...
... reviewing them systematically and mumbling the example sentences over and over again to myself!
In the first L2 year with my son, massive repetition of basic vocabulary was part and parcel of the game-routines. Our accompanying reading and viewing, and later audiobooks, were also repeated many many times, both because toddlers love repetition and because of the above considerations.
My basic system was that we would first read/view/listen to something new a bunch of times in rapid succession, then let it lie for a week or two, repeat one or two times, then let a longer period go by (two-three months) before repeating, then revisit after a very long time (six-eight months). This was to safeguard against what is known among linguists as "decay," which means gradually forgetting words you once knew because of long disuse.
About a year ago, when J started getting bored with so much repetition of individual books, videos etc., I started using little index-card notebooks to keep track of individual words and phrases I wanted J to learn.
The slashes record instances when I use the word/phrase in conversation with J. The stars record instances when he uses the word/phrase independently. For awhile I had other marks too, like a dot for those times when he would use a word/phrase right after I used it, or an x when we heard the word/phrase in an audiobook, but that got to be too complex, so right now I'm using just slashes and stars. The different colors are for different days of the week. I use one of these pens:
As a rule I only record one instance per day, no matter how many times we may use the word/phrase that day. This is to safeguard against confusing short-term memory retention with real mastery of a word.
So in the examples "daneben gehen" and "bei der Sache sein" here ...
... I used the word in conversation at least four times on four different days (mostly Saturdays = red) before J started using it independently. However, I don't usually record the first encounter, which is usually in a book we are reading (see below).
There are many instances in my current notebook where J starts using a word/phrase independently after four or five recorded reps:
With other more abstact words, like Vorteil and Nachteil, the reps have yet to bear fruit ...
But of course the ground is being prepared.
There's no real system to what I write down. Most of it comes from our readings, and I just follow my nose. In those frequent situations when we have a reading-story and its audiobook going at the same time, then I write down material from the reading and, ideally, seek to practice it a couple of times in conversation with J before we get to the relevant part of the audiobook. When I coordinate it perfectly (unfortunately not as often as I'd like), it's just incredibly effective—then J is in the back of the car listening and having eureka! experiences of understanding, excitedly calling out the new words and phrases as he hears them!
I also usually take a notebook along on our walks. I'll have it in my hand, page through it as we're on the trail, and try to weave as many of the words/phrases as possible into our conversation, checking them off as I go. Sometimes I start little conversations entirely for the sake of practicing a particular word or a phrase. Eventually this kind of artifice and artificiality will fall away, but while J is still so young and conversation with him is so meandering, associative, and generally silly (in a good way!), it works great.
Between five and sixteen, according to English language teaching guru Johanna Sterling. Eight times is a decisive threshold in this study. And according to this site, it takes "the average student about twenty-five experiences with a word before they 'own' it in speech." Twenty-five experiences!
When I first heard this kind of thing as I was learning German (seven reps was the magic number I heard at one point, and that's been my general rule of thumb), I started writing down my new words and phrases in little index-card notebooks, which I would carry with me everywhere and review constantly. I did this for many years, well into graduate school. When I was living in Salzburg in 1993-1994, I would take long walks through downtown at night with the Duden reference book of idioms under my arm ...
... reviewing them systematically and mumbling the example sentences over and over again to myself!
In the first L2 year with my son, massive repetition of basic vocabulary was part and parcel of the game-routines. Our accompanying reading and viewing, and later audiobooks, were also repeated many many times, both because toddlers love repetition and because of the above considerations.
My basic system was that we would first read/view/listen to something new a bunch of times in rapid succession, then let it lie for a week or two, repeat one or two times, then let a longer period go by (two-three months) before repeating, then revisit after a very long time (six-eight months). This was to safeguard against what is known among linguists as "decay," which means gradually forgetting words you once knew because of long disuse.
About a year ago, when J started getting bored with so much repetition of individual books, videos etc., I started using little index-card notebooks to keep track of individual words and phrases I wanted J to learn.
The slashes record instances when I use the word/phrase in conversation with J. The stars record instances when he uses the word/phrase independently. For awhile I had other marks too, like a dot for those times when he would use a word/phrase right after I used it, or an x when we heard the word/phrase in an audiobook, but that got to be too complex, so right now I'm using just slashes and stars. The different colors are for different days of the week. I use one of these pens:
As a rule I only record one instance per day, no matter how many times we may use the word/phrase that day. This is to safeguard against confusing short-term memory retention with real mastery of a word.
So in the examples "daneben gehen" and "bei der Sache sein" here ...
... I used the word in conversation at least four times on four different days (mostly Saturdays = red) before J started using it independently. However, I don't usually record the first encounter, which is usually in a book we are reading (see below).
There are many instances in my current notebook where J starts using a word/phrase independently after four or five recorded reps:
But of course the ground is being prepared.
There's no real system to what I write down. Most of it comes from our readings, and I just follow my nose. In those frequent situations when we have a reading-story and its audiobook going at the same time, then I write down material from the reading and, ideally, seek to practice it a couple of times in conversation with J before we get to the relevant part of the audiobook. When I coordinate it perfectly (unfortunately not as often as I'd like), it's just incredibly effective—then J is in the back of the car listening and having eureka! experiences of understanding, excitedly calling out the new words and phrases as he hears them!
I also usually take a notebook along on our walks. I'll have it in my hand, page through it as we're on the trail, and try to weave as many of the words/phrases as possible into our conversation, checking them off as I go. Sometimes I start little conversations entirely for the sake of practicing a particular word or a phrase. Eventually this kind of artifice and artificiality will fall away, but while J is still so young and conversation with him is so meandering, associative, and generally silly (in a good way!), it works great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)