Inka Grings: the first female coach of a German men’s team

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Inka Grings: the first female coach of a German men’s team

Inka Grings becomes the first woman in Germany coaching a men’s team. She was both an ex-football player of the German National team and a technical supervisor of a female soccer club called Duisburg. From now on, she is officially involved in the SV Straelen a team which stood the fourth tier in the Oberliga Nordrhein. Her nomination was taken into account thanks to her ex-Football coach, who proposed her candidacy.

The woman who replaced Hermann Tecklenburg

Hermann Tecklenburg, the old coach, relieved of his charge, seems to have failed the expectations of the team supporters, and backed the candidacy of Inka Grings. The woman, ex-football player, is recognized as the most high-scorer player of the Bundersliga. Also, Martina Voss, who currently coaches the German National team, supported Grings’ candidacy. Germany is getting ready for the first woman on charge that coaches a men’s team. But that’s not all, because also France and Italy have already several women who coach men’s team.

From being a player to coaching

Inka Grings career starts in 2014, when the first female football team has been set up by the MSV Duisburg. Thanks to her technique, she carried her team from the youth field till the Fußball-Bundesliga. Between 2016 and 2017, her team gained the Bundesliga.

Photo: jarmoluk CC0

Learn German in Berlin

Too shy to speak Goethe’s language? Join our German conversation course!

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Ok, you’re finally in Berlin. New life, new home, new roommates. It’s time to turn over a new leaf!

You’ve studied for so many years and the time is right to practice your German language skills. So, you ask roommate to lend her hairbrush, and what?! She has slapped you on face! What’s wrong??? Maybe it’s time to understand the difference between Brüste (plural of die Brust – breast) and Bürste (hairbrush)!

Why a German conversation course can turn your life completely

Observation, listening, understanding, speaking: just a word… conversation! This is the real word-key to actually understand a foreign language, to grasp it and wear it like a glove.  Communication is the first human need. So anyone could imagine how essential the expression of ourselves is, and how important it is to speak clearly and accurately. But how can we learn that? Simply. Do it. You cannot study forever or connect with others through ancient scrolls, sooner or later you’ll be push into the universe and you must be ready to fight.

Berlino Schule’s German conversation course

Berlino Schule, leading school in language teaching in Berlin, is here to take you by the hand. Berlino Schule is pleased to announce a new German conversation course for those who want to practice and train the knowledge acquired studying on books, in the easiest and most natural way.  Qualified teacher with long-standing training, comfortable and friendly atmosphere is the precise mix to master German language.

When

The course will take place from the 24th April to 22nd May, every Wednesday, 18.30-20.45.

Aim of the course

The aim of this course is to deepen the knowledge and the comprehension of spoken German. Students will be able to understand the most important information of complex texts and they will be able to understand concrete and abstract subjects. At the end of this course, students will be able to understand technical conversations of their own specialization field so as to speak fluently in order to interact with native speakers. This course is thought for people having a minimum German B1 level, wishing to train and deepen their listening comprehension and speaking skills.

Our teachers 

Lessons are held by teachers with certified experience.

Required knowledge

Having acquired the knowledge of level B1.

Price

230 €  whole course.

Info and registration

For further info@berlinoschule.com

 

Franzbrötchen, the German croissant born as rebellion against French occupation

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The flattened croissant: traditional pastry of northern Germany come from historical conflict

The Franzbrötchen – literally „french roll“- is a classic pastry of Hamburg commonly found in the northern Germany, including Berlin. It looks like a croissant, but has a flattened shape with more strong flavour due to the addition of cinnamon. Its birth can be trace back to the early 1800s and seems to be connected with the siege of Hamburg city by Napoleonic troops.

Born as „pacific rebellion“

During the French occupation (1810-14), Hamburg was pushed to modify its own confectionery tradition. Indeed, the Napoleonic troops, being nostalgic of homely taste, wanted local bakers to make croissant. However, the outcome was far enough away from the original pastry, as can be experienced tasting the Franzbrötchen. There are two possible explanations about it. The first one is that the German bakers weren’t good at recreate the softeness of French pastry, accustomed to use more heavy dough compared to. Based on Atlas Obscura, it could be another one which is much more sneaky.  Likely, Hamburg bakers pretend to misunderstand the French request and, as a gesture of „pacific rebellion“, supplying a „german-style croissants“ to enemy soldiers, with addition of cinnamon.

The recipe

Without regard to different hypothesis, Franzbrötchen is still today an enjoyable pastry to bake and eat. We show you below a version of  its recipe.

Ingredients (6 serves):

For the dough:

  • 300 g flour
  • 1 egg
  • 35 g softened butter
  • 35 g white sugar
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1/4 small cube of fresh yeast
  • 125 ml warm milk

For the stuffing:

  • 35 g softened butter
  • 35 g white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

Combine flour, egg, butter, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk, then blend into the rest of the ingredients and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise about an hour. Next, roll out the dough on workbench and smear softened butter on the surface. Using a teaspoon, sprinkle a mix of sugar and cinnamon. Roll up onto itself and then cut transversely into slices with an angle of 45° in the shape form of trapezium. Place on baking sheet and slightly press in the middle of each section with handle of a wooden spoon. Bake in the oven at 180 °C for 20 minutes. Et voilà, ready to taste! 😉

Pexel  CCo creative commons

German flag

All you need to know about the German flag

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The origin of the German flag

If you want to trace the birth of the German flag, you need to go back to the 18th century. During that period, Europe started to put together several former states. In the past, coats of arms were used to identify a dynasty or a land. Germany occupied a wide territory and was made of several members. Some of them were more powerful than others, like Prussia and Austria. Also, the Holy Roman Empire exerted a limited influence over the lands, ran by different dynasties. The German flag typically depicted in black, red and yellow as we know it, appeared for the first time in 1832. The selection of these three colours represented a choice made by patriots to identify themselves as a group with clear political ideas. However, this choice also reflected a sort of compromise among patriots; even if they were democrats, part of them regretted the Emperor’s leadership, the symbol of which consisted of a black eagle drawn on a yellow background. Red and black instead, stood for people who wanted to get rid of Napoleon’s authority.

Black, red and yellow: the German flag colours

The idea of a unified German state came out during the 19th century as a protest against the French emperor Napoleon I. During that period, new colours were selected, such as black, red and gold. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the former states refused to gather all the states under a single one; in a certain way, democracy was considered as a risk. German history recalls a revolutionary period between 1830 and 1870, when the industrial revolution was setting out, too. Unemployment, poverty and bad harvests were just a few reasons that put up several insurrections. The golden colour, which was widely used for flags, was replaced by yellow, which together with black and red, created a distinction between Nationalists and Democrats. Over the years, the flag became a symbol of the 1848 Revolution, the aim of which was to obtain democracy. When the revolution failed, colours were banned.

German reunification and flags of the new country

A unification became necessary to release Germany’s own economy and to avoid constraints and customs blocks. Prussia, which at the time was guided by Bismarck, pushed for freedom. Bismarck was a former politician, who worked to embitter political relations with Austria and marginalize it. Furthermore, he moved against France, which represented Germany’s historical enemy and also a major power of that period. In 1871 Germany was unified and Bismark chose new colours for the nascent state’s flag, such as black, white and red. Today’s colours of the German flag came into force in 1918 with the rise of the Republic and the Emperor abdication.

From Hitler’s period till nowadays

When Hitler rose to power in 1933, a new symbol thrust upon Germany. A black swastika with white and red colours in the background appeared. The third Reich colours were black, white and red. Ever since 1935, all symbols were forbidden with the exception of the Nazi one. With Germany’s division in 1949, DDR government adopted the classic flag colours (black, red and golden) adding three symbols: a hammer, which represented workers; a divider, which represented intellectuals; and a spike, which represented farmers. Germany Federal Republic adopted some colours without any symbols. After the unification, the last flag became today’s German flag.

Photo: marselelia CC0

 

Second stop: Fernsehturm … But what is it exactly? All you need to know about the Berliner TV tower

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Not just a symbol of the German capital city! The Berliner Fernsehturm has got a complex history behind its back

As a multifaceted country, Germany hides lots of secrets and interesting cultural places. Berlin offers different fascinating monuments, such as Brandenburger Tor, Berliner Dom and the German Parliament (the so-called Reichstag). Last but not the least: the huge Fernsehturm. But, apart from being one of the most popular attractions of the German capital city, what is exactly the Fernsehturm?

Some bits of history

 

Fernsehturm is actually a „television tower“ for radio and TV broadcasting stations in central Berlin. An essential building with a long political history behind its back. For instance, during the division of Germany in East and West Berlin, the monument was a simple antenna. It was indeed built under the directive of the German Democratic Republic (known as GDR) inside the eastern part of Germany, so that it could be seen from anywhere in the country, especially from West Berlin. Its main purpose consisted in showing how modern and functional was GDR. The building was built under a political strategy: at first, it should have been constructed in the South-East part of Berlin. However, the works were then interruped because of its proximity to the airport. It could, therefore, have caused issues with the flights. The Berliner TV tower was then built in a central part of the city, becoming the new symbol of the German capital city. 

At the end …

On October 3rd, 1969, Walter Ulbricht inaugurated the TV Tower and since October 7th, 1969, (The Republic Day) it has been opened to the public. Located in Alexanderplatz, Fernsehturm is 368 meters high. During the sunny days, you can also notice a cross on its surface, formed by the sunrays (known as “the Pope’s revenge”). German Democratic Republic tried to solve the problem, but without any success.

Photo by Michael Jin on Unsplash

Berlino Schule

Intensive, evening, afternoon, conversation, private and Skype classes: Berlino Schule’s German courses from April 2019

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Berlino Schule is celebrating 2019 with new interesting German courses: intensive, evening, private and Skype classes. Don’t skip any of these opportunities!

It is your first time in Berlin, or you have been living in Berlin for quite a lot of time, but you still have the feeling you cannot speak German fluently? Don’t worry. You are neither the first nor the last to experience this. This is why it is extremely important to rely on the right school. Berlino Schule provides you with qualified teachers, who have been teaching German for lots of years. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn “this (not) impossible” language in an international environment!

Berlino Schule has the best quality-price ratio: it can provide you with a proper language education, with qualified and German native teachers from just 4€/hour*. Moreover, whether you are in need of an accomodation, we can help you find the right one for you.

Berlino Schule provides students with three kinds of German course: intensive (morning and afternoon), extensive (evening) and private lessons.

Our German intensive courses

Our intensive courses are held in the morning. Classes will take place 4 times a week, from 8.45 to 11.15 or from 11.40 to 14.20. The course will last four weeks, for a total amount of 48 hours.

Price: 192 euro + 20 euro registration fee

Our German intensive courses – April

A1.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

A1.2 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

A2.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

A2.2 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

B1.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

B2.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

B2.2 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

Our German intensive courses – April – AFTERNOON

A1.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 14.30-17)

A2.1 2 APRIL – 26 APRIL (Tue-Fri 14.30-17)

Our German intensive courses – May

A1.1 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

A1.2 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

A2.1 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

A2.2 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

B1.1 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 11.40-14.10)

B1.2 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

B2.2 30 APRIL – 24 MAY (Tue-Fri 8.45 -11.15)

Our German intensive courses – June

A1.1 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 8.45 – 11.15)

A1.2 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 11.40 – 14.10)

A2.1 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 8.45 – 11.15)

A2.2 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 11.40 – 14.10)

B1.1 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 8.45 – 11.15)

B2.1 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 8.45 – 11.15)

C1.1 28 MAY – 21 JUNE (Tue-Fri 11.40 – 14.10)

Our German intensive courses – July

A1.1 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A1.2 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A2.1 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A2.2 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B1.1 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B1.2 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B2.2 25 JUNE – 19 JULY (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

Our German intensive courses – August – 3 weeks

A1.1 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

A1.2 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

A2.1 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

A2.2 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

B1.1 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

B1.2 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

B2.1 22 JULY – 9 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

Our German intensive courses – August – 3 weeks

A1.1 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

A1.2 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

A2.1 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

A2.2 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

B1.1 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 11:40-14:20)

B2.1 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

B2.2 12 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri 8:45-11:25)

Our German intensive courses – September

A1.1 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A1.2 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A2.1 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A2.2 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B1.1 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B2.2 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

C1.1 3 SEPTEMBER – 27 SEPTEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

Our German intensive courses – October

A1.1 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A1.2 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A2.1 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A2.2 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B1.1 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B1.2 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B2.1 1 OCTOBER – 25 OCTOBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

Our German intensive courses – November

A1.1 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A1.2 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A2.1 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A2.2 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B1.1 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B1.2 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B2.1 29 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

Our German intensive courses – December

A1.1 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A1.2 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

A2.1 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

A2.2 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B1.1 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 11:40-14:10)

B1.2 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

B2.2 26 NOVEMBER – 20 DECEMBER (Tue-Fri 8:45-11:15)

Look at our calendar to find out our German intensive courses 

Our German evening courses

Evening German courses last 8 weeks, for a total amount of 48 hours: classes take place twice a week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday), 3 hours per day, from 19.15 to 21.40.

Price: 240 euro + 20 euro registration fee

Our German evening courses – March/April

A1.1 5 MARCH – 25 APRIL (TUE and THU 19.15  – 21.40)

A1.2 4 MARCH – 24 APRIL (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

A2.2 4 MARCH – 24 APRIL (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

B1.1 4 MARCH – 24 APRIL (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

Our German evening courses – May/June

A1.1 6 MAY – 26 JUNE (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

A1.2 7 MAY – 27 JUNE (TUE and THU 19.15 – 21.40)

A2.1 6 MAY – 26 JUNE (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

A2.2 7 MAY – 27 JUNE (TUE and THU 19.15 – 21.40)

B1.1 7 MAY – 27 JUNE (TUE and THU 19.15 – 21.40)

B1.2 6 MAY – 26 JUNE (MON and WED 19.15 – 21.40)

Our German evening courses – July/August

A1.1 2 JULY – 22 AUGUST (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

A1.2 1 JULY – 21 AUGUST (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.1 2 JULY – 22 AUGUST (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.2 1 JULY – 21 AUGUST (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

B1.1 2 JULY – 22 AUGUST (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

B2.1 1 JULY – 21 AUGUST (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

Our German evening courses – August/October

A1.1 26 AUGUST – 16 OCTOBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

A1.2 27 AUGUST – 17 OCTOBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.1 26 AUGUST – 16 OCTOBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.2 27 AUGUST – 17 OCTOBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

B1.2 27 AUGUST – 17 OCTOBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

B2.2 26 AUGUST – 16 OCTOBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

Our German evening courses – October/December

A1.1 22 OCTOBER – 12 DECEMBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

A1.2 21 OCTOBER – 11 DECEMBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.1 22 OCTOBER – 12 DECEMBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

A2.2 21 OCTOBER – 11 DECEMBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

B1.1 22 OCTOBER – 12 DECEMBER (TUE and THU 19:15 – 21:40)

C1.1 21 OCTOBER – 11 DECEMBER (MON and WED 19:15 – 21:40)

Look at our calendar to find out our German evening courses 

Conversation course

24 April – 22 May (once a week, every Wednesday, 18.30 – 20.45)

Price: 230 euros

Our German super-intensive courses (Summer School)

Do you want to give a boost to your summer? Would you take advantage of the summer holidays to improve your German, a language which is getting more and more important in the labour market? Are you looking forward to coming to Berlin, a city full of culture, art and nightlife?

Summer School of Berlino Schule is the study trip you are looking for. If you choose to enroll to our classes, you will have the possibility to attend super intensive courses of 5 hours per day (from Monday to Friday) for 2 weeks, in a lively and international district of Friedrichshain.

That’s not all! Students attending the courses at Berlino Schule will be offered the chance to join in afternoon activities, related to the German language (i.e. cineforum, walking tours, museums, conversation activities, etc) for a total amount of 8 hours per week.

When. Summer School courses will be held from the 8th of July to the 30th of August and will be every 2 weeks: 8-19 July, 22 July-2 August, 5-16 August, 19-30 August, every day, from 14:30 to 18:45.

Price: 230 euro

Our German super-intensive courses – July

A1.1: 8 JULY-19 JULY (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

A2.1: 8 JULY-19 JULY (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

B2.1: 8 JULY-19 JULY (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

Our German super-intensive courses – July/August

A1.2: 22 JULY-2 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

A2.2: 22 JULY-2 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

B2.2: 22 JULY-2 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

Our German super-intensive courses – August

A1.1: 5 AUGUST-16 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

B1.1: 5 AUGUST-16 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

C1.1: 5 AUGUST-16 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

Our German super-intensive courses – August

A1.2: 19 AUGUST-30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

B1.2: 19 AUGUST-30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

C1.2: 19 AUGUST-30 AUGUST (Mon-Fri, 14:30-18:45)

Look at our calendar to find out our German super-intensive courses 

Skype/private classes

We want learning to be accessible to everyone, even if you don’t live in Germany or don’t have the time to come to our school. Our individual and Skype classes are made up for beginners (A1.1) and advanced learners (C1). An attendance certificate will be given to you at the end of your eLearning classes. If you want to take individual classes, no previous knowledge is required. Our flexible schedule will meet your specific linguistic needs and working hours. The attendance will be define with the school.The price is 28 € per hour (45 minutes).

Our teachers

The courses are held by teachers with certified experience in the language teaching field. At the end of the course a certificate of attendance will be released on demand.

Info and registration

Send an email to info@berlinoschule.com and we will reply with all the information you need. Check also our website to know more about Berlino Schule.

Berlino Schule

Gryphiusstraße 23, 10245 Berlin

030 36465765

info@berlinoschule.com

Here you can fine the Italian version of the article

German is spoken in Hollywood, too! 15 celebrities that surprisingly speak German

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When it comes to catching and reproducing sounds, such as an accent, a language or a melody, both actors and musicians are great talents.
However, only a very few of them did ever try their best with German sounds, whether for working reasons or family origin.
Here is a list of German-speaking worldwide celebrities.

Bud Spencer

Carlo Pedersoli, also known as Bud Spencer, was born in Naples and moved to Rome with his family when he was young. Together with his film partner Terence Hill, the actor was very popular in Germany. Indeed, his biography, “Mein Leben, Meine Filme” reached the top of books selling lists, selling more than 100 thousand copies in one year. He gained popularity during the 70s and appeared in numerous German TV shows. Not only a successful actor and swimmer, the actor could also speak numerous languages, including German. 

Sandra Bullock

People’s Most Beautiful Woman of 2015, highest paid actress worldwide in 2010 and 2014, Oscar-winning in The Blind Side. Sandra Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia, daughter of John Bullock, an army employee and Helga Mathilde, a German voice teacher. The couple met in Nürnberg, when John was working at the Army’s Military Postal Service base in Europe. Despite she was born in the US, Sandra Bullock lived in Nürnberg until 12.

Chris Pratt

Marvel’s Star-Lord learned German at school. The actor, which boasts German origin from paternal side, has revealed his enthusiasm for Goethe’s language in tender age.

Leonardo di Caprio

Perhaps more famous for his Italian origin, the actor boasts also strong German origin by his mother’s side. German was Leonardo’s second language at home, where he got to practice in particular with his maternal grandmother. Despite his German has shrunken, the actor still knows how to impress his public.

Mark Strong 

Mark Strong, born as Marco Giuseppe Salossia, is the son of an Austrian mother and Italian Father. Besides his numerous Award-nominee for Best Supporting Actor, Mark Strong is also popular for his German language skills. In particular, the actor attended German Law classes at Ludwig Maximilian University for one year, before returning to England and pursue the acting career.

Kirsten Dunst

Her dad was a German doctor from Hamburg, and her mother, of Swedish descent, worked as employee at Lufthansa. Kirsten learned German mainly at home. In 2011, the actress gained German citizenship.

Paul McCartney 

Beatles bass-guitarist and co-singer Paul McCartney learned German at school. Yet, it was only at the very beginning of his musical career, that the artist came across the German culture.
In fact, Hamburg played a fundamental role for the band’s success. Allan William, the owner of a music coffee bar in Liverpool, was organizing a tour in Germany for the Liverpool band The Seniors. Eventually, the owner ended up replacing the Liverpool group with The Beatles. The band was still unknown at the time. From 1960 to 1962, the band launched their career by playing in famous clubs, residencies and by working/ recording in professional studios of the city. Click here for Bild’s full article.

Terence Hill

Terence Hill was born Mario Girotti by Italian Father, Girolamo Girotti, and German mother, Hildegard Thieme.
The family moved to Dresden when Hill was four, where they survived the Bombing of Dresden. He spent his childhood in Germany, before moving to Venice.

Gene Simmons (Kiss) 

Kiss’s singer Chaim Wits, also known as Gene Simmons, was born in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish immigrants from Hungary. His mother, who survived the Nazi camp, spoke fluently German and taught both German and Hungarian to her son. Besides German, the singer speaks numerous language, including Hungarian, English and Hebrew.

Vladimir Putin

The former Colonel of KGB’s intelligence office and the current President of Russia, Putin has shown its good German skills numerous times.
The President studied German at Saint Petersburg High School and spent 5 years in Dresden, working for KGB.

Michael Fassbender

The actor was born in Heidelberg but was raised in Ireland, by Irish mother and German father. Michael speaks German fluently. Perhaps, his good German convinced Tarantino to choose him for playing the British officer Lieutenant Archie Hicox.

Kim Cattrall

Sex and the City’s Samantha Jones was married from 1982 to 1989 to Andre Lyson, with whom she lived in Frankfurt and learned to speak German.

Karl Urban

Famous for his roles of Éomer in The Lord of the Rings’, as well as Leonard McCaoy in Star Trek, Karl Urban was born and raised in New Zealand. However, his father was German and used to speak German at home.

Sarah Chalke 

Every Scrubs’ fan knows it well: Sarah Chalke’s German is superb. For that reason, you might see her performing some German in various sketches of the TV comedy.

Donna Summer

LaDonna Adrian Gaines, or simply Donna Summer, was an American singer and actress. During her career, Summer moved to Munich after obtaining the role of Sheila in the counterculture musical Hair. During her time in Germany, she became fluent in German, eventually singing various song in that language.

 

Photo: Screenshot Youtube 

I have learned German. Now, my English is a disaster!

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Learning a language might sometimes become a long, challenging and very arduous journey

English is the third most-spoken native language in the world as well as the co-official language of the United Nations and the European Union. Since its birth, in the 12th century, the English language has evolved by meshing with different cultures such as Romans, Vikings and French through wars, invasions and conquers. English is much more than just a language. It is a melting pot of cultures.
English is a West Germanic Language, along with Dutch, Frisian and German. Despite those languages diverged in the course of time, some of them still preserve numerous similarities, like English and German. However, as every language learner should know, similarities between languages might be a double-edged sword when it comes to learning them. 
In fact, if language similarities may be helpful to understand words, on the other side they can lead non-native speakers to confusion. In particular, during the switching phase. 

Let’s now see in detail some of the most common cases of Denglish 

Ending questions with “or”

To ask for confirmation, English people usually add to the question “isn’t it?” Germans add the word “oder”, which means „or“. 
It can be misleading, or?

Verbs at the end of the sentence

In German, the conjugated verb comes always at the end of the sentence when it comes to a subordinate sentence. Therefore, always remember to put the verb after wenn (when), weil (before), just to make some examples. 

Pronouncing numbers

Counting in German is no easy work. From 21 to 99 numbers form, German people count by switching digits and tens’ order. Hence, you might pronounce 25 “ Fünf und zwanzig”, “five twenty”.

Everything is super

Germans love to exclaim „super!“ every time they find something interesting and nice. Perhaps for its frequent use and its similar meaning to the English “super”, non-native learners might use it interchangeably. In this case, at least remember to pronounce it correctly! Another word you might hear is „prima“.

The Overuse of Na

German’s Na is of a very tricky one. This word has no real meaning and Germans use it to make exclamations stronger. Therefore, you might often hear sentences such as: Na gut, or Na also, Na und? almost everywhere.

Too many ALSO

German speakers use this term as an interjection, whether they are starting a sentence or just taking some time to reflect. We can consider the German “also” the equivalent of the English “so”. However, be careful with these two words. If Germans might understand you, English native speakers might feel a bit confused. Why would you start a sentence with “too”?

Und or and? Aber or but?

When it comes to pairing white socks, it is very easy to mix everything up. As well, confusing coordinated conjunctions between English and German can be easy. Especially after an intense German session, replacing a “but” with an “aber” might happen quickly and you will end up with sentences like: I am very happy for you UND your sister ABER you should be careful.

Similar verbs

Like the English language, German presents numerous irregular verbs, as well. These verbs change their stem vowel in both past tense (Präteritum) and perfect tense (Perfekt). Let’s compare the verb “begin” and the verb “beginnen” for instance. As the verb “begin” would conjugate begin-began-begun, as well the verb “beginnen” would be: beginnt- began- hat begonnen. Language switching can be tricky.

And you, do you know any Denglish?

Denglish, which stands for Deutsch and English, is the term used by linguists to describe incorrect English spoken by German speakers as well as the use of English sentences by German speakers.  “Das macht Sinn” for instance, is a calque from the English “this makes sense“ as well as “whatsappieren” and “to whatsapp”.

Photo: NDE CC0 creative commons

Brandenburger Tor is the real heart of Berlin, that’s why you cannot skip it

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If you are planning a trip to Berlin, Brandenburger Tor is a must. You cannot skip it for many different reasons. In this article, we will try to explain why

Brandenburger Tor is the core of the German capital. In fact, it represents the symbol of the reunified Germany, after all the political, economic and social problems Germany faced after the Second World War. In 1961, Brandenburger Tor was located inside the famous „no man’s land“, that is the patch of land which has been conceived to split East Berlin and West Berlin.

Brandenburger Tor was inagurated in 1791 and symbolizes the victory of Peace over War. For the structure, the Acropolis of Athens had been taken into consideration as an inspiration. And this is exactly why, a Bronze Quadriga has been placed right on the top of the monument, as it represents the Greek goddess Eirene (designed by Johann Gottfried Shadow), used as a symbol of the Prussian victories. The position of the statue was changed by GDR in the opposite direction, and since then it has been no longer moved. 

The monument is characterized by a neoclassical architecture and it is 26 meters high. You can enter it through 5 different gates. In the past, the main entrance was reserved to the royal family, and of course „very normal people“ could use only the 4 ones left. The two lateral structures, built in 1868 by the architect Johann Heinrich Strack, were used as checkpoints; now, you can find two sculptures, representing Mars and Minerva.

The Brandenburg Gate has gone through different historical events, from the triumphant March of Napoleon to the visit of Kennedy, and not to mention the Nazis parades and Hitler’s speeches, until the Fall of the Wall in 1989.

Photo: Debora Fieni and Raman Kaur

How much do you know about German? 6 interesting facts about Goethe’s language

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Did you already know that German people can create more than 23 millions words with only 26 letters of the alphabet?! How much do you know about the German language? After reading this article, you will get a better idea!

How many people speak German as a native speaker?

The German speakers, namely those who speak German as first or second language, are almost 130 million worldwide. German is not only the official language in seven countries, but also one of the most spoken languages in the UE. A German-speaking minority (about 7,5 million people) lies scattered in 42 countries.

How many people study German as a foreign language?

289 million! According to some research led by the germanist Ulrich Ammon, almost 289 million people have decided to study German during their life. Can they speak German fluently? Who knows. That’s another kettle of fish. However, the current number of German learners is around 15,4 million, 90% of which are young students.

How many words does the German language have?

Well, far more than you might expect and German learners can confirm it. Mixing two or more words to create a new one is easy job for German speakers. Therefore, a true answer to this question does not exist. In 2013, a Berliner linguistic found 5,3 million words. Only four years later, the Duden editorial staff published a total amount of 23 million words (only basic forms). The result came up from a great collection of technical and literary works (4000 books). Not to mention that the latest Duden edition shows a shrunken amount of 145.000, but native German speakers tend to use only 12.000-16.000 words. 

Which words are the most frequently used?

  • Gold medal: DER, DIE, DAS (the determined articles, which German students should learn by heart in combination with the noun that follows)
  • Silver medal: IN, the preposition
  • Bronze medal: UND, the conjunction

Which is the longest word?

According to Duden, the German longest word is “Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-hyperaktivitätsstörung”, that means “attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder” and boasts 44 letters.

What is the International Mother Language Day for?

Purpose of this commemoration is to celebrate the importance of language as a part of the cultural identity of a population, as well as to raise awareness about the risks languages are being exposed to, due to the globalization. Nowadays, almost half of the 6000 languages spoken worldwide are in danger. German is not one of them, yet several German’s dialects are about to disappear. In particular, the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger depicts the North Frisian and the Saterland Frisian as the most endangered languages within the German area. 


Photo: PourquoiPas Pixabay