2020 - C1 in German by june

[jeff_lindqvist]

A dubbed series might be easier if the voice actors speak more clearly?

I think this is somewhat comparable to reading a translation vs. the original (e.g. something translated into German instead of a German original) - not that I've experienced this myself, but it's fairly common to hear people suggesting it. Maybe they're right.

By the way, you're right that the subtitles seldom match the dialogue, probably because different teams are involved. And for that matter, different objectives. Subtitles are rarely a word-for-word transcript, but a summary.

The dubbed audio track isn't based on the subtitles, and vice versa. Both may be equally correct on their own, though. Compare how subtitles work for native language TV - no Swedish subs match the Swedish audio 100% (because of (average) reading speed vs. the number of characters per line). Is that also true for Norwegian?

[tungemål]

Yes, you are right - subtitles are normally shortened compared to the speech. The rephrase and leave out inessential information.

[tungemål]

Maybe I should reconsider my plans. I now work on both Japanese and German, and it is probably a bit too much. In addition I have a book in Spanish that I'd like to finish. I don't know how people here manage to work on 3,4,5 languages or more. Passive input is maybe ok (books and TV), but to really improve my German I think I need to do more.

My comprehension is ok, but the problem is that my speaking skills are not that good. I think I will do some lessons on Italkie. I'd like to believe the theory that says that as long as you've had enough input of the language, you will learn to speak. But I am not sure if that is enough. To improve my German from "managing to get my point across" to "speaking without too many grammar mistakes" I might need to do exercises. Maybe I should get one of the books that prepare for the Goethe test. Does anyone have recommendations for books that improve grammar and speaking skills?

[hedgehog.chess]

Does anyone have recommendations for books that improve grammar and speaking skills?

Here's my post about the DLI German Basic Course. You could try this one, it has helped me a lot, especially the grammar drills. And if you don't like it you don't lose anything except for a bit of your time cause it's free

[AlOlaf]

Here are links to the two books in English that helped me the most to grasp the fundamentals of German grammar:

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/schaums-o ... le/364213/

https://www.discoverbooks.com/Essential ... 413383.htm

These are the exact editions I have; I have no experience with any others.

Speaking spontaneously requires that grammatical concepts be internalized. To achieve this, I know of no means other than repetition. FSI drills work for me, but only because I like doing them.

[tungemål]

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[tungemål]

I have decided to do some Italki-lessons, and I my plan is this:
- write an essay and get it corrected
- use the essay as the basis for the conversation

In this way I hope to get better at speaking more correctly. The conversation will hopefully also be a bit more sophisticated than ordinary chit-chat when I define a theme to talk about.

[tungemål]

Lets see if I can define some goals for a couple of progress bars for my German:

- write 10 Aufsätze (Essays) and get them corrected by my Italki teacher.
- watch 20 episodes of Tatort, using the subtitles where necessary to understand all the dialogues. (Already watched 3).

Have you ever used Italki for getting essays corrected? Do you think it is an efficient way to improve writing and speaking?

[tungemål]

I watch or listen to German media every day. There is a wealth of good content in German - German TV, Youtubers, podcasts... I often listen to the "Echo des Tages" which covers the latest news. Then I found a youtube channel called Tomatolix - he makes a lot of these "Selbstexperiments" that are fun to watch, and he is easy to understand.

So it is not necessary to rely on series like Tatort - problem with that series is that each episode is so long.

[DaveAgain]

So it is not necessary to rely on series like Tatort - problem with that series is that each episode is so long.

Expugnator often watches programmes over several days. So if an episode is too long to watch in one sitting, it can be watched in shorter segments, 30 minutes a day.