GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

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Tristano
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GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby Tristano » Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:43 pm

Hi,
has someone here experience using both these podcasts?
Is it useful to do them both or one of the two is superior and the other one superflous? Any other comments?

Danke! 8-)
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby tastyonions » Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:32 pm

I don't know anything about GermanPod101, but "Warum nicht?" has an annoying high-pitched voice piping up throughout, or at least it did until the point that I gave it up after a couple dozen lessons. Just fair warning.
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby Tristano » Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:15 am

Haha i'm curious now :D
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby Soclydeza » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:42 pm

I used Warum Nicht for a while and I would say it's definitely worth checking out; it's pretty much like older version of a podcast, with themed episodes/lessons and transcripts that go with them. In my opinion, it seems much more well thought out than GermanPod101, which felt kind of slow, scattered and lacking direction. Plus after you're done with Warum Nicht, there's Wieso Nicht (also by Deutsche Welle) that comes next, plus more higher level courses, so you have plenty of material of that style to keep you going for a while.

As to what tastyonions said, yes there is this really annoying character that comes up periodically (I forget her name, she's a ghost or something, I just remember her squealing "GRAMMATIK! GRAMMATIK!" in one episode) haha but it wasn't enough to stop me from using it, just more like that character in a movie that you love to hate.
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby Stefan » Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:28 pm

Deutsch - warum nicht felt very well-produced and I enjoyed the story. It has aged well considering it was made 1991. My main pet peeve was Ex, the high-pitched annoying kobold. I tried listening to it in bed but the voice made it impossible so I listened during my morning walks. I also thought there was too much English and the long music made it feel a bit unproductive but it's possible I would think differently today. I understood everything in the course but was still far from understanding native audio after completing it.

I don't have much experience of GermanPod101. Their beginner course was well below my level so I skipped to their advance content which wasn't bad but all the audio I tried were standalone monologs about German cities which bored me to death. You can get similar but more interesting content for free by listening to Top-Thema. I logged in after seeing this thread and noticed that most of their new content is labeled with "absolute beginner". 10 years of producing content and they are still focusing on absolute beginners? Imagine if they had spent 10 years producing a show similar to Deutsch - warum nicht. As I said, I have next to no experience with it so I might be wrong.
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby reineke » Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:30 am

Germanpod101 got some poor reviews on reddit and podbay.

Mezzofanti Guild has a "brutal and honest" review for you. The review is generally positive but take a peek at the comments section.

I took a quick look at a podcast transcript and other sources. Overall, I am unimpressed.

Bad reviews overall (or no reviews) also for the company's vocabulary products (signed Innovative language).

"I was looking for a vocabulary book for my husband (I am French).. too many errors and the quality is very poor. So many bad translations. The book has not been made by native speakers."

The audio portion (marketed differently) is a spoken word list. The articles were omitted for several European languages (including German).
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby ASEAN » Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:37 pm

A few years ago, GermanPod101's parent company LanguagePod101 received a lot of complaints about billing. I was going to use them for a language that has few resources, but as mentioned, the advanced material just talks about tourist attractions in that country. I want to be able to deal with customer service over the phone and other practical matters. DW is free with a ton of resources. They even have English, Spanish, and Russian YouTube channels.
I skipped to their advance content which wasn't bad but all the audio I tried were standalone monologs about German cities which bored me to death

GLOSS has advanced audio with transcripts. https://gloss.dliflc.edu/
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby Tristano » Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:53 am

As I ultimately decided to use them both, it's time to give my impression about it.
Background:
- I did the first two seasons of GermanPod101 Absolute Beginner. I use only the dialogue and the review track, and for more dialogues challenging (for my current level) dialogues, I also listen to the first part of the lesson, where the dialogue gets repeated slowly and then with translation. I don't use the website, but just the audio.
- I'm at the episode 9 of the first season of Warum Nicht.

So, a comparison doesn't exist because the two courses are completely different. As only comparison point, I must agree that WN has a direction and builds progressively, whereas GP101 is quite random in his content. I'm enjoying WN much more, but I also found GP101 useful, as a supplement.

- WN: the high pitched voice isn't (for me) as annoying as I was afraid of. I find it sort of fine. There is plenty of English and the rhythm is slow, but it feels well structured and builds progressively without getting boring. I love the useless classic music interruptions, it really serves the purpose. I can see that it has been used a scientific didactic method.
- GP101: very boring. Disorganized. But: it is useful to learn vocabulary and expressions. I don't listen to the culture notes and to the grammar. I would never use it standalone. The seasons don't build on each other. I was very upset to discover that the second season was starting from the basic greetings again and that it was even easier than the first one. The dialogues were very cheesy in the first season, absolutely uninspiring in the second one. Meh. But I got something from it.

Until now, I must say that Warum Nicht sets for me a new standard of audio courses. I hope there are more of similar methods (for German but also other languages). I can't imagine that Pimsleur and MT are that popular actually (or yes: marketing).
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby DaveBee » Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:05 am

Tristano wrote:Until now, I must say that Warum Nicht sets for me a new standard of audio courses. I hope there are more of similar methods (for German but also other languages). I can't imagine that Pimsleur and MT are that popular actually (or yes: marketing).
The (UK) libraries near me seem to have either Michel Thomas, or Linguaphone All Talk for audio-only options. Teach Yourself seems to be the default book+CD course.
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Re: GermanPod101 vs Deutsche Welle "Warum nicht"

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Thu Oct 26, 2017 6:15 pm

Tristano wrote:As I ultimately decided to use them both, it's time to give my impression about it.
Background:
- I did the first two seasons of GermanPod101 Absolute Beginner. I use only the dialogue and the review track, and for more dialogues challenging (for my current level) dialogues, I also listen to the first part of the lesson, where the dialogue gets repeated slowly and then with translation. I don't use the website, but just the audio.
- I'm at the episode 9 of the first season of Warum Nicht.

So, a comparison doesn't exist because the two courses are completely different. As only comparison point, I must agree that WN has a direction and builds progressively, whereas GP101 is quite random in his content. I'm enjoying WN much more, but I also found GP101 useful, as a supplement.

- WN: the high pitched voice isn't (for me) as annoying as I was afraid of. I find it sort of fine. There is plenty of English and the rhythm is slow, but it feels well structured and builds progressively without getting boring. I love the useless classic music interruptions, it really serves the purpose. I can see that it has been used a scientific didactic method.
- GP101: very boring. Disorganized. But: it is useful to learn vocabulary and expressions. I don't listen to the culture notes and to the grammar. I would never use it standalone. The seasons don't build on each other. I was very upset to discover that the second season was starting from the basic greetings again and that it was even easier than the first one. The dialogues were very cheesy in the first season, absolutely uninspiring in the second one. Meh. But I got something from it.

Until now, I must say that Warum Nicht sets for me a new standard of audio courses. I hope there are more of similar methods (for German but also other languages). I can't imagine that Pimsleur and MT are that popular actually (or yes: marketing).

This thread roused my curiosity, so I'm taking the Warum Nicht course. I'm on Lesson 4. I am not going to take GP101. This will be my (at least) 4th try at German.

I am still dreading the high-pitched voice, so I am glad to hear it becomes bearable.
I understand the purpose of the musical interludes, but I still don't like them. Probably I will start to fast-forward through them.
The first three episodes would lose a footrace to a tortoise, but I realize they're probably for raw beginners who need to go slowly.
All those negatives aside, the reasoned and seasoned approach appeals to me, so I will continue. Besides, the lessons are short. We'll see what happens.

I tried Pimsleur once, I forget the L2, but it was below my level. I listened to one CD and then quit.
I tried an MT, too, probably for Spanish. Except I thought it was by some other Michel floating around out there. Anyway, I found it useful but hardly comprehensive.

Good luck, Tristano!
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