Suggested Reading and Bibliography
The following are some sections that may be helpful to
you as a student of German. We included some recommended study aids, words
of advice from German students, and teacher interviews.
Click the links
below for quick navigation!
Recommended German Study Books
Advice and Tips from German Students
Interviews with Foreign Language Teachers
Recommended
German Study Books
If you are interested in seriously studying German,
these sources are recommended by The German Tutor! Note: These sources are where we got much of our inspiration for lessons and tests from.
| Title:
German:
Second and Third Years
Publisher:
AMSCO School Publications, Inc.
ISBN:
0-87720-577-9
Description:
An extensive, detailed German workbook covering all aspects of German
grammar and usage. Highly recommended.
|
| Title: Holt
German Level 1: Komm mit! With Integrated Multimedia
Publisher:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston
ISBN:
0-03-052084-3
Description:
A student-friendly textbook with much emphasis on culture and daily
communication.
|
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Advice and Tips from German
Students
We asked some German students at Cypress Creek High
School about what they thought of German and what tips they could give someone
studying German. Here's what they said:
| “German
is an useful language to learn in the business world. It applies to
medicine and many other professional careers. German has inspired me
to study other foreign languages.” – Thomas Torres |
| “Well, German
is a really fun language to learn! It’s a very consistent
language, and has really built my grammar abilities throughout the years.
I suggest to anyone who wants to learn German to be comfortable with the
grammar, and to use German as often as you can.” – Arlyn Hernandez |
| “German
is really easy and it teaches you about your own language, almost like
Latin. It’s also the second most widely-spoken language in Europe.
Learning German also teaches cultural tolerance because you don’t just
learn the language, but also about the culture and the people.” – Luis
Chia |
| “Fluency in
German isn’t quite as much of a cake walk as some people may say, but it
was definitely worth learning. In the process I not only learned
German grammar and vocabulary, but was also taught and able to compare
this new language to my own native language and it enabled me to attain a
deeper understanding of not only letters on paper but of worldwide
culture.” – Mark Murray |
| “German
is a cool language. Something that is really helpful is to use
post-it notes and mark them with German words to place them on objects
around the house. It’ll help you learn the words.” – Kyle Hoffman |
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Interviews
with Foreign Language Teachers
We wanted to give you another perspective on learning a foreign
language--that of a teacher's. We interviewed two foreign language
teachers at Cypress Creek High School and asked for their input on German
study. Read what they said below!
Quick
Navigation: German teacher, Spanish
teacher
Interview
1: Mrs. Wirbel (German teacher)
| QUESTION:
What languages do you speak? Teach?
WIRBEL: I speak English and German; I
teach German. |
| QUESTION: When
did you first begin to study a foreign language?
WIRBEL: My father was an exchange teacher
in Germany so I had exposure to German through my stay there.
However, I formally studied German starting in ninth grade. |
| QUESTION:
Why did you choose to study a foreign language?
WIRBEL: I studied German because my
family lived in Germany due to my father's employment. My father was
a German teacher and that got me going in that direction. |
| QUESTION: For
a student pursuing the study of a foreign language, what tips would you
give them?
WIRBEL: I would suggest to them to study
and practice German every night. Another tip would be to use it as
often as you can. It helps the student become more comfortable with
the language. |
| QUESTION:
How might it be/is it difficult to approach German from English?
WIRBEL: I think the technicalities of the
grammar and the gender of the nouns are most difficult. English does
not have genders and sometimes that aspect of German is hard to become accustomed
to. In regards to that gender problem, I suggest that you correlate
the gender with something else you've learned. It makes it easier to
remember. |
| QUESTION: What
are the advantages of speaking German for an English-speaker?
WIRBEL: German helps with English
vocabulary and improves grammar skills significantly. Also,
considering the importance of German in world trade, German is a good
language for anyone who wishes to pursue business. |
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Interview
2: Mr. Conde (Spanish teacher)
| QUESTION:
What languages do you speak? Teach?
CONDE: As many languages as there are in
the world, I had the opportunity to learn since I was little the Spanish
language. Later, I started in school the English language. I
teach Spanish at Cypress Creek. |
| QUESTION: When
did you first begin to study a foreign language?
CONDE: I began to study a foreign
language since I was in first grade. |
| QUESTION:
Why did you choose to study a foreign language?
CONDE: At first, I had to study a foreign
language because it was required in school. After graduating, I
decided to keep up studying English because I liked communicating in
different languages and also, because it helped me increase my
professional goals. |
| QUESTION: For
a student pursuing the study of a foreign language, what tips would you
give them?
CONDE: Any student who is thinking of
studying another language I will advise them to visit the place where they
can hear people speaking the language so that they can increase the
understanding of the language. |
| QUESTION:
How might it be/is it difficult to approach German from Spanish?
CONDE: Since Spanish is a romance
language and German is not, German is quite difficult to Spanish speakers. |
| QUESTION: What
are the advantages of speaking German for an English-speaker?
CONDE: There are many advantages.
For instance, you have better job opportunities if you know more than one
language. You can also understand the culture of the country.
Lastly, you can have a better understanding of the cultural diversity of
the languages. |
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