I loved this, Rebecca, as much as the first time 'round. Thinking in a certain language and speaking in a different one, or thinking in two languages and speaking something altogether different, is an accomplishment in its own right! While I was learning French in Austin years ago, I thought in German, "how would I say this French word in German" which didn't get me far, but I found it curious that my little bit of conversational German kicked in. Let me know if you ever decide to have your own Learn a Language YouTube channel; I'll tune in! 😁 P. S. I love your German comment about "absolutely having to" - perfection! 😂
Thanks, Mary! Once you get out of the having-to-translate-every-word stage you're on to an absolute winner!
I was friends with a Swiss girl in Germany, whose mother tongue was French. She'd laugh (very kindly!) every time I tried to address her in French - the words would be right, but I'd always put them into German word order! 🤣
Hmmm, now, that's a good question! If there were a German word written as 'Gable' it would be pronounced 'Gaaahb-luh', because an e at the end of the word is always sounded! Given that 'Clark Gable' is an actual name, though, they'd likely know to pronounce it as an English speaker would.
An excellent point, David - it's really made me think!
I Thoroughly enjoyed reading your piece. "Klapptisch" now has become my new favorite German word. Can't wait to spread the joy of it's sound. Thank you for sharing.
I love German! After graduating with high notes (9 out of 10) in 1990, I found myself virtually speechless when I began living here, a year and a half ago. Thanks to Duolingo but mainly just going out and (trying to) talk to people, I feel pretty confident now. Which means: confident enough to not speak the language perfectly, but at least be understood.
I find a stein of beer loosens the tongue and lowers the inhibitions just enough to feel fluent and confident. But more than one beer, defeats the purpose.
It's a gorgeous language, isn't it? I learned Dutch for a year when I was at university in northern Germany for two semesters - I can say very little more than 'hoe gaat het ermee?', but I found the sound of Dutch even lovelier than German, because the accent is so much prettier, for one thing.
This is such an entertaining piece, Rebecca. You really made me laugh this morning. As a language teacher myself ( ESL and Spanish) and as a second-language learner( Spanish Italian, French) I know first hand what you are talking about. Klapptisch, indeed. I may start using that myself! My old mother,Katy, spoke Plattdeutsch, a lower, rural German and we used to throw around a bit of it. Mostly things like "Ich bin fertig. Ich gehe ins Bett." Her favorite expletive was "Ach, liebe zeit!" Which I understood was loosely translated as "For the love of God!"
Thanks, Sharron! Wow, that's a lot of languages! Plattdeutsch is a fantastic variant of German - one of my Germanistik professors was one of those involved in translating several of the 'Asterix' books into Plattdeutsch - that was his claim to fame! https://asterix-obelix.nl/?lng=mu02
I know the phrase 'Ach, du LIIIIIIIEBEZEIT!', because it was exclaimed multiple times a day by the mother of my teenage German exchange student. It was her retort for pretty much everything, actually! 🤣 (And it wasn't in my German phrasebook, either!)
It delighted me to know that you had heard that expression. Mom, too, would exclaim it and roll her eyes heavenward - mostly related to something atrocious done by her...ahem...children. Do UK folks use the expression - that was the "last straw"? Ma waved that last straw around a lot.
Hilarious, Rebecca. Now I will be adding Klapptisch to my expletive vocabulary!
The only language training I received or delved into at all was Spanish. For a western American, it ought to be mandatory because most people in the work world are Hispanics, specifically Mexican. In fact, my husband (a Californian) told me that Mexican food isn't ethnic. It's just food. Meanwhile, I managed to worm my way through one and a half years of Spanish in school. Years later, I picked it up on my own, securing enough to talk to my Mexican ESL learners. They were so patient. And I know I learned more Spanish than they learned English. I'd use it in my library job as lots of Hispanics (Mexicans and Argentinians) used the library for various purposes. One day, a snooty Argentinian declared loudly, "You Spanish is horrible." I said, "I know, but I'm the only gringo around here who tries to speak it for our Mexican patrons." Meanwhile, they would listen, smiling (or was it grimacing) at my attempts to communicate. Bless 'em! I envy your achievement of German proficiency, though. To think and dream in a language would be awesome. Fun article, Rebecca. You made me laugh ... again.
I loved your response to that snooty Argentinian - nice work, Sue! Sadly it's very common to hear grumpy reports from residents of popular holiday destinations in mainland Europe about visiting Brits who make no effort to even say 'hello' or 'thank you' in the local language and instead just SHOUT VERY LOUDLY IN ENGLISH. Even just a word or two would a) get them a lot further and b) not make such a mess of the reputation of Britons abroad!
When I was looking into becoming a modern languages teacher (German and French) I discovered pretty quickly that most schools now offer only French and Spanish for students to learn. Nothing against Spanish - in fact, hey, keep it on the curriculum, absolutely - but removing German altogether as an option in British schools is, in my opinion, very short-sighted in terms of both commerce and diplomacy within Europe!
Gee, I thought Americans were the only ones whose behavior built our "ugly" reputation. As for German being nixed in curricula, WWWHHHHHAAAAAATTT???? That's nuts. And don't tell me it's because of decreased funding. If your British educational administration is as top-heavy as ours, some people need to either take a cut in pay or find something else to do with their lives. Admins are NOT teachers and don't have the same important influence with students and ultimately our societies.
Now look ... I'm so piqued, I'm about to fall off my soapbox.
Sadly, it took a Cold War to add Russian to America's language curriculum. German, Spanish, French, and Russian. Thank goodness, the colonial systems homogenized enough of the planet so we don't have to include Tagalog, Hmong, Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etcetcetc. I read years ago that the L.A. school district had to deal with 19 different languages. Can you imagine teaching a class like that? I love diversity, but giminey christmas!
Extremely funny - yet also so impressive! Learning a different language is tricky and to (ever!) reach the point of "thinking" in that language is really an achievement. I loved French back in the day but since I have rarely had the chance to use via conversations, it has sadly atrophied away. I took Latin for years as well but not a great deal of everyday opportunities for a chat there either, lol. (Also handy verbs like "laying waste" or "plundering" tend not to come terribly often, fortunately ...) You are inspiring! This post has given my own curiosity a much-needed boost/nudge. Thank you Rebecca!
It's amazing how quickly our language tools rust in their abandoned toolbox, isn't it?! I mean, I still speak fluent English and above-fluent Rubbish, but my French is and will remain utter Klapptisch, and my German is sadly sehr rostig (very rusty) these days! x
Oh gosh, Sue, I would have loved to learn Latin - I really enjoy looking at words and identifying their Latin roots! Horticultural and medical terminology are particularly fascinating! Thank you so much for reading - and how lovely to have inspired you! I've been off my computer for ages now, and I can't believe how long I've left it to respond to comments. xxx
very chortlesome. I don't think I'd be able to cope with genders and long portmanteau words. I did an introductory course in Spanish a couple of years ago, and learnt how to say things like, "Excuse me kind sir, could you direct me to the nearest public bathroom please?" What I wanted to know was, how do you haggle when you go into a shop? Klapptisch is a good word. I was a lodger in a place once where the landlady, a colleague of mine, was of German extraction. Her favourite expletive was the word for excrement. Anyway, this post proves what my dad once said to me. He sold men's clothes, and one day someone came along, spluttered "How much?" with a great deal of gesticulation and then, when told, said he didn't understand. My dad said: "You can speak English as well as I can", and the person laughed. Then my dad said to me, after they'd gone, "the first things you learn when you go abroad are how the money works and how to swear!"
Nicht mal meine Eltern, die wirklich alles haben, besitzen einen Klapptisch. :D
🤣 Wir haben einen, den wir aber kaum benutzt haben!
I loved this, Rebecca, as much as the first time 'round. Thinking in a certain language and speaking in a different one, or thinking in two languages and speaking something altogether different, is an accomplishment in its own right! While I was learning French in Austin years ago, I thought in German, "how would I say this French word in German" which didn't get me far, but I found it curious that my little bit of conversational German kicked in. Let me know if you ever decide to have your own Learn a Language YouTube channel; I'll tune in! 😁 P. S. I love your German comment about "absolutely having to" - perfection! 😂
Thanks, Mary! Once you get out of the having-to-translate-every-word stage you're on to an absolute winner!
I was friends with a Swiss girl in Germany, whose mother tongue was French. She'd laugh (very kindly!) every time I tried to address her in French - the words would be right, but I'd always put them into German word order! 🤣
🤣
"Gabel was a lovely word, too. This word – for fork – was pronounced ‘gaaaaahhhhble’,"
I have to wonder if this was how German cinema buffs would have pronounced the last name of American actor Clark Gable.
Hmmm, now, that's a good question! If there were a German word written as 'Gable' it would be pronounced 'Gaaahb-luh', because an e at the end of the word is always sounded! Given that 'Clark Gable' is an actual name, though, they'd likely know to pronounce it as an English speaker would.
An excellent point, David - it's really made me think!
"Gabel was a lovely word, too. This word – for fork – was pronounced ‘gaaaaahhhhble’,"
I have to wonder if this was how German cinema buffs would have pronounced the last name of American actor Clark Gable.
"Gabel was a lovely word, too. This word – for fork – was pronounced ‘gaaaaahhhhble’,"
I have to wonder if this was how German cinema buffs would have pronounced the last name of American actor Clark Gable.
"Gabel was a lovely word, too. This word – for fork – was pronounced ‘gaaaaahhhhble’,"
I have to wonder if this was how German cinema buffs would have pronounced the last name of American actor Clark Gable.
I Thoroughly enjoyed reading your piece. "Klapptisch" now has become my new favorite German word. Can't wait to spread the joy of it's sound. Thank you for sharing.
Me,too.
Aww, thanks, Linda!
I love German! After graduating with high notes (9 out of 10) in 1990, I found myself virtually speechless when I began living here, a year and a half ago. Thanks to Duolingo but mainly just going out and (trying to) talk to people, I feel pretty confident now. Which means: confident enough to not speak the language perfectly, but at least be understood.
I find a stein of beer loosens the tongue and lowers the inhibitions just enough to feel fluent and confident. But more than one beer, defeats the purpose.
Ha! 🍺
It's a gorgeous language, isn't it? I learned Dutch for a year when I was at university in northern Germany for two semesters - I can say very little more than 'hoe gaat het ermee?', but I found the sound of Dutch even lovelier than German, because the accent is so much prettier, for one thing.
This is such an entertaining piece, Rebecca. You really made me laugh this morning. As a language teacher myself ( ESL and Spanish) and as a second-language learner( Spanish Italian, French) I know first hand what you are talking about. Klapptisch, indeed. I may start using that myself! My old mother,Katy, spoke Plattdeutsch, a lower, rural German and we used to throw around a bit of it. Mostly things like "Ich bin fertig. Ich gehe ins Bett." Her favorite expletive was "Ach, liebe zeit!" Which I understood was loosely translated as "For the love of God!"
Thanks, Sharron! Wow, that's a lot of languages! Plattdeutsch is a fantastic variant of German - one of my Germanistik professors was one of those involved in translating several of the 'Asterix' books into Plattdeutsch - that was his claim to fame! https://asterix-obelix.nl/?lng=mu02
I know the phrase 'Ach, du LIIIIIIIEBEZEIT!', because it was exclaimed multiple times a day by the mother of my teenage German exchange student. It was her retort for pretty much everything, actually! 🤣 (And it wasn't in my German phrasebook, either!)
It delighted me to know that you had heard that expression. Mom, too, would exclaim it and roll her eyes heavenward - mostly related to something atrocious done by her...ahem...children. Do UK folks use the expression - that was the "last straw"? Ma waved that last straw around a lot.
Yes, we do say that over here! The thing with the last straw, though, is that demand will ALWAYS outstrip the supply! 🤣
Hilarious, Rebecca. Now I will be adding Klapptisch to my expletive vocabulary!
The only language training I received or delved into at all was Spanish. For a western American, it ought to be mandatory because most people in the work world are Hispanics, specifically Mexican. In fact, my husband (a Californian) told me that Mexican food isn't ethnic. It's just food. Meanwhile, I managed to worm my way through one and a half years of Spanish in school. Years later, I picked it up on my own, securing enough to talk to my Mexican ESL learners. They were so patient. And I know I learned more Spanish than they learned English. I'd use it in my library job as lots of Hispanics (Mexicans and Argentinians) used the library for various purposes. One day, a snooty Argentinian declared loudly, "You Spanish is horrible." I said, "I know, but I'm the only gringo around here who tries to speak it for our Mexican patrons." Meanwhile, they would listen, smiling (or was it grimacing) at my attempts to communicate. Bless 'em! I envy your achievement of German proficiency, though. To think and dream in a language would be awesome. Fun article, Rebecca. You made me laugh ... again.
I loved your response to that snooty Argentinian - nice work, Sue! Sadly it's very common to hear grumpy reports from residents of popular holiday destinations in mainland Europe about visiting Brits who make no effort to even say 'hello' or 'thank you' in the local language and instead just SHOUT VERY LOUDLY IN ENGLISH. Even just a word or two would a) get them a lot further and b) not make such a mess of the reputation of Britons abroad!
When I was looking into becoming a modern languages teacher (German and French) I discovered pretty quickly that most schools now offer only French and Spanish for students to learn. Nothing against Spanish - in fact, hey, keep it on the curriculum, absolutely - but removing German altogether as an option in British schools is, in my opinion, very short-sighted in terms of both commerce and diplomacy within Europe!
Gee, I thought Americans were the only ones whose behavior built our "ugly" reputation. As for German being nixed in curricula, WWWHHHHHAAAAAATTT???? That's nuts. And don't tell me it's because of decreased funding. If your British educational administration is as top-heavy as ours, some people need to either take a cut in pay or find something else to do with their lives. Admins are NOT teachers and don't have the same important influence with students and ultimately our societies.
Now look ... I'm so piqued, I'm about to fall off my soapbox.
Sadly, it took a Cold War to add Russian to America's language curriculum. German, Spanish, French, and Russian. Thank goodness, the colonial systems homogenized enough of the planet so we don't have to include Tagalog, Hmong, Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etcetcetc. I read years ago that the L.A. school district had to deal with 19 different languages. Can you imagine teaching a class like that? I love diversity, but giminey christmas!
Extremely funny - yet also so impressive! Learning a different language is tricky and to (ever!) reach the point of "thinking" in that language is really an achievement. I loved French back in the day but since I have rarely had the chance to use via conversations, it has sadly atrophied away. I took Latin for years as well but not a great deal of everyday opportunities for a chat there either, lol. (Also handy verbs like "laying waste" or "plundering" tend not to come terribly often, fortunately ...) You are inspiring! This post has given my own curiosity a much-needed boost/nudge. Thank you Rebecca!
Similar experience here, Sue. French study for days but no opportunity nor inclination to pursue it afterwards, so I've lost nearly everything.
Lovely to read of Rebecca's aptitude, though, and her usual good humor at it all!
It's amazing how quickly our language tools rust in their abandoned toolbox, isn't it?! I mean, I still speak fluent English and above-fluent Rubbish, but my French is and will remain utter Klapptisch, and my German is sadly sehr rostig (very rusty) these days! x
"above-fluent Rubbish" 🤣
Oh gosh, Sue, I would have loved to learn Latin - I really enjoy looking at words and identifying their Latin roots! Horticultural and medical terminology are particularly fascinating! Thank you so much for reading - and how lovely to have inspired you! I've been off my computer for ages now, and I can't believe how long I've left it to respond to comments. xxx
You have to love a language with an accusative tense. It might be the only one I'd use, these days. (Rolls eyes heavenward.)
🤣
very chortlesome. I don't think I'd be able to cope with genders and long portmanteau words. I did an introductory course in Spanish a couple of years ago, and learnt how to say things like, "Excuse me kind sir, could you direct me to the nearest public bathroom please?" What I wanted to know was, how do you haggle when you go into a shop? Klapptisch is a good word. I was a lodger in a place once where the landlady, a colleague of mine, was of German extraction. Her favourite expletive was the word for excrement. Anyway, this post proves what my dad once said to me. He sold men's clothes, and one day someone came along, spluttered "How much?" with a great deal of gesticulation and then, when told, said he didn't understand. My dad said: "You can speak English as well as I can", and the person laughed. Then my dad said to me, after they'd gone, "the first things you learn when you go abroad are how the money works and how to swear!"
Ha, I love this! 🤣