How to Learn German without Travelling to Germany 21092018
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How to Learn German without Travelling to Germany

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21st September 2018
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How to learn German without travelling to Germany is a question often posed to the Museum of Knowledge team. It is not always feasible to go to the country of origin of a beloved language, and so language lovers may wonder: is it possible to learn German without traveling to Germany?

Residing in a country is often the best way to become fluent in its language, since language learners can converse with other German speakers readily. However, it is far from the only way. For example, one could join a language club. Not only does this enable German language learners to meet with other German speakers, but language clubs are also a great way to delve into German culture.

German language learners may also find a learning partner who is as committed to learning German as they are. Given enough hours of effort, it is entirely possible to attain fluency in German without ever having to travel to Germany.

 

Museum Of Knowledge, Learn German in 10 months, top 5 tips 16022018
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How to learn German in 10 months, Museum Of Knowledge top 5 tips

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16th February 2018
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Language learners are always keen to expand their skills and learn a language as quickly as possible. Students often ask the Museum of Knowledge team for best practice techniques that will enable them to learn German within 10 months. This is a broad question and is dependent on many factors such as the student’s natural pace and capacity to learn a language. Every student learns at a different speed and their ability to master a language such as German will be dependent on various dynamics. Here are the top five tips the Museum of Knowledge team has highlighted that we believe directly affects a student’s ability to learn German within 10 months.

Best Practice 1: Time and dedication

To learn German within ten months will take time and dedication on behalf of the student. Students should outlay between 3-4 hours a week for one-to-one tuition or group tuition. If group tuition is chosen, students should study in small groups of no more than ten students in total at any one time,

Best Practice 2: Structured learning

Students who wish to learn German must remain highly focused during this timeframe of 10 months in order to meet the objective to learn German quickly. The key to successful language learning is structure and students will need to organise their language learning effectively with a mixture of grammar, syntax and comprehension exercises included. It is also helpful for the language to be further divided into the four main areas of learning prose. These include, reading, writing, listening and speaking. Developing each one of these skills is paramount so that a more comprehensive understanding of the German language can be obtained.

Best Practice 3: Practice makes perfect

Although it may seem obvious, the importance of practising German on a regular basis cannot be underestimated. The German language may be complex for those who are more accustomed to Latin based languages and of course the grammatical differences between Germanic and Latin languages are considerable. Repetition may sometimes be perceived as an old fashioned language learning technique, but it is one that the Museum of Knowledge team stands by. The more a student practices speaking, listening, reading and writing in German, the more their skills and understanding of the German language will develop to a high level and within a ten month timeframe.

Best Practice 4: Visiting German-speaking nations

A very productive way of speeding up your understanding of German and to ensure that a student reaches his or her goal of gaining a reasonable level of competency in German within ten months, is to visit a German speaking country. The primary countries that may be visited by those students who wish to learn German within ten months include Switzerland and Germany. The accent of the Swiss population differs from that of the German population, however it is still useful to become accustomed to both dialects.

Visiting Germany or Switzerland enables students learning German to put into practice what they have learnt in theory. Students can practice ordering meals at restaurants, asking for directions as well as booking their travel around the German-speaking city. It will open the mind and improve cultural awareness as well as facilitate understanding of responses in German for any face-to-face dialogue undertaken.

Best Practice 5: Social interaction

An important element for those learning German is social interaction. It may seem at first glance, that a language is understood simply by reading text or listening to dialogue however it is the social interaction that will determine the extent to which the language a student is learning is understood. Social interaction can include speaking with German speakers online or via the telephone as well as face-to-face dialogue. Social interactions are key for better understanding and improvement of listening skills as well as speaking skills in particular.

Museum Of Knowledge, Learn German at Home without Teacher blog 19012018
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How to learn German at home without a teacher, @MOKKnowledge tips

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19th January 2018
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Can students learn German at home without a teacher? As an online provider of language courses, the Museum of Knowledge team is often asked which key skills need to be borne in mind for effective language learning. For students learning German, how can this be facilitated without a traditional teacher in a physical classroom environment?

First let us address the core benefits of a traditional face-to-face teacher. Of course private tuition is one of the best ways to reach high levels of competency and will ensure students learn German with ease. Alternatively, teaching in small classes of no more than six people is also highly effective. That notwithstanding, private tuition and small classes often incur high costs for those students seeking regular tuition so that they can learn German to a high standard.

Customized or shall we say personalized language learning can be more cost effectively achieved by online learning techniques developed by the Museum of Knowledge team. The adoption of structured module based language learning technique is how the Museum of Knowledge develops its core disciplines for students who wish to learn German without a traditional face-to-face teacher. Students who wish to learn German should also bear in mind that sentence construction and grammar may seem difficult at first, hence the reason why many aspects of the personalized tools offered at the Museum of Knowledge may be beneficial.

Despite the fact that students who wish to learn German can indeed do so at home, the Museum of Knowledge team wishes to point out that all aspects of the language learning programmes the team develops are done so that teachers can also utilize content and study guides for their own students. Therefore the notion that teachers are completely removed from the teaching process just because they may not be physically present in a classroom environment is a false one.

 

 

Museum of Knowledge, Learn French or German for Switzerland blog, 01122017
Learn French, Learn German

What is the best language to learn in Switzerland; French or German?

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1st December 2017
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Museum of Knowledge language learners especially those whose aim is to learn a language for business, may have to select one dominant language to learn in cases where Switzerland is a focus for their business expansion. French and German are some of the most commonly used languages for business. Language learners who need to choose between one language or another may need to consider the following key issues if travelling to Switzerland on business. First, where in Switzerland is French spoken?

French is widely spoken towards the west of Switzerland and this accounts for around 22% of the whole Swiss population. The western French speaking cities that contribute towards a total of 26 Swiss cantons include the following;

Bern, in Bern

Fribourg, in Fribourg

Lausanne, in Vaud

Sion, in Valais

Neuchâtel, in Neuchâtel

Geneva, in Geneva

Delémont, in Jura

From the list of French speaking Swiss cities and cantons the largest and most important cities within western Switzerland are Bern and Lausanne, known for its infamous research capabilities and University and Geneva.

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and so this fact alone shows how important it is to learn French if travelling to Switzerland or doing business in Switzerland. Bern old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its numerous fountains around the city. Bern is the official seat of the Swiss government and Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus) and enjoys numerous museums of interest including the Swiss Alpine Museum, the Communication Museum and the riverside Botanical Gardens.

Lausanne is situated on Lake Geneva and is the official home of the International Olympic Committee headquarters. Lausanne is also known as the smallest city in the world with a metro system. A picturesque city full of “la gloire,” Lausanne is famous for its medieval old town that houses the Lausanne Cathedral, the Olympic Museum, the Ouchy promenade, the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Lavaux vineyards, the Rolex Learning Centre, and of course Lake Geneva (le lac Léman), the largest freshwater lake in Europe. The University of Lausanne founded in 1537 sits on Lake Geneva and offers students a wide range of courses such as Theology, Geoscience and Environmental Studies, Politics, Business and Commerce.

 Geneva is surrounded by Mont Blanc and is known as the city for banking and diplomacy. Geneva is an important financial services and business destination as well as a tourist hub for adventure travellers who enjoy winter sports including skiing and snowboarding. Geneva is also known for its luxury goods products including Swiss made watches and its wonderful museums including the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the Ethnography Museum Geneva, the Patek Philippe Museum and the Voltaire Museum.

Over 60% of the Swiss population speak German so learning German if considering doing business in Switzerland is important. Here follows the list of cantons and cities in Switzerland where German is spoken;

Zürich in Zürich

Bern in Bern

Lucerne in Luzern

Altdorf in Uri

Schwyz in Schwyz

Sarnen in Obwalden

Stans in Nidwalden

Glarus in Giarus

Zug in Zug

Fribourg in Fribourg

Solothum in Solothurn

Basel in Basel-Stadt

Liestal in Basel-Landschaft

Schaffhausen in Schaffhausen

Herisau in Appenzell Ausserrhoden

Appenzell in Appenzell

St Gallen in St Gallen

Chur in Graubünden

Aarau in Aargau

Frauenfeid in Thurgau

Note that in the following region, only Italian is predominantly spoken;

Bellinzona in Ticino

From the list of cities in German speaking Switzerland, Zürich is certainly a major city known for being both a financial, banking hub and for its infamous Lake Zürich that surrounds the city. Zürich also houses the most expensive luxurious shopping mile with department stores and luxury boutiques abound on the exclusive Bahnhofstrasse. The FIFA Word Football Museum and the Zürich Opera House are special cultural Zürich highlights. For leisure activities, Zürich is also just some 90 minutes or less away from some of the best ski resorts in Switzerland including, Flumserberg, Sattel-Hochstuckli, Amden, Stoos, atzmännig, Brunni-Alpthal, Hoch-Ybrig, Chäserrugg, Titlis and Rigi the “Queen of the mountains”.

In conclusion as both French and German are widely spoken throughout Switzerland students or business professionals who speak any one of these languages will be at an advantage. Bear in mind however that the capital city of Switzerland is French speaking Bern.