Advice for doing well in German

[Youlosethegame]

I'm starting year 11 German and I was just wondering if anybody had any tips or advice on how to do well in German. I'm a tad paranoid as to how well I'm going to do as I am the only person in VCE at my school doing German, which makes opportunities for practices very limited (I'm having to do distance education, which is very solitary).  I have a pretty good grasp on grammar, but I'm quite a bit weaker with the range of my vocabulary, and in speaking German. Any resources, notes, tips or anything would be really welcome, I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into and would really appreciate all the help I can get

[lmhen123]

Hey there! Doing German (or any other language) is really tough, especially if you have to do it through distance. However, your hard work will pay off in the end (German scales really well - by up to 10 points).

I just completed (year 12) German last year and it took a lot of self study, which included listening to German news on TV, watching Youtube videos and practicing general conversation with my teacher. In terms of resources to help with your vocab and listening/reading comprehension, I can recommend that you check out some of these sites:

- http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/video-thema/s-12165  (Deutsche Welle video thema, which are short videos about everyday life in German)

- http://www.slowgerman.com (Podcasts you can read/listen to)

- The VCAA website (for past exams and listening)

- Watching SBS German news on TV (You might be able to watch them online too)

Hope you find these useful. It'd be good if you start practising all this in year 11, so you'll develop your abilites by the time the oral and written exams come up in year 12. Also, you could use this forum to chat in German with other present/past VCE students (like myself). Feel free also to post some writing pieces and I might be able to offer advice. Good luck for the year!

[clarke54321]

I'm starting year 11 German and I was just wondering if anybody had any tips or advice on how to do well in German. I'm a tad paranoid as to how well I'm going to do as I am the only person in VCE at my school doing German, which makes opportunities for practices very limited (I'm having to do distance education, which is very solitary).  I have a pretty good grasp on grammar, but I'm quite a bit weaker with the range of my vocabulary, and in speaking German. Any resources, notes, tips or anything would be really welcome, I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into and would really appreciate all the help I can get

Hello!

Firstly, welcome to the ATAR Notes forum. It's fantastic to see some more German learners around 

Like yourself, I always felt that I had a solid grasp on grammatical concepts, but lacked an adequate vocabulary. And I think this is a very common problem amongst VCE German learners, who aren't absorbed in a German speaking environment. In saying this, you have an early advantage by identifying this problem now as opposed to later in the year (like myself!). For a greater exposure of common idioms/phrases, I'd strongly encourage you to check out the Easy German channel on YouTube. Every week, new topics are discussed with German locals, such as the meaning of life, or what people like to eat for dinner. It provides dual subtitles too (English + German); meaning that you can listen to it through, and then check the translation for your own understanding.

As for speaking German, what do you struggle with the most? Is it an inability to apply the grammar in a practical sense? Or an issue with content (and hence vocabulary)? If it is the latter, this problem may start to correct itself once you expand your vocabulary and feel comfortable using it. Furthermore, if you find that you don't have anyone to practice with, you can always get your friends/relatives to ask you questions in English, and you can answer them/think about a response in German. This type of activity should alert you to weaker areas of conversation.

If you are looking for clarification with any grammatical concepts, be sure to check out Nancy Thuleen.

Please feel free to ask any further questions 

[Outbackgal]

My child is a german speaker and in year 7.  She is concerned about losing her German fluency. She is near native speaker. When could she sit the VCE German subject? And, because [I think] she is beyond school level German, would VCE self-study or distance education help her? I'm thinking maybe she should commence self-study and engage a tutor for coaching in the VCE subject format? Does anyone have any recommendations. Any thoughts?

[German Teacher]

Hi Im a Native German Speaker and Private Teacher/Tutor of German
I think She would benefit doing German Via Distance education as she can move ahead on her schedule, if she is already good at german she may find the school level demotivating, for extra practice and help with grammar and writing as well as speaking tutor sessions would also be of benefit to her.

[German Teacher]

Hi Youlosethegame
I suggest getting a native German speaking teacher/tutor, like myself to help you with speaking pronunciation and more in depth knowledge and practice.