This example of my remarkable cultural flexibility came so quickly on the heels of my last posting, which I’ll admit had some fun at the expense of German culture, that I have to share it!
First, the brief background – I am taking a German class for parents at the kids’ school in addition to having a German tutor a few times a week (I fear it will take this much repetition and work to help make any strides in a new language – I am making modest progress, however!). The Upper School (9 – 12th) kids and the parents are using the same book.
First, the brief background – I am taking a German class for parents at the kids’ school in addition to having a German tutor a few times a week (I fear it will take this much repetition and work to help make any strides in a new language – I am making modest progress, however!). The Upper School (9 – 12th) kids and the parents are using the same book.
Today in class, we started Lesson 4. There are 10 lessons in the beginning book we are using. This book series is designed to focus on important, everyday German language skills. Good idea. So, I have to share the pages from part of today’s lesson. Remind yourself that the Upper School kids are making quicker progress than the parents because we only meet once a week. My daughter must have had this lesson within the first month of school (I'll have to ask her when she gets home this afternoon!).
So, you ask, how does a German lesson demonstrate my cultural flexibility?? Well… my reaction to this was simply to chuckle and think to myself: “well, they’ve sure got their priorities straight, don’t they?!” It didn't even occur to me to respond with a call to the school to ask what they are thinking as no doubt would have crossed my mind had Zionsville High School taught the same lesson...
For those of you who do not speak German, the rough translation of introduction at the top of the page is something along these lines:
What to the Germans gladly drink? They love coffee and drink an average of 190 liters per year. They also like fresh juices and mineral water and drink about 160 liters per year. And then, naturally, Beer. They drink 150 liters per person per year.
In Germany there are many types of beer and they are all good. Beer drinkers will have their favorite type of beer and their favorite brands.
Which important beer types do you know? None? Well, learn well from this beer lexicon.
The second page, below, is an audio quiz. We had to listen to the conversation and determine which picture of the people drinking different sorts of beer, wine and champagne matched with the conversation!
The second page, below, is an audio quiz. We had to listen to the conversation and determine which picture of the people drinking different sorts of beer, wine and champagne matched with the conversation!
You can see now the importance of learning German, right?! And, thank goodness the schools have texts designed to teach these things to the kids – after all, where else would they learn them correctly?
Prost!
That was seriously in your book? Man, we haven't learned that in my class,we have learned how to say different foods and how to say, "Yes, I would like to buy the (something or other- type of food), please." (well, we have learnt other things, but it would take a loooooooooooooooong tim to list them.). Yet, it wouldn't be much use to me to "learn" how to say beer in German, plus, I already know, you just say Bier. (and that is pronuced like beer.) ( By the way, I think that beer tastes utterly disgusting, but that is just my opinion.)
ReplyDeleteWhat could you even learn from that? That sort of sounds like a class wasted to me, in my opinion.