Authentic Learning Berlin

🎄 You know your home needs the smell of freshly baked Plätzchen. 🍪 Here's our favorite recipe as a gift.

I almost cried. 😭😍😭😍⠀
Most of our language sessions are coming to an end for the summer this week and the next.⠀
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At the end of our time working together , I do different activities to get feedback from our learners to see how I can improve and what they liked.⠀
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This is the feedback form that I got from a lovely participant from Vietnam. We started working together in April, in the thick of the pandemic, and have never seen each other face to face. ⠀
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It deeply moved me because it reminded me how much of an impact my work can have on someone's life and that being a language instructor truly is my calling.❤️⠀
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Learners were supposed to write:⠀
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5 things they learned⠀
4 things they are proud they did ⠀
3 games or activities they liked⠀
2 changes they would make to my sessions⠀
1 thing they want to tell me⠀
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Read the entire review ➡️

How long have you been studying X language?

📅 A couple of years?

🕰️ A couple of months?

👶🧑👵A lifetime?

I have been tackling German for 4-5 years, I started with one of these intensive 3 hour-a-day courses and then hit a wall. I stopped going to the courses, developed Authentic Learning Berlin, and continue to learn German here and there.

You'd think that because I'm married to a German man, I'd be speaking German all the time buuuuuuuut he speaks English and Spanish perfectly. MEXICAN SPANISH!! With my accent!

He teaches me a lot of idioms, expressions, and random words, so that is very useful. Plus, I follow my own advice and learn doing things I love.

What about you?

🌟 We want to be able to serve you better. 🌟

Since the beginning, our goal has been to support language learners in different capacities so they can tackle their challenges while boosting their confidence to speak. In order to do that, we would like to ask YOU how we can help.

Over the next few weeks, we will be asking all of you different questions that will help us understand what you need, want, and the types of content that bring you value.

Here’s the first question:

🤷‍♀️ Why are you learning the language you are learning?🤷‍♀️

🌐 Is it because you moved to a place where it is spoken?

🖨️ For your job?

☺️ For fun?

📓 For school?

✈️ For traveling?

Woah, das war eine verrückte Woche!⠀
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Hier sind einige schöne idiomatische Ausdrücke, um zu sagen, dass du sehr müde bist (so wie wir):⠀
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👉 Ich bin hundemüde.⠀
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👉 Ich bin ausgepumt.⠀
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👉 Ich bin erledigt. ⠀
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BONUS: füge "absolut, komplet, total, oder völlig" hinzu, um deinen Ausdruck etwas dramatischer zu gestalten, zum Beispiel: ⠀
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👉 Ich bin total ausgepumpt.⠀
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Wir haben all unsere Energie und Zeit darauf verwendet, das Webinar zu veranstalten, unsere Sitzungen zu unterrichten usw., dass wir so froh sind, dass es Freitag ist! 💥⠀
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Was machst du zum Spaß am Wochenende? ⠀
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💥Mondays mean meetings💥⠀
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Don't get caught off guard when your colleague or boss asks you to do the Besprechungsprotokoll. Save this useful information and take notes like a pro. ⠀
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A task that almost nobody wants is to take the meeting minutes. However, this document is very handy when it comes to clearing up who was supposed to finish that task and by when things need to get done. ⠀
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In German, the word you are looking for is das Besprechungsprotokoll. Other words used are Sitzungprotokoll or Tagungsprotokoll. ⠀
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This document should include the following: ⠀
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👉Meeting details: date, place, time, name of the moderator and the person taking the minutes⠀
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👉Subject/purpose of the meeting⠀
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👉Participants: The names of those invited and of those who actually made it, to clarify responsibilities and misunderstandings.⠀
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👉Agenda items: Each of the Tagesordnungspunkte or TOPs should have a section. Don't worry, you will learn all about this in our Webinar. ⠀
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👉Topics: If minutes are taken of individual problems, reports, presentations of facts, discussions (usually only in progress minutes) or motions. Don't forget to include who is responsible for each thing, all the dates/deadlines mentioned, as well as measures to be taken.

Musst du bei der Arbeit mit Diagrammen arbeiten? Nach rechts blättern, um die gebräuchlichsten Typen von Diagrammen auf Deutsch zu sehen. Eine Grafik kann viele Namen auf Deutsch haben! 😆

Morgen werden wir lernen, wie man ein Diagramm erklärt! @ Berlin, Germany

Can’t keep up at work? It’s fine.. It happens all the time, especially when you just started a new job. All the new faces, new information, new responsibility can be energy-draining. But don’t hesitate to ask for help! You can approach your German colleague by saying..

- Ich würde mich über deine Hilfe zu diesem Thema freuen

- Kannst du diese Aufgabe bitte erläutern?

- Kannst du mir bitte helfen, mehr Informationen über diese Aufgabe zu finden?

Need to boost your language confidence at work? Join our FREE training on business German next Tuesday, 30 June!

Here's the link to register:
https://www.authenticlearning.de/business-deutsch-webinar?fbclid=IwAR1dgTC9xrydhHACARhpf_4GRMDEU3nm4xf6SfohySazQJK46WEL6Hb0J7g

Networking is an important aspect of a professional life, yet nobody feels totally comfortable about it! It can get awkward sometimes. But the good news is: the more you practice it, the more you’ll improve!

First, get to know the do’s and don’t’s of small talk in a German business setting. Most of them you probably already know for sure! Second, practice some ice breaking sentences before attending a networking event. These sentences will help you initiate a conversation in German with a stranger you just met. The rest will follow as long as you keep calm and confident!

What’s your favorite ice breaker sentence? Do you have any tips to share with us? @ Authentic Learning Berlin

Don't sound like a recording! 🙏

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.

You have many skills because you're an awesome and talented human... Don't shoot yourself in the foot by saying "ich kann..." und "ich kann.." und "ich kann auch..."

Here are some phrases you can use to talk about all your talents while sounding like the fancy & professional person that you are. 🌟

Disclaimer: There is one phrase with kann buuuuuuut it has another verb and this makes it special. 🤭

PSST!! 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆? You know your friend also says "ich kann".

Do you want to approach a prospective hiring manager? Or do you want to ask for a reference letter from your university professor? There are different levels of language formality in German, especially for letters.

To end your letter with a final salutation, you can say:

Mit freundlichen Grüßen (Yours sincerely) is the way most business e-mails end. It's quite formal, but this is the expected ending unless you already know the person and have some level of rapport with them. If you are unsure, err on the side of caution...

Some business/formal emails can also end with Beste Grüße (Best Wishes).

But if you are writing to a friend or your family, then you can say Liebe Grüße or simply say LG, which is the short version of Liebe Grüße.

German job application language tip: avoid repetition of gemacht/ machen in your CV! There are many other words with similar meaning. For example: gelernt, produzieren. Swipe to find out more ➡️

Recruiters can tell the level of your German skills from the way you write your application. Even if you attach a certificate to prove your language ability, your CV and cover letter tell a lot more! @ Authentic Learning Berlin

7 elements of a killer CV in German:

1. Short bio, which consists of your name and contact details.

2. Core competencies. List your skills as specific as possible!

3. Signature. It’s very important for a German CV!

4. No time gaps. If there’s a gap of employment, address it. Even if it’s a career break, it’s OK to mention it.

5. Shorter is not better. It doesn’t have to be 1 page.

6. Reference or work certificate from previous employers.

7. Professional photo. No selfie please!

Are you currently searching for a job in Germany? Do you want to know more tips on how to write a CV in German? We’ll be hosting a webinar about German for professionals at the end of this month. Stay tuned for more updates!

This week we're going to do serious stuff! 🤓 As many of you requested, we're going to talk about business German or German for professional purposes.

To start with, how do you write a professional e-mail in German? The devil is in the details 🧐 Unlike the greeting line and final salutation, the first letter of the sentence in an e-mail body must use a small letter (not a capital letter). For example, look at the way we write "ich schreibe Ihnen..." above.

Ps. If you use an English auto-correct program on your computer, the software will correct your sentence into the English format (begin every sentence with a capital letter). So, make sure you switch it off when you write a formal e-mail in German!

Wenn du denksts dass, das richtig ist, schick uns eine Email!
Vom 14. Juni bis 30. Juni haben wir 10% Rabatt auf deinen privaten Englischunterricht.

⬇️⬇️ 🇩🇪 + 🇲🇽 ⬇️⬇️

Learning and then speaking another language offers you a plethora of possibilities. It sounds like a cliché but it's true. You can learn so much through and by learning a different language.

Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-British philosopher, said that the borders or limits of your language are the borders or limits of your world. Meaning that speaking a language restricts your thoughts and your mind.

Do you believe that your language imposes borders on your views of life?

Do you think you can go over the borders your language may impose on you and see the world?

Can you do this without learning a different language?

💖I'm really interested in reading what you have to say. 💖

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Aprender y luego hablar otro idioma te ofrece una enorme cantidad de posibilidades. Suena como un cliché pero es verdad. Puedes aprender tanto a través y por medio del aprendizaje de un idioma diferente.

Ludwig Wittgenstein, un filósofo austríaco-británico, dijo que las fronteras o límites de su idioma son las fronteras o límites de su mundo. Lo que significa que hablar un idioma restringe tus pensamientos y tu mente.

¿Crees que tu idioma impone fronteras a tu visión de la vida?

¿Crees que puedes sobrepasar las fronteras que tu idioma te impone y ver el mundo?

¿Puedes hacer esto sin aprender un idioma diferente?

💖Estoy muy interesada en leer lo que tienes que decir. 💖

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Eine andere Sprache zu lernen und dann zu sprechen, bietet eine Vielzahl von Möglichkeiten. Es klingt wie ein Klischee, aber es ist wahr. Man kann so viel durch und durch das Erlernen einer anderen Sprache lernen.

Ludwig Wittgenstein, ein österreichisch-britischer Philosoph, sagte, dass die Grenzen Ihrer Sprache die Grenzen Ihrer Welt sind. Das bedeutet, dass eine Sprache deine Gedanken und deinen Geist einschränkt.

Glaubst du, dass deine Sprache deinen Lebensanschauungen Grenzen auferlegt?

Glaubst du, dass du die Grenzen, die dir deine Sprache auferlegt, überschreiten und die Welt sehen kannst?

Kannst du das tun, ohne eine andere Sprache zu lernen?

💖Ich bin wirklich daran interessiert, zu lesen, was du zu sagen hast. 💖