Looking for tips for learning German? From recommendations for German language music or films, here are some of my best tips and tricks for learning German. From one German learner to another!
Often, bands with a female frontwoman receive attention for all the wrong reasons: but not so with Silbermond. The longtime German pop rock quartet have made a name for themselves with a sound that is power pop but not without an edge. It’s a formula that has made Silbermond a favorite among German speakers. So this month, let’s practice German with the music of Silbermond!
Since the mid-1970s, Munich-born director Dominik Graf has been working in film and television. And for his body of work, Graf has been nominated for countless awards both in Germany and internationally. From wildly popular German television shows like Tatort to Beloved Sisters, the German entry for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards, Graf is an accomplished director with a variety of works under his belt. This month, let’s practice German with the films of director Dominik Graf!
For German indie pop band Die Höchste Eisenbahn less is more. The band is strategic with their carefully crafted melodies. In a world where more is more and we’re constantly being inundated with ever greater and more self-indulgent ideas, Die Höchste Eisenbahn is the antithesis. German language learners will find their clear, precise music ideal for practicing listening skills. So this month, let’s practice the German language with the extremely likable music of Die Höchste Eisenbahn.
Actress Katharina Schüttler may look familiar to viewers of Channel 4’s The Promise. The British television series from 2011 featured the German actress alongside Claire Foy, before she went on to portray Queen Elizabeth II. But, lucky for us German language learners, Schüttler has a lengthy German language filmography. So, this month let’s queue up three films starring Katharina Schüttler that will give us a chance to practice German language!
If you’re into rock and punk then you should look no further than one of Germany’s popular and current bands, Feine Sahne Fischfilet. These days, rock and punk are (sadly) not at the top of the charts, no matter where you look in the world. But Feine Sahne Fischfilet’s punk and ska sound is cool, fun and modern. So this month, let’s get our pulses racing, our fists pumping in the air and learn German with the music of Feine Sahne Fischfilet.
If actor Alexander Fehling’s face looks familiar, it isn’t all too surprising. The young German actor has appeared in several notable English language productions. He portrayed Master Sgt. Wilhelm in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Jonas Hollander in season five on the television show Homeland. But Fehling also has an award-winning career with his German language roles in film, television and on the stage. So this month, let’s practice German with the films of actor Alexander Fehling!
After last month’s focus on Austrian Volks-Rock’n’Roller Andreas Gabalier, I thought we’d keep the Schlager vibe going. This month let’s learn German with the music of Helene Fischer. With her blending of pop music and Schlager, Fischer is Germany’s biggest artist, best-selling singer and the most downloaded German artist of all-time.
By the time he passed away in 2015, Helmut Dietl had made a name for himself in the German language film industry that would make many envious. He had written and directed dozens of films and television series. Dietl had been given countless awards, including being recognized with multiple lifetime achievement awards. Bavaria has recognized him with its highest honor, the Order of Merit. So this month, let’s learn German with the films of famed director and writer Helmut Dietl.
If my previous posts featuring German musicians in the rock, punk and rap arenas didn’t speak to you, then maybe the music of Andreas Gabalier will be more your speed. For the last decade, Andreas Gabalier has been topping the music charts in Germany and in his native Austria with his modern pop take on folk music by infusing it with youth and a rock ‘n’ roll attitude. He is pure showmanship. So this month, let’s get to know Andreas Gabalier and practice the German language with music!
Volker Bruch has been in The Reader as well as internationally acclaimed German television series like Babylon Berlin and Generation War. You will soon be able to see Bruch in the Hollywood remake of The Girl in the Spider’s Web, David Lagercrantz’s fourth installment of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. Bruch is an actor that chooses interesting roles with a lot of variety. This month let’s practice German with the films of German actor Volker Bruch.