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!
After last month’s German music feature of VSK with some old school hip hop, this month let’s practice German with some modern rap by way of the duo Audio88 & Yassin. The Berlin-based pair may already be familiar to fans of KIZ, as they made an appearance on the trio’s stellar last album (Hurra die Welt geht unter). And the favor has been returned. This month, let’s get a taste for a different flavor of German hip hop with the music of Audio88 & Yassin!
In 2017, Babylon Berlin starring actress Liv Lisa Fries hit televisions around the world. The 1920s crime series is the most expensive non-English language television drama. While the television series was an introduction for some of Germany’s most exciting young actors to audiences that, ordinarily, may not watch a non-English show. But for German language learners, let’s use this opportunity to get to know Liv Lisa Fries. The young actress is racking up appearances in films and on television and receiving critical acclaim while doing so. This month’s let’s practice German with the films of Liv Lisa Fries!
This month we’re going old school to learn German with the rap stylings of Das Verbale Style Kollektiv. Dust off your boombox, your turntable, and maybe grab a piece of cardboard for breakdancing! The group swears off popular trends and styles in order to return to the roots of hip hop. The sounds that, undoubtedly, made them fall in love with rap in the first place. 2018 saw Verbales Style Kollektiv release their debut record, Wo die wilden Kerle flowen. So this month, let’s learn German with the music of Das Verbale Style Kollektiv!
For decades, Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke has been shocking film audiences with his controversial and award-winning films. Often dark and psychological, Haneke’s films are thrilling and dramatic. While Haneke’s films are frequently in English and French, many of Haneke’s other films are in the German language. This month, let’s learn German using the films of Michael Haneke!
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!