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 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.
The classics are always in style. Nowhere is that more true than in music. A good song is timeless, whether it’s classical symphonies or rock tunes that get your toes tapping. This month to learn and practice German with music, I’m featuring a classic German rock musician: Marius Müller-Westernhagen. From his roots in the 1970s to a 2016 MTV Unplugged album, Müller-Westernhagen is a musician that you simply can’t pin down.
Actress Jessica Schwarz has most recently been appearing in the second season of Matthias Schweighöfer‘s Amazon show You Are Wanted, a modern and fast paced thriller. But international audiences might recognize her from feature films like Tom Tykwer‘s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. So this month, let’s learn German with the films of Jessica Schwarz.
It is difficult to find anything unlikable about German singer Clueso. For years the clean cut singer has been making memorable pop music. And unlike some of the pop music out there, this is a musician who is all about substance not gimmicks. Quite simply, he can sing. He makes the kind of music that appeals to all generations. This month, learn German with the music of Clueso.
Although he has been working in the German film and television industry for years, actor Kida Khodr Ramadan is probably best known for his recent award-winning performance on the television series 4 Blocks. The show has proven that Germany, too, can produce high-quality and thrilling television that you’ll gleefully binge watch.
But Kida Khodr Ramadan has quite a number of other projects to his name. This month, let’s practice German language with the television and films of actor Kida Khodr Ramadan!
The solo albums of German singer-songwriter Thees Uhlmann have those ideal qualities that make them perfect for those of us who are learning the German language. Uhlmann’s delivery is clean and crisp. What makes many of his songs special is the understated simplicity; which, for a language learner, makes it easier for us to understand. This month I’m featuring Thees Uhlmann for learning German with music. Light, easy and personal, it’s easy to be drawn in by the music of Thees Uhlmann.
This month, let’s practice German with the films of actress Hannah Herzsprung. The actress got her start in television as a teenager. Since then she’s gone on to appear in mainstream German language films alongside big names, such as Til Schweiger in Schutzengel. You may have seen her in The Reader, where she portrays the daughter of Michael, the lead character. Let’s get to know Hannah Herzsprung better and learn German with film! I’m highlighting three of Herzsprung’s films: Vier Minuten, Traumfrauen, and Lila, Lila.