Effective learning

Today is Thursday, this means that half of the course is done already! Time passes by really fast, so let me tell you more about how is everything going.
First, the teachers are awesome! Remember that I have two teachers? Both are very attentive and energetic about teaching us everything they know (including culture, literature, etc.) as well as offering many creative ways of learning (like games, charts, conversation, etc.). This is very important for me and my colleagues because we naturally learn German and other related topics that reinforce our knowledge. In other words, no panic in any new lesson :)
Second, my classmates are great! We get along well and help each other all the time. This collaborative spirit really makes the difference for each one learning. For example, when we do an exercise in pairs or in groups, one usually corrects the other in case of any mistake in pronunciation, writing and so on. Also, it is totally enriching to have people from many different nationalities at the same environment. Remember, there are 8 different countries being represented in my class! Everyday during our 15-minute break we stay outside of the room talking in a way that we exchange experiences and ideas. It is so cool :)
Third, DeutschAkademie is absolutely a school that supports the student in every sense! The school is clean and organized, the people who work there are very nice and are always seeking for feedback in an effort to continuously improve and excel. Moreover, the online platform is a very good tool to complement the studies. If you have never used the free online German course offered by DeutschAkademie, you should start using it now! There you can practice grammar and other topics that will certainly help you. So be my guest and visit https://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/
Finally, to summarize the post: learning German couldn’t be more effective for me if it wasn’t for DeutschAkademie and the whole support carefully offered to the students.

Schönes Wochenende,

Maiara

A must do in Munich

Today’s post was inspired by the subject of our class. The lesson was about “Stadtbesichtigung”. In this sense, I thought you would like to know more about one of the most famous place in Munich.

Have you ever been to the Nymphenburger Schloss?

Commissioned in 1664, the Nymphenburger Schloss is a Baroque palace that served as a summer residence for the Bavarian rulers. It is still the home and chancellery of the head of the House of Wittelsbach (the former royal family of the Bavaria’s Kingdom, represented by Franz Duke of Bavaria)

Nowadays, it is open to the public and a very nice place to visit. There you can go the Beauty Gallery of King Ludwig I as well as to the park. This last one is huge, meaning it counts with an area of 800.000 m²! In the northern part, there is a passage near the old arborium that bring around to the great Botanical Gardens. Still in the park, you can go to the 5 different pavilions – that I will not describe so your curiosity arise and leads you to there!

How can you get there? Very easy by public transportation. All you have to do is take a tram number 17 heading to Amalienburgstrasse. If you are in the center of Munich, it will take about 20 minutes to get to the palace! Important information: it is opened as of 6:00AM!

If you would like to check more details, please go to the official website https://www.schloss-nymphenburg.de/  

Visiting the Nymphenburger Schloss is a must! I am sure you will enjoy the tour, the landscape, the history and will take many pictures! 

Best,

Maiara

Studying at DeutschAkademie

The German course in DeutschAkademie is intense and robust, the classes are well organized and structured, the teachers are attentive, didactic and nice, and the materials used in class effectively reinforce all the lessons. These are some of the reasons I like studying at DeutschAkademie so much. If you keep reading this post you’ll understand my point of view. Then, you can say if you agree or not with me – deal?

So let’s take today’s class to exemplify. 

Right on time, the teacher starts the class and before jumping into the homework, she kindly ask us how was the weekend to break the ice and to give us the opportunity to practice speaking. Important to note that we only speak German in class, no English! 

Then, we reviewed the homework and clarified doubts. In sequence, we started the lesson by discussing about the image at the book and learning new vocabulary. So, we did some exercises (listening, writing, reading and speaking) individually, in pairs and all together with the teacher. This is a moment of the class that I think it is the most enriching, because not only I learn the language, but also I learn about culture (of the country, of the region, etc.). For example, in Bayern they don’t say “Brötchen”, but “Semmel”. So basically the topic about Bavarian traditions and customs is so interesting that really deserves a separate post – keep following the Blog!

Here I also highlight the fact that there are many different nationalities in my class, and this interaction enables us to develop new perspectives and personal growth. It is wonderful to be in an environment like this one :)

Moreover, today we learned more about Adjektivdeklination. It is not an easy topic, but the teacher can explain in a way that sounds much simpler. To illustrate, please take a look at the picture!

Finally, the class ended with homework for tomorrow. The learning journey continues… bis später! 

Maiara

New language motivation

I am starting the post today with two relevant trends that you may have already noticed: first, English is quickly becoming the world’s universal language, and second, instant translation technology improves year after year. Therefore, why learning a new language?

Over the weekend, I was watching some videos about learning a foreign language and discovered some interesting facts. If you are seeking motivation to learn German or haven’t deeply thought about why learning it, you really should continue reading this post, because I am about to share some interesting thoughts here with you.   

Deep effects of people speaking different language reveals how ingenious our brain is. Then, let’s take German and Spanish to illustrate. The word “bridge” in German is feminine and in Spanish is masculine. In this sense, if you ask German speakers to describe a bridge, they tend to use more feminine words like “beautiful” or “elegant”. On the other hand, if you ask Spanish speakers the same, they would say more masculine words like “strong” or “construction”. Following the same rationale. language differs also when describing events. That’s because of how you transmit complicated thoughts and knowledge into words. In this sense, learning a new language can shape the way we think! Isn’t it amazing?

Under the circumstances, learning a new language enables you to have a broader understanding of everything as well as think in a clearer way to explain your thoughts.

To conclude, I am happy to learn German (specifically) and can actually observe the impact of it in my life. In DeutschAkademie, not only I learn German but the classes enable developing new perspectives and personal growth. If you want to know HOW, stay tuned for tomorrow’s post!

Maiara

My Gym in Munich

Hi everyone, this is Juhee!

I have other very useful information for you to have a healthy life in Munich.

These days the weather was too cold and windy so I haven’t worked out.

I felt like I gained some weight, so I searched for places to workout.

Finally, I found three places. Actually it is very easy to find them because in Germany lots people keep their body fit and eat lots of healthy food. I really like that I can get Bio food and vegetarian food easily.

So there are three places I can go to but I chose to go to Fit Star.

There are a few reasons that I chose Fit Star, but the most important thing for me, is that it is close to where I live.

I live nearby Hauptbahnhof so I compared Body & Soul, Mc-Fit, and Fit-Star.

Fit-Star and Mc-Fit are very good options.

However, Mc-fit doesn’t have free Wi-Fi, drinks, or a calf massage machine.

Fit-Star has Free Wi-Fi, a calf massage machine, and you can pay extra to get coffee or other drinks.

Even though Mc-fit is better quality, I like to go to Fit Star for the calf massage machine.

I am really looking forward to joining their Zumba dance class as well!

It’s all included in the monthly bill.

So If you want to work out after Deutsch class, you should check it out.

It takes 20 minutes to walk there from Deutsch Akademie.

If you don’t want to walk, you can take tram NO.20 or 21 at Karlsplatz or Hauptbahnhof to Fit-Star.

I hope you guys enjoy to spending time in Munich. Thank you!

Juhee

A Munich sight and attraction

My favorite spot in Munich was launched in 1972 and is located in the Oberwiesenfeld neighborhood. It is 3 sq km large and hosts sports, cultural and social events. Any thoughts on what is it? 

Here is more information: it was built where the Bayern army used to be until 1925 when it became part of Munich’s airport. After the World War II, the rubble was moved there and used to form the hills of the landscape. Today, you can find there an ice rink, an indoor pool, a residential district and student residences. Also, there is the Olympic Stadium and the Olympiaturm!

So, the Olympiapark is my favorite spot in Munich – but why? 

I begin by saying that I like the landscape. It is a one of a kind park, because not only it is beautiful, but it is also blended in with the city. I mean, besides all the green area and the lake, where else is there a futuristic tent-like roof construction that covers a stadium, a pool and a hall? Indeed, it is unique!

Also, there you can have an overview of the city. One way is walking to the top of the Olympiaberg, a hill with 60 meter high. The other way is taking the elevator at the Olympiaturm (the 290 meter television tower) until about 189 – 192 meter high. Moreover, I love running at Olympiapark at the mornings. It is such an inspiring scenario to exercise! 

To get to Olympiapark you can take the U-Bahn to Olympiazentrum (U3), it is definitely worthwhile visiting! For more information about events, sport & leisure, tours & sightseeing and so on, please access www.olympiapark.de 

Munich is a great city and even though Olympiapark is my favorite site, there are several other wonderful places to visit. Stay tuned for more!

Best,

Maiara

Why Deutsch?

I’d like to begin today’s post with a thought: it is never too late to learn. I am very curious and love learning about everything! In my case, I decided to learn German. It could be a New Year’s resolution or a thing in my bucket list, but actually for me it was a combination of need and want.

Need because I am living in Munich. I think it is important to my integration here. In other words, being able to communicate and acquiring a range of skills that can improve my life’s quality in both personal and professional environments. 

Want because German is relevant. It is the 3rd most widely language taught worldwide and it remains as the language with the most native speakers in Europe. Moreover, I want to be able to say the longest word “Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft” (just for fun!).

In this sense, I have enrolled for the German course in DeutschAkademie. I found out about the school through an advertisement in the U-Bahn, so I looked up for more information on the website and social media. Two main things made me choose DeutschAkademie:

1) The course is intense and focused, which is perfect for me to learn quick and with excellence;

2) Good reviews, as per general comments in social media. Besides, the course is in small groups, the teachers are great and the school is very neat and supportive to offer a unique experience to the students.

If you would like to learn a new language and/or if you are undecided on rather taking German classes or not, I strongly recommend you to start as soon as possible! 

Cheers,
Maiara

Last day of class

Hi everyone, this is Juhee!

Today is the final day of our A1/2 course!

I thought a four-week course is too short, but it was not. Actually the time went really fast!

I met other students from many different countries in my class.

The thing that I liked the most in our German class was that I learned a lot of new vocabulary, the future tense, and how to use basic grammar for speaking.

It was fun to speak in German with classmates and we shared what we do after class or before we got to Germany.

It helped us get to know each other and we could share information about traveling and our hobbies too.

I brought some chocolates to share with classmates because when I read German it was hard for me to pronounce, but they helped me speak the right way and were very patient.

I had to work so I couldn’t stay until we finished the last class but we all shared our contact numbers and made a group chat to meet for coffee sometime soon.  

I really enjoyed writing about Deutsch Akademie and I will sign up for the next level, so maybe I can meet you guys in person at some point.

I think I made a really good decision to join Deutsch Akademie to learn German.

It is really a great location, the teacher was really friendly, and all the staff were very helpful.

I hope you guys enjoy Deutsch Akademie and Germany too!

Thank you!

JUHEE JO

First course day

Today I arrived earlier at the school to buy the books, then headed to the classroom. I was very excited to the first course day as I wanted to meet my classmates, the teacher and find out what was the lesson. Here are some highlights:

  • The teacher purposed an ice breaker activity to integrate all the students. It was interesting and fun!
  • There are people from 8 different nationalities. I find this an amazing fact because it is enriching to be in a multicultural environment, where you have the opportunity to learn more about each one’s tradition and habits
  • The lesson was about “Berufe und Familie”. Also, we learned deepen about “Possessivartikel”

One interesting fact is that we are having classes with two different teachers! I find this very positive and I am excited to meet the other teacher soon!

Bis morgen,

Maiara

Sao Paulo – Munich

Hello, Folks!

My name is Maiara. I am Brazilian and I’ve been living in Munich for just a little more than a month.

I come from Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and the 11th worldwide. I have a bachelor degree in Business Administration and was working in an international company when decided to leave my home country. The fact that my husband has received a job offer in Munich encouraged us to explore a new life abroad and find out how is living in the capital of Bavaria. So far, it’s been great to live here!

At my free time I like going to the parks and walking around the city. In this sense, I can notice the similarities and differences between Sao Paulo and Munich. For example, both cities are multicultural, concentrate a great number of art galleries, museums, theaters and entertainment. However, the weather temperature in Sao Paulo is warmer than in Munich. Moreover, in terms of mobility, the fact that Munich is flatter than Sao Paulo allows much more people riding bicycles all over the city.

Currently I am studying German, because I think it is important for my cultural integration and also learning another language is fun :)

As soon as I arrived in Munich, I have enrolled for classes in DeutschAkademie. It’s been a great experience and, as of now, I’ll share my stories with you in this Blog.

Maiara