You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Showing posts with label Deutsche Sprache. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deutsche Sprache. Show all posts

Saturday, June 4, 2022

From Kaiser to cheese and biology — the etymology of German words


 Jumble of large wooden letters in a bowl


The German word "Kaiser" is Latin by origin, "capital" and "bankrupt" are Italian, and "biology" is Greek. A new book offers insights into the evolution of the German language.

By Suzanne Cords, DW


"The German language is well-traveled, well-connected and happy to keep up with the times — it is a prime example of successful integration," the authors of "The Extraordinary History of Our Words," published by the Duden publishing company, write in the new book's preface. Indeed, language purists might rub their eyes in amazement when reading how many words entered into the German language not just in Europe, but from all over the world. 


Germans and Romans

Researchers have found out that the original proto-German language originated around 8,000 BC in Asia Minor. It later developed into what is known as Indo-Germanic: today, about half of humanity speaks a language that goes back to it. Germanic as such did not crystallize until the second millennium BC in northern Europe, where different tribes formed a cultural group with a similar language.


In the course of time, they migrated southward and inevitably met the Romans. The Roman Empire was an advanced civilization at the time, and the Germanic peoples picked up many achievements and techniques, along with the Latin terminology, which was assimilated.


Statue of Gaius Julius Caesar in Rome - Caesar became "Kaiser" in German


What is presumably the oldest loanword from Latin goes back?

To Gaius Julius Caesar, the Roman general who conquered the Gaul region (today's France and Belgium) in the first century BC. The word "Caesar" for the ruler became "Kaiser" (emperor). The Romans were ingenious builders, too: "Mauer" (wall) from murus and "Fenster" (window), from the Latin word fenestra, also entered the Germanic language. The Nordic tribes ate and used the words for the many delicacies the Romans brought with them, including "Kirsche" (cherry, Latin ceresia), "Zwiebel" (onion) — the Romans called the vegetable cepulla —, "Käse" (cheese, Latin caseus) and "Wein" (wine, the Latin is vinum).


In turn, the Romans borrowed words from the Greeks, who were highly developed and eloquent in everyday culture, philosophy and literature. And so, via Latin, ancient Greek words were later often adopted into Germanic or German, including "Kirche" (church, Greek kyriakon) and "Biologie" (biology, Greek bios and logos).


The Germanic tribes, however, were far from having any kind of unified language. The tribes spoke Frankish, Alemannic or Bavarian; Latin was the church and administrative language and — to make the confusion complete — there was a mix of all languages.


Portrait of Cosimo De Medici


German merchants had close ties to Italy.

In the 13th century, the bourgeoisie, with its crafts and trades, became more powerful. Their close ties with Italian merchants led to the adoption of a great many words from Italian in the 15th and 16th centuries. People went to the bank (banco: long table of the money changer), deposited their capital (capitale) there and hoped never to go bankrupt (banca rotta — the money changer's broken table).


German merchants had close trade relations with the Orient, too — words including coffee, alcohol and sugar originated in Arabic. In the 16th century, ships brought goods from the newly discovered America — indigenous words like chocolatl and tomatl became Schokolade (chocolate) and Tomate (tomato).


Martin Luther's 1522 translation of the Bible into German had the greatest influence on the development of the German language at the time. The reformer tried to write in a manner that was clear and understandable. He "looked at people's mouths," as he put it. Thanks to Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press around 1450, Luther's bible was widely distributed. The language of science, however, remained Latin — German dialects were deemed vulgar.

After France won the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and expanded its supremacy in Europe, French became the colloquial language for the upper social classes. German was spoken only by commoners, craftsmen and peasants. And even they would use the odd French word, like parquet, rendezvous and wardrobe, to appear educated.


Language purists feared moral decline.

17th-century language purists were opposed to the flood of fashionable foreign words. On August 24, 1617, the first language society was founded in Weimar, named the "Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft" (Fruitful Society). Its members were firmly convinced that a decline in the language would inevitably endanger native customs, virtues and traditions. 150 years later, poets who were revered abroad, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, helped the German language blossom again. But even they used foreign phrases and words.


A new era.

The Industrial Revolution provided a whole new chapter of word creations. The French term "industrie" that originally meant "diligence, industriousness" took on a unique meaning.


Karl Marx' and Friedrich Engels' criticism of capitalism followed on its heels, including words like communism (from communis: common), proletariat (proletarius: member of the lowest class) or socialism (socialis: social).


Desire for unified language

People in Germany increasingly resented not having a unified nation-state — but at least, so the thinking went, they could aim for a common language. Chairs for German Studies were established at universities in the early 19th century. Language guides including the Grimm Brothers' 1854 German Dictionary and the 1880 Duden Spelling provided orientation.


In 1871, the German Empire was founded, but still, foreign words slipped into the language. When the Nazis seized power in 1933, they turned back the clock and avoided foreign words. Some terms were stylized, in particular "Volk" (people). The "people as a whole" took precedence over all else, everyone had to serve the "people's welfare." Most Germans owned a Volksempfänger radio set and people who could afford it bought a Volkswagen.


Separate ways

After World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, West and East Germany respectively, were founded in 1949. Again, language reflected realities: West Germans admired the American way of life and many English words found their way into the language, including management, makeup and LPs. East Germans resorted to Russian words like "dacha" (small country house) and coined ideologically influenced terms like "workers' and peasants' state" and "anti-fascist protective wall" (for the Berlin Wall).


Political, social and technical developments were reflected in the language over the following decades, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to recycling in times of climate change. The computer age, too, has given Germans numerous everyday technical terms that were unthinkable in the 1980s: from browser (to browse) to download to e-mail.


Peaceful coexistence

The new Duden book points out that people worried about the German language should realize that it has lived in peaceful coexistence with foreign words for thousands of years. "Our old lady the German language lives entirely according to the motto 'You never stop learning' and demonstrates a stylistically confident attitude," according to the book. "While the vocabulary is undergoing a very dynamic development, the grammar demonstrates stability and perseverance and takes even bold new creations under its structuring wing."

Monday, February 10, 2020

How to learn a language in an hour a day ...


Being bilingual has vast benefits – but getting there needn’t be a lifelong slog. One hour per day? I am not sure, if this is enough.

Learning a new language is an inherently scary idea. Thousands of unfamiliar words, an entirely different grammatical structure and the high potential for embarrassment are enough to intimidate many of us. With a busy work life, finding the time to commit to a new language can be a challenge in itself.

But experts agree that it’s more than possible to make meaningful progress in just one hour a day. Not only that, the skills gained from practicing a new language can feel like superpowers in the workplace and beyond.

Research shows there is a direct correlation between bilingualism and intelligence, memory skills and higher academic achievement. As the brain more efficiently processes information, it is even able to stave off age-related cognitive decline.

Depending on your native tongue and which new language you’re learning, you can develop a diverse toolkit of both short-term and lifelong cognitive benefits. Of course, the further apart the language the tougher the challenge (think Dutch and Vietnamese), but focusing on a specific application can drastically narrow the practice time.

Whether it’s for a new job, for literary competence or for making casual conversation, you can sharpen language skills no matter your age or previous exposure.

The most difficult languages

The US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) divides languages into four tiers of difficulty for native English speakers to learn. Group 1, the easiest of the bunch, includes languages like Danish, French, Italian, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish. According to FSI research, it takes around 600 to 750 hours of practice to reach basic fluency in all Group 1 languages.

The US Foreign Service Institute divides languages into four tiers of difficulty. The easiest take around 480 hours of practice to reach basic fluency

The difficulty begins to spike as we move down the list. It takes 900 hours to achieve the same level of fluency in Group 2 languages, which include German, Malay, Swahili, Haitian Creole and Indonesian. More difficult are many languages like Bengali, Czech, Hebrew, Polish and Tagalog, which places them in in Group 3. Group 4 is comprised of some of the most challenging languages for English speakers to grasp: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Despite the daunting time frame, experts say it’s worth learning a second language for the cognitive benefits alone. Doing so naturally develops our executive functions, “the high-level ability to flexibly manipulate and utilize information, and hold information in the mind and suppress irrelevant information,” says Julie Fiez, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s department of neuroscience. “It’s called executive functions because it’s thought of as skills of a CEO: managing a bunch of people, juggling a lot of information, multitasking, prioritizing.”

Bilingual brains rely on executive functions – things like inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility – to maintain balance between two languages, according to a study from Northwestern University. Because both language systems are always active and competing, the brain’s control mechanisms are constantly strengthened.

At an hour a day's practice, a native English speaker could learn a Group 1 language in two years.

Lisa Meneghetti, a data analyst from Treviso, Italy, is a hyper polyglot, meaning she is fluent in six or more languages - in her case English, French, Swedish, Spanish, Russian and Italian. When embarking on a new language, especially one with a lower difficulty curve that requires less cognitive stamina, she says the biggest challenge is to avoid mixing words.

“It’s normal for the brain to switch and use shortcuts,” she says. “This happens more often and more easily with languages that belong to the same family…  because the similarities are great but so are the false friends!”

While it might seem counter-intuitive, combating this mental hurdle is as simple as pursuing a language with fewer similarities to the one you already know, according to Beverly Baker, a professor of language and bilingualism at the University of Ottawa.

“If you choose two that had different writing systems and very different areas - Japanese and Spanish - at the same time, you wouldn’t have that annoyance of mixing up the words,” she says.

Learning the basics of any language is a quick task. Programs like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone can guide you through a few greetings and simple phrases at lightning speed. For a more personal experience, polyglot Timothy Doner recommends reading and watching material that you already have an interest in.

“If you like cooking, buy a cookbook in a foreign language; if you like soccer, try watching a foreign game,” he says. “Even if you’re only picking up a handful of words per day - and the vast majority continue to sound like gibberish - they will be easier to recall later on.”

Learning a new language becomes much easier if you combine it with something else you enjoy – for instance, watching a football game with foreign commentary. Before you go too far, however, it’s important to consider exactly how you plan to use the language in the future.

“A busy professional might see Mandarin as important to learn because they have business contacts, or it could be a language your family spoke and you lost, or you’re in love with someone who spoke that language. Maybe you’re just interested in saying a few things to your in-laws,” Baker says. “It’s your personal motivations - the level you actually want to realistically live in the language.”

Once your intentions for the new language are defined, you can begin planning out a productive hourly schedule for daily practice

Once your intentions for the new language are defined, you can begin planning out a productive hourly schedule for daily practice that includes multiple learning methods.

Advice on how to best spend this time varies depending on which polyglot or linguistics expert you’re speaking to. But there’s one tip they all seem to stand behind: devote at least half of your hour to stepping away from the books and videos to practice with a native speaker face to face. “To go over questions and do activities, to talk together in the language, and to discuss the culture,” Baker says. “I would not skip that part, because learning about the people and culture will motivate me to keep up with the rest of my learning.”

“Adults, some of them do their language learning trying to memorize words and practice pronunciation, all in silence and to themselves. They don’t actually take the leap to try and have a conversation actually using the language,” Fiez says. “You’re not really learning another language, you’re just learning picture-sound associations.”

Language-learning programs are important, but spending time with a native speaker is the most effective method. 

Just like exercise or musical instruments, people recommend a shorter amount of practice time on a regular basis rather than larger chunks on a more sporadic basis. This is because without a consistent schedule the brain fails to engage in any deep cognitive processes, like making connections between new knowledge and your previous learning. An hour a day five days a week is therefore going to be more beneficial than a five-hour blitz once a week.

According to the FSI index, it would take 150 weeks at this pace to achieve basic fluency in a Group 1 language, or just under three years. But by following the advice from experts, narrowing down your lessons for specific applications rather than general fluency, new speakers will be able to shave off significant time towards reaching their desired level.

“Learning a second language can satisfy an immediate need but it will also help you become a more understanding and empathic person by opening the doors to a different way of thinking and feeling,” says Meneghetti. “It’s about IQ and EQ combined.”

Dedicating one hour of your day towards learning a new language can be thought of as practice in bridging gaps between people. The result is a more malleable communication skill set that brings you closer to your peers at work, home or abroad.

“You’re faced with a different worldview with someone from a different culture. You don’t rush to judgment and are more effective at resolving the clashes in the world that come up,” Baker says.

“Just learning one language, any language in any culture, helps you to develop that adaptability and flexibility when faced with other cultures, period.”


Saturday, February 8, 2020

German Language Course Davao City @ Ateneo de Davao soon


Meeting with Dr. Benedict V. Omblero, Director of Ateneo de Davao Language Center, Humanities and Letters, School of Arts and Science. Finalizing German language course - starting expected April 13, 2020 (Mondays - Thursdays 1 to 3 pm). Thank you so much Ateneo de Davao for giving me the great opportunity to teach German language (again!). Thank you for your time this morning Dr. Omblero, and thank you Ateneo de Davao President Father Joel.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Goethe Institute Turns 50 - Goethe Institut wird 50! (Part II)

The Goethe-Institut Manila 50th Anniversary celebration meant everything: meet people, meet good old friends - but the most important thing: learn more about Philippine-German relations. Goethe and Rizal, and much more.

The round table discussion on the roles of international institutions and art communities moderated by Jay Cruz was very interesting indeed. The part "Music of Rizal" after the opening speeches of the German Ambassador and the director of the Goethe Institut was really touching. Sometime later followed documentary film screenings such as "As told By Butterflies" by Nawruz Paguidopon, or "Entablado" by EJ Mijares.

Another unique part was the presentation of commemorative stamps. I would like to thank the Director of the Goethe-Institut in the Philippines, Mr. Richard Kuenzel for his friendly and immediate permission to publish some parts of his second speech:

"Please allow me to touch a very precious chapter of this year's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Goethe-Institut in the Philippines. As you all know, this is also the year of the 150th anniversary of the National Hero of the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal. The Postmaster of our host country as well as the National Historic Commission encouraged us to have a commemorative stamp printed which underlines the very special relationship between Dr. Rizal and Germany. Not only studied dr. Rizal in Heidelberg ophtalmology and has his most important work "Noli me tangere" printed 1887 in Berlin. Not only was the last remaining copy of the film "Noli me tangere' (1961, Gerardo de Leon) restored 1996 in the Federal Film Archive in Koblenz/Germany and was passed to the late President Cory Aquino, and not only put in the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Goethe-Institut all efforts into restoring the two manuscripts "Noli me tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" - resting in the national Library - by experts and trainers from Germany, but beyond these facts Dr. Rizal did open his heart to very important facets of life in Germany at the end of the 19th century, and by doing so established the actual first substantial cultural relations between our two countries. 

...

To conclude the presentation of the stamps commemorating the very tender personal relationship to germany, in which Rizal compared the feeling of exotism with a friend, I should like to draw your extension on Rizal's last poem which he wrote in the night before his execution. Hidden in a kerosine lamp, he gave the paper to his sister Trinidad, the last person to visit him in the cell. "There is something in it," he whispered. - MI ULTIMO ADIOS was soon after translated into German by Pastor Karl Ullmer in 1897. "Last farewell" - "Letztes Lebewohl"."

Monday, April 11, 2011

Goethe Institute Turns 50 - Goethe Institut wird 50!

The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, der Botschafter der Bundesrepublik Deutschland auf den Philippinen, Mr. Christian-Ludwig Weber-Lortsch (links) and the Director of the Goethe-Institut, the German Cultural Center in the Philippines, der Direktor des Goethe-Instituts auf den Philippinen, Mr. Richard Kuenzel.



The German Ambassador and his beautiful wife. Der deutsche Botschafter und seine huebsche Gattin.




More and more guests arrive. Immer mehr Gaeste treffen ein... .



A new Philippine stamp. Check out more in my article.

Eine neue philippinische Briefmarke. Mehr darueber im folgenden Artikel.
Good friend of mine Mr. Helmut Frielinghaus, German Language Consultant, Goethe Institut Manila and his beautiful wife.
Herr Helmut Frielinghaus und seine huebsche Gattin.









It has been indeed an outstanding and touching 50th Anniversary celebration last March 7, 2011 in Makati City with a lot of special guests, i.e. the German Ambassador Mr. Christian-Ludwig Weber-Lortsch, the Ambassador of Austria, Mr. Wilhelm Donko, the Ambassador of Greece, Mrs. Xenia Stefanidou, the Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Luca Fornari, and the Ambassador of Switzerland, Mr. Ivo Sieber. Among many other VIP's one could also meet the Philippine Postmaster general Atty. Antonio de Guzman. the Honorable Adolfo Ascuno, Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy of the Supreme Court as well as Dr. Raul Sunico, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Allow me to quote H.E. the German Ambassador in the Philippines, who said:


"Today we do not celebrate the German patron/poet who would turn 262 years. We celebrate 50 years of Goethe Institute/House in Manila, a German sponsored but home-grown institution. A true spiritual-cultural joint venture. 

As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe out it: "The best education for a clever person is found in travel!"

The mother tongue of Goethe and Einstein and the present pope offers a gateway to German/European higher education. A qualification that opens the door for better jobs and salaries.

Goethe and Rizal tried to blend their works with their foreign experiences. Businessmen, politicians and diplomats usually concentrate on what is doable. The better ones try to translate visions into reality."


(To be continued! Fortsetzung folgt!)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Goethe Institute Turns 50 - Goethe Institut wird 50!

 



On April 7, 2011 the Goethe Institute Manila will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Director, Dr. Richard Kuenzl invites to celebrate this unique anniversary.

Program highlights will be the Art talk i-panel discussion on the role of the international cultural institution in Manila and the Philippines. Opening speeches will be holding by Dr. Richard Kuenzl, Director of the German Culture Centre Goethe Institut Manila and His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, Mr. Christian-Ludwig Weber-Lortsch.

I am honoured and blessed being invited to join this and other anniversary's events while teaching German language as faculty member at the University of Southeastern Philippines; a partner school of the Goethe Institut, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions earlier in 2010. More details will surely follow after my return from Manila to Davao.

Am 7. April 2011 feiert das Goethe Institut Manila sein 50jaehriges Jubilaeum. Mehrere kulturelle Veranstaltungen werden stattfinden. Die Eroeffnungsreden am 7. April 2011 halten der Direktor des Goethe Instituts, Herr Dr. Richard Kuenzl sowie Seine Excellenz, der Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Manila, Herr Christian-Ludwig Weber-Lortsch.

Es ist eine Ehre fuer mich, dass ich zu diesem Jubilaeum eingeladen wurde. Mehrere Einzelheiten auf dieser Webseite nach meiner Rueckkehr von Manila.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Das Goethe Institut Manila


Das Goethe-Institut engagiert sich im Auftrag der Bundesrepublik Deutschland auf der ganzen Welt - also nicht nur in Manila auf den Philippinen. 

Die Kernaufgabe liegt dabei, neben der Pflege der internationalen kulturellen Zusammenarbeit, vor allem in der Foerderung der deutschen Sprache. Das Goethe-Institut, wo auch immer auf der Welt, bietet vielfaeltige Leistungen im Rahmen der Sprachfoerderung.

The Goethe Institut works on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany all over the world and not only in Manila in the Philippines. Goethe Institut's core role is not only maintain international cultural dialogue, but most importantly to promote the German language.

A real demonstrating that the Goethe Institut offers a wide range of services in the context of language improvement.

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Check out more:

http://www.germaninthephilippines.tropicalpenpals.com