Mango Languages

Come Again? 4 Tips for Understanding Non-Standard Dialects and Accents.

9 years ago, as I embarked on my freshman year at college, I decided to start studying German.  I had a laundry list of good reasons to pursue language education, but the truth is that there was one stood out from the rest…his name was Michael.

Like so many others before me, I had fallen starry-eyed in love with a foreigner and wanted to learn the language so that I could communicate with his family and friends.  But I quickly learned that my lessons in hochdeutsch (“high German” or standard German) left me scratching my head when it came to understanding my boyfriend (now, husband) and those close to him.

Trying to understand a non-standard dialect can be a real headache.

That’s because Michael is from the southernmost parts of Bavaria, where a distinct dialect of German is spoken.  I compare it to the differences between British English and the Scottish or Australian accent.  The pronunciation is different enough that, as a non-native speaker, you really have to work to understand it.

It’s taken a lot of time and patience for me to get acclimated to the dialect, and I still struggle when engaging with those with a particularly strong accent.  But I’ve learned a few tips and tricks that may help those in a similar situation:

1)   Use your ears.

This is undoubtedly my #1 tip.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to just listen to those around you.  Even though we live in the U.S., I always listen attentively when Michael is on the phone to his parents.  Since he’s usually telling them about recent events in our life, it’s easy to pick up on what he’s talking about.  Then, I can use those contextual clues to understand what he’s saying.  For example, I recently listened to a conversation he had with a friend and heard him use the word “Buidl” over and over again.  Eventually, from context, it clicked that he was talking about pictures/photos that we had recently taken, and that “Buidl” was the Bavarian word for “Bild”.

2)   Look for signs (literally).

If you have a chance to visit the region or country where the dialect is spoken, you may see written clues in your surroundings that will help decipher dialect-specific vocabulary.  For example, I learned that Bavarians also use the word “Dirndl” (which is the word for the traditional women’s dress – see picture below) to mean “girl”, when I saw it written on a ladies’ room door.  Now, it’s important to note that not all dialects have their own vocabulary or spellings any different than the standard dialect – and even if they do, it may be considered “unofficial”, as most Bavarian words are.  (For example, while you may see Bavarian written on a restaurant menu or used between friends on Facebook, you’d never see it written on an official document or used in a business setting.)

A “dirndl” in a dirndl.

3)   Check out Forvo.

Words cannot express my love for this website.  Forvo provides a huge online database of recorded vocabulary that is crowdsourced by users.  All you have to do it search for a word and Forvo will provide you with a list of all the recorded versions that are available.  Each sound clip indicates which country the speaker is originally from, so you can note the pronunciation differences between each accent.  With almost 300 languages represented, Forvo is a great source for those seeking to improve their pronunciation or become acclimated for a particular accent.

4)   Just ask!

Sometimes, you just have to ask.  Particular words or phrases in my husband’s dialect are so different from standard German, that without asking for clarification, I’d have little hope.  I often find myself requesting “langsamer, bitte” (slower please) or “was bedeutet das?” (what does that mean?) in order to get by.  And don’t be ashamed!  Chances are, you’re not the only one struggling.  I’ve been told multiple times by northern German speakers that they also have difficultly understanding the southern Bavarian accent.  And I’m sure that American English speakers can empathize with the difficulty to understand strong Scottish or Irish accents.  It just takes time and patience, so don’t get yourself down!

Have you ever struggled to understand a non-standard dialect or accent?  What did you do to acclimate?

10 Tips for Traveling in Germany

So if you’ve been reading our blog this past month, you may have seen the last two posts I wrote in which I shared a few of the red-faced, cultural faux-pas moments I have experienced over the years.  In case you missed it, you can check out them out here and here.

To wrap up the series, I’m going to divert from the topic just a bit to share a few cultural lessons that I wish I had learned before traveling to Germany.  Luckily, my ignorance on these topics never led to an overtly embarrassing moment – but knowing about them definitely would have made my life easier!  So for any of you planning a trip to Deutschland in the future, consider these tips my little gift (“mein kleines Geschenk”):

1)   This is how the number ‘seven’ is generally written in Germany:

And this is what the ‘one’ usually looks like:

Mix them up (like I did, on at least one occasion) and you’ll end up calling a very confused German.

2)   If you order “Wasser” (water) at a restaurant, you will more than likely be served a glass of sparkling water.  If you feel the same way I do about sparkling water, then this is an outcome you’d probably like to avoid.  Just remember to clarify when you’re ordering by saying “stilles Wasser” (still water) or “Wasser ohne Kohlensäure” (water without carbonation).

3)   I know I mentioned this is my last post, but I think it’s important, so I’m going to say it again.  Whatever you do, be sure to look the other person in the eye when making a toast.  You’ll find that most Germans are very serious about this – it’s a sign of bad luck to divert your eyes!

4)   Don’t expect to find stores open on Sunday.  Restaurants and gas stations are generally the only places with Sunday hours, so be sure to get all your shopping done on Saturday.  You don’t want to run out of something vital (read: toilet paper) and have nowhere to go.

5)   Despite what you may have heard, speed limits (Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen – there’s a fun word for you!) do exist in Germany.  It’s true that many stretches of the Autobahn (freeway) are limitless, but over 50% have a posted speed limit, particularly within populated areas.

6)   Jaywalking is never a good idea, but especially not in Germany.  You’ll find that most Germans are pretty respectful of pedestrian laws, so have patience and wait for the Ampelmann (“traffic light man”, as you’d see at most cross walks).

7)   When visiting a German household, don’t be surprised if you see your host switch from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes (commonly known as “Hausschuhe” or “house shoes”) the minute they walk through the door.  In fact, they may even offer you your own pair of shoes to wear while visiting their home!  Most German houses have tiled or wooded floors, so the shoes are used to provide comfort and warmth while walking around at home.

8)   Should you be seek the comforts of home and stop at a German McDonalds, be warned: the condiments will cost you!  Ketchup, mustard, and mayo are sold in packets, so you’ve got to decide how much you think you’ll need and pay accordingly.

9)   Relax and enjoy breakfast.  When I first visited my husband’s family in Germany in 2004, I was blown away by the production that was “Frühstück”.  Baskets of bread rolls and pretzels, endless platters of meat and cheese, bowls of fruit and yogurt, even a serving of cake.  To put it in a word, I was amazed.  Not just by the food, but also by the feeling of community and togetherness that these breakfasts create.  There was no rush, we’d sit for a couple hours chatting and enjoying each other’s company.  To be sure, this kind of thing isn’t a daily event for most Germans.  Usually these longer breakfasts are enjoyed on the weekends with friends and family – but I can tell you it’s a great thing to look forward to!

10)  This is mostly important in Bavaria, but still worth sharing: Weißwurst is boiled, never grilled.  And always eaten before noon.  My Bavarian-born husband still cringes every time he sees a Weißwurst thrown on a grill here in the States.

I hope you enjoyed my little insight into the German culture!  For those of you who are culture fans, be sure to check out one of my favorite aspects of the Mango program: the Culture Notes.  Popping up several times a chapter, they guide you like a friend, providing gentle nudges on what-to-do and what-not-to-do.  They also provide a great little “brain break” from all the language-learning you’re doing and keep you interested in the lesson!

What’s your favorite part about the Mango program?  Is there a particularly good cultural lesson that you learned?

Inspiration: It’s What Keeps Me Going

At the gym the other day, between the monotonous stomping of my feet on the treadmill, I overheard a woman speaking in heavily-accented English.  She was asking her workout partner to show her how to correctly do a push-up.  I listened to her for a few minutes, as she struggled to find the words to describe what she wanted to say.  It made me reflect upon my own experiences as a study abroad student in Munich.  I remember how frustrating it would be to run into situations where I couldn’t accurately express myself.

On one particular occasion, my inability to remember the verb “to pay” meant that I couldn’t tell the waiter that I had already paid my bill.  I recall repeating over and over again: “ich habe schon…ich habe schon…” (“I already…”)  But the word escaped me.  I tried to motion a “paying” action with my hands, but it just confused the waiter even more.  Finally, I remembered the verb and was able to complete my sentence, satisfying the waiter and setting him on his way.

Running into situations such as these occurred on almost a daily basis when I first moved to Munich.  Things that should take moments to complete, often became stressful, drawn-out processes simply due to my inability to correctly express what I wanted to say.  As a grown adult, it was extremely frustrating to have my vocabulary set back to the level of a child, particularly when I still needed to do “grown-up things” (like set up a cell phone or register with the city).

So suffice to say, I completely sympathized with the woman at my gym when I heard her struggling in broken English.  But when I turned around and saw who she had been speaking to all along, I felt an even higher level of respect.  The woman had been speaking with her husband.  It was obvious that they shared the same mother tongue, so it would have been much easier for her to carry on in their native language.  But the fact that she chose to instead practice her speaking skills and converse with him in English, made me beam with admiration.

I’m now married to German-American man, but I have to admit that our daily conversations in German are usually limited to short words and phrases.  Rarely do we commit to conversing fully in German, simply because English is the more natural medium for both of us.  My husband moved to the US when he was 10, so he speaks English as if it were his native tongue.  Plus, we met before I even started studying German, so it’s become what we’re used to.

But I have to admit that seeing this courageous couple made me realize that there’s no excuse not to try.  It also made me think of all the people living in the U.S. who struggle to learn English because they want to create a better life for themselves.  I’m lucky that learning a foreign language has never been imperative for me – it’s always been a choice.  A choice that nonetheless opens the door to many opportunities and experiences.  So what excuse do I have not to practice more often?  Better yet: why would I not want to?

What motivates you to study a foreign language?  When things get tough, what “keeps you going?”

To join Mango Languages’ Language Resolution campaign, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or use the hashtag #LanguageResolution to join the conversation.  Our goal is to make this the year that you commit to learning a foreign language by providing daily challenges, tips, and motivation.  Together, we can do this.

Mango Language Resolution – Weekly Recap 1

We started our Language Resolution campaign with one goal in mind: to help you learn a language by 2013.  We hear excuses all too often: “I wanted to learn a language this year, but couldn’t find the time to practice” or “I ran out of steam and lacked motivation.”  This year, we’re not going to let that happen.  Mango’s got your back – not to mention daily tips, challenges, and motivation to keep you on track.  All you have to do is stay tuned to our pages on Facebook and Twitter.

Last week things got off to a strong start on Monday when we challenged our followers to write their grocery or shopping list in the language they were studying.  On Tuesday, we followed this up with a vocab challenge focused on greetings and terms of gratitude.  Translations of “thank you” and “goodbye” were shared in a handful of languages, including French, Arabic, Japanese and German.  Plus, Philip E. shared his personal translation of those phrases into “Southern U.S. English,” as ‘obliged’ and ‘later’.  Thanks for giving a mini-lesson to our Detroiter Mango crew, Philip!

Wednesday is all about motivation, so we shared a touching story from one of our patrons based at the Kent District Library in Michigan.  Having been in a long-distance relationship for 6 years, she tried everything to learn Swedish without success – including Rosetta Stone.  But after starting Mango, she experienced more improvement in a few days than she had done in years!  Read her full story here.

We dedicate Thursday to a roundtable discussion of issues and challenges faced when learning a foreign language.  Last week we focused on how to successfully learn vocabulary.  Our followers had fantastic tips for tackling this challenge, including: using flashcards, playing video games, reading foreign signs or packaging, and creating associations with English words that have a similar sound.  The one thing that everyone seemed to agree on is that repetition is key, no matter what method you use.  We also agree with this point – which is why repetition of phrases and vocabulary is an important theme in Mango’s courses.

On Friday, we closed out the week with one final challenge for our followers: to “like” or “follow” a foreign company’s page on Facebook or Twitter.  This is a great way to infuse foreign content into your feed!  Haven’t had a chance to complete the challenge yet?  Commit to doing it today!  It only takes 5 minutes.

Ready to get things geared up again this week?  We’ve got a week chock-full of fun challenges, motivating inspiration, and helpful tips/tricks ahead!  Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages daily to keep updated.  Remember, 2012 is the year.  #LanguageResolution.  Let’s do this together.

Cheers to Oktoberfest

“O zapft ‘is!” These are the words (a Bavarian term meaning, “it’s tapped!”) that each year mark the start of Munich’s massive Oktoberfest celebrations.  And when we say massive (or riesig, as Germans would say), we really mean massive.  Last year’s Oktoberfest pulled in approximately 6.4 million visitors, who collectively consumed about 7.1 million liters of beer!  (In addition to almost 90,000 liters of wine, more than 119,000 pork sausages, and over 500,000 units of chicken!)

While many tourists of course focus on beer as the primary attraction of Oktoberfest, the festival truly has so much more to offer in terms of entertainment, culture, and fun.  Take for example, the fantastic Bavarian bands that play in the beer tents from morning to night.  They keep the crowds alive with a hearty mix of traditional songs, Schlager (kitschy pop music popularized during the 60s and 70s), and modern hits….stopping every so often to lead the crowd in a “Prosit”, or musical toast, after which the crowd lift their massive krugs of beer in the air and chant the phrase “oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!” (a toast in Bavarian dialect which means “one, two, three, drink up!”)

But the music isn’t the only thing to envy about the Oktoberfest.  They also serve an array of fantastic food, including Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinehaxen (pork knuckles), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Schoko-oderglasierteFrüchte (chocolate-covered or glazed fruits) and Lebkuchenherzen (heart-shaped gingerbread cookies).  The Lebkuchenherzen are sold on hanging ribbons and each are emblazoned with a term/phrase of endearment written in icing (like Ichhabdich so lieb = “I love you so much,” or Schatz = “sweetheart,” literally “treasure”).  Oktoberfest-goers like to purchase these treats for their significant others, so it’s not uncommon to see men and women walking around with a Lebkuchenherz hanging from their neck.  Some choose to eat the gingerbread right away while others hang it on their wall at home as a souvenir from the festival, allowing it to dry out and become an ornament.

And you can’t forget the rides!  Each year a number of carnival rides, including a full roller-coaster, are constructed on the Theresienwiese (meaning “the field, or meadow, of Therese”) in Munich.  The Theresienwieseis often just called “theWiesn” for short, so if you hear somebody saying “I’ll meet you on the Wiesn,” that means that they’re planning to meet you at the Oktoberfest!

In celebration of Oktoberfest, we are offering an Oktoberfest course for a limited time. So  jump into your lederhosen and learn how speak, and not just yodel,  German for Oktoberfest. Click HERE to start learning!

Do you have a special way of celebrating Oktoberfest?  Have you ever been to Oktoberfest in Munich?  Please share with us your favorite stories about this festive time of year!

Travel Tuesday: My Big Fat Bavarian Wedding

At first, the idea seemed crazy to me.  It was March of 2010 and I had just gotten engaged to my boyfriend of 6 years.  We were living in Germany, and he had spontaneously proposed during an afternoon hike close to his Bavarian hometown.  Following on the heels of our engagement, we made the decision to return to Bavaria the following year to celebrate for our wedding.  The only problem?  We also planned to move back to the States in the meantime!  In fact, the time between our engagement and our departure back to the States was so tight, that we were only left with one day to look for a suitable venue.  None of those we saw ended up being our “dream location.”

And so it was in April of that year, that I headed back to the United States with a full list of “to-dos” to complete from more than 3000 miles away.  From day one, I had to be realistic about many things: like, for example, that my wedding wouldn’t be full of the many DIY details that I had fawned over in bridal blogs.  It just wouldn’t be logistically possible to ship decorations over from the States, so I would have to make do with the linens provided by the venue, plus a few IKEA-bought candles that we could easily pick up over there (FYI – Germany has more IKEA stores than any other country, which explains why most homes there look like a page out of the catalogue!)

The inherent cultural differences between Germany and the US also posed a few additional bumps along the way, as I found that my expectations didn’t always align with the outcome or options I was met with.  Like the fact that none of my vendors asked for a deposit – except for my photographer, who was American.  While this may seem like a dream, given the cost of most weddings, keep in mind that deposits also offer protection.  It was only after our officiant randomly gave away our date 6 months after booking that we actually began to ask our vendors if we could put down a deposit (as you can imagine, most said yes!).  I also found it difficult to locate a baker that could reproduce the dream of a modern 4-tiered cake that I had held in my head for years.  In Germany, the norm still leans towards plainer, more traditional cakes – most commonly, flat heart-shaped cakes covered in fruit.

But the thing is, after several months of trying to contrive my wedding to be the event I had always imagined it to be – I stopped.  I realized that it simply wasn’t going to look like the weddings I had seen in American magazines…but that this was a good thing!   I had chosen to have my wedding in Germany for a reason, and I needed to embrace what it would mean to have a German wedding with American flair…rather than trying to have an “American wedding” in Germany!  Once I came to this realization, I began to treasure the cultural surprises, rather being than be thrown by them.  Not only did this make for a much less stressful planning experience, it also made for some incredible adventures too!

So while a having an overseas wedding meant that I had to give up control about many things, it also means that I now get to tell my kids I was married in a palace (Schloss Nymphenburg) and that I incorporated several different languages into my ceremony.  I also get to show them the formal pictures I took in Munich’s main square (Marienplatz) and recount memories of having tourists follow me to take pictures.  So if you’d ask me if I’d go back and change anything – I’d say no, not in a million years.

Have you ever attended a wedding or another type of celebration abroad?  What kind of cultural differences did you experience?

Meet Our Newest Mango!

Happy Friday Everyone!

We would like to introduce our newest Mango, Tiffany Neumeyer. She will be working as our project coordinator here at the Mango grove.

At Mango she’s mainly going to be assisting our Product Development Manager in the processing and management of all things audio when it comes to our courses.  That includes communicating with the studios to source and select new talent, working with them to schedule script readings, generating scripts to send the studios, and contacting our course developers once the audio is ready to be proofed.

Tiffany studied Communications and German at the University of Michigan and spent the last few years in various marketing and PR roles, both here in Michigan and in Chicago.  Most recently she worked as a Marketing Associate for a financial company. Her hobbies include skiing, running, shopping, and spending any leftover money she has to travel (our kinda gal).

Fun travel story?

“While studying abroad in Germany, my train from Salzburg broke down just minutes outside the city, so all the passengers ended up having to take a minivan to get back to Munich.  What started out as a stressful experience, ended up being a great opportunity to see all the little towns of Southern Bavaria.”

Other random facts:

o   “I was born in England and my husband is from Germany, so every four years during the World Cup we have to ‘draw the battlelines’ in our household”

o   “I’ve lived in 6 different homes during the past 3 years, so I’m excited to settle down here in Michigan.”

o  ”I’m a huge animal lover, especially dogs.”

Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing all these cool facts.

Welcome Tiffany to the Mango Family!