German Modal Verbs
A solid introduction to German modal verbs
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Andrew Wenger
- Jul 25
- 2 min
The bluff response (of the language-learner)
Learning grammar and vocab is important, but... how to navigate a real-life conversation? Knowing how to bluff is a vital skill to master
Andrew Wenger
- May 24
- 5 min
Collective nouns: Un meurtre de corbeaux? (Fr) / Un asesinato de cuervos (Sp) / Ein Mord von Krähen
The eccentric collective nouns in English are more fun than useful, but do they have the equivalent absurdities in other languages?
Andrew Wenger
- May 5
- 3 min
A case of German cases
Cases. Latin has lots. German has 4, but most people only really use 3 of them. English has one and a half! Learn the German basics here
Andrew Wenger
- Mar 23
- 2 min
Names of birds in foreign languages
The names of birds in foreign languages are fascinating. By turns enlightening, beautiful or just great fun. If you love birds and words...
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 13
- 5 min
Inclusive Language in German
Do you embrace gender-neutral language, or yearn for the time when everything was simpler? It's far more complicated in German than English
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 4
- 7 min
But why do they have to have masculine and feminine?
The question crops up quite regularly in our languages lessons: Why do they feel the need to have masculine and feminine words?
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 20
- 2 min
All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front translates as "Im Westen nichts Neues", which is a gift for a German language teacher...
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 13
- 3 min
Parts of speech (in any language)
Basics of grammar. A 1-pager to guide you through the different types of words that make up a language: English and the one you are studying
Andrew Wenger
- Dec 28, 2022
- 2 min
Some seasonal German words
Learning German? Here are some advanced words and phrases to spice up your seasonal conversation: wichteln, Silvestermuffel, Guten Rutsch...
Andrew Wenger
- Oct 29, 2022
- 3 min
Three famous Dietrichs
When studying a language, it is just as important to learn about the culture as how to construct sentences. Three Dietrichs for starters...
Andrew Wenger
- Sep 22, 2022
- 3 min
The rendering of names into French
What links Tom Onks and André Blanc? Do wonder how much of a comedy accent you should put on when pronouncing your own name?
If so, read on.
Andrew Wenger
- Aug 24, 2022
- 4 min
False friends
German and English are sister languages, but beware - there are some false friends. Sometimes amusing, sometimes dangerous. Read on...
Andrew Wenger
- Jun 5, 2022
- 3 min
Comparing two aspects of German and English grammar
English is a hybrid of Germanic and Latinate languages. This applies not only to the vocab but also the grammar. 2 good examples here...
Andrew Wenger
- May 31, 2022
- 3 min
Question tags
Question tags are tricky in English, aren't they? Some great news: They are dead easy in other languages ¿no? Read on for reassurance
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 24, 2022
- 4 min
A brief introduction to linguistics
A very brief introduction to Linguistics. How to pronounce the 'ch' sound in German and other insights into back and front vowels
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 21, 2022
- 3 min
German time and times
When learning German, you quickly realise that our Teutonic cousins are kind of obsessed with time. But how do we say "time" in German?
Andrew Wenger
- Feb 15, 2022
- 2 min
Thoughts on "I love you" in other languages
Picture: Hannah Wright/Unsplash If you want to whisper a sweet nothing in the ear of your beloved in French, it’s best to go with “Je...
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 7, 2022
- 1 min
Guten Rutsch!
Happy New Year in German: "Gutes neues Jahr" is the proper way to say it. What people actually say, however, is “Guten Rutsch”...
Andrew Wenger
- Jan 7, 2022
- 2 min
36 Skipping the adjectives
When reading for gist, we do not need to understand every word of the text. Skipping past adjectives/adverbs is a good short-cut
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