So you want to learn German – So dass Sie wollen Deutsch lernen by K. Williams

November 5, 2014 By Captain Maiel Leave a Comment

So you want to learn German?

Get Germanized! is a great video series featuring Dominik and friends that has been helping me immensely with this journey.

I decided sometime in my youth to learn another language than my native tongue (American English). However, my decision had left me with a rather…wonky?…trail to follow. My high school decided not to offer certain languages. Thus, I had two choices: Spanish and French, which are both very useful where I am from, but were not what I was after.

Enter Dad’s National Guard Voyage to Germany.

Being raised with a Doberman, it was of course a natural progression (you had better be laughing now) to want to learn German. Actually, it all started with Dad being in the Army National Guard and us watching old movies and documentaries together. I just wanted to know what those guys were saying, or if it was like pig-Latin (pig-German?). So when Dad went to Germany on his annual exodus a la Army, he decided to learn a few phrases and key words to help him get by.

What stuck in my head?

Hallo! = Hello!

Guten Tag = good day

Mach Schnell = be quick

Bitte = Please

Nein = No

Ja/Jawohl = yes/(formal) yes

Eins mehr bier bitte = one more beer please

Airport = Flughafen (sounds like flying coffin)

Chicken = das Hähnchen

Potato = Kartoffel

Left/right = links/recht

and so on. Nothing big and all missing articles (the), which are very important to learn.

Now, It’s 2014 and I’m serious because I have MALS degree in screenwriting and film studies. If I go onto a PhD, I am going to need a couple languages under my belt.

Stick with me on my journey, and you might learn some german too! Lasst uns anfangen!

German Alphabet | Learn German for Beginners | Lesson 1

Host of Get Germanized!, Dominik, teaches the German Alphabet - So you want to learn german

Get Germanized Lesson 1

About Captain Maiel

Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, K has enjoyed more than twenty years professionally writing. K attended Morrisville State College, majoring in Biology, and then continued with English and History at the University at Albany, where she gained her Bachelor’s Degree. While attending UA, K interned with the 13th Moon Feminist Literary Magazine, bridging her interests in social movements and art. Topics of K's writing often include gender and racial disparities, and trauma. In 2014, K graduated from Empire State College (SUNY) with a Masters in Liberal Studies: screenwriting (Film Studies), the politics of film, and adaptations. During her gradute work, K was the recipient of the Foner Fellowship in Arts and Social Justice, a full scholarship.
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Published novels by K include the Civil War drama Blue Honor, the Second World War spy thriller OP-DEC:Operation Deceit, and the controversial dark fantasy, paranormal series The Trailokya Trilogy. In addition to writing novels, K does screenwriting: 8 Days in Ireland and the adaptations of her current novels. A sequel to her second novel, OP-DEC, is in the research phase, while the screen adaptation is being considered for production by film companies.
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In 2015, K. Williams became an official member of International Thriller Writers, but her greatest accomplishment thus far was becoming a mother in 2017. K continues to produce commentary and art pieces on The Blue Honor Blog, publishing twice weekly. A devoted dog mom, K created Shagbottom Theater in which her dogs star as well known literary and stage personas. K is also a visual artist, producing the ZoDuck Cartoon, painting and sketching--digitally or traditionally, as well as an accomplished Photographer. Click here to see more! Whether it's cooking, IVF and Parenting, learning a foreign language, history or dogs, you'll find something to enjoy and for which to come back.
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Excerpts of K's unedited, rough drafts and other scraps of writing can be found at: KWilliamsAuthor on deviantArt.com. You can also sample her books on Wattpad.