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Showing posts from January, 2021

Review of Duolingo, Memrise, Babbel, and Busuu

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As a German language teacher I have seen many clients who previously worked with the most popular language learning apps. On my blog, I review the apps both from the perspective as a teacher and as a student of French and Modern Greek. Here are my thoughts: https://www.olesentuition.co.uk/single-post/which-app-should-i-use-to-learn-a-language-duolingo-memrise-babbel-quizlet-busuu

What is the difference between als and wenn in German?

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There are a few subordinate clause conjunctions that students find difficult to use. The conjunctions "als' and "wenn" are often considered to be particularly confusing. While both might often be translated as 'when' in English, they’re used in a completely different way. Below you'll find an explanation of the difference between als and wenn: https://www.olesentuition.co.uk/single-post/what-is-the-difference-between-als-and-wenn-in-german How to use "als" and "wenn" in German

What is the difference between "um...zu" and "damit" in German?

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Two subordinate clause conjunctions that students struggle to comprehend are "um...zu" and "damit". So what is the difference, and how do we use them? On my blog (link below), I answer these questions. On um...zu vs. damit How to use "um...zu" and "damit" in German

With zu or without? Infinitive clauses and modal verbs in German

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One of my former students once told me what her ingenious strategy is for using “zu” in German. “I just stick it at the end to make the sentence sound German”. Unsurprisingly, as always in the German language, there is a rule for when we use zu- intuition won’t do the trick. Read my explanation about the rules on my German language blog: When to use zu in German sentences Speicherstadt in Hamburg