You grammar experts, some help with making this more fun please!

[Friederike in Persia]

My dc dominant language is English, but their German (my mother tongue) is pretty good. However, their German grammar isn't quite at their age-level. To remedy this we've been doing grammar, when doing German during school hours. This has lead to them saying that they love all subjects in school, apart from German:(.
Out of school hours they communicate in German with me, about half of the books that I read to them are German and about a quarter of the ones they read themselves are too.
Would you say that the lessons are just tough for now, but they'll appreciate it later on, or would you loosen up on the grammar and hope they'll absorb it with time?
One more question: I get the impression that correcting grammar during everyday life doesn't make any difference. Do you think that's true?

Friederike

[Laurel]

My mother corrected my grammar all the time growing up, and I would say it definitely had a positive impact. (The only negative impact I can think of is my annoying habit of wanting to correct everyone else's poor grammar.)

Are you trying to do grade/age level grammar work with them? Are you pushing hard in an effort to bring them up to grade level? Maybe relax a little, but still do grammar? Depending on how old they are, I would have them read Mark Twain's essay on "That Awful German Language."

Slight hijack: What are you using for German grammar?

[Kathy in MD]

they're not approaching high school).

I think casual corrections to spoken grammar are the best way to learn grammar well, but I also have a stubborn (bullheaded :rolleyes:) ds who will purposely use improper grammar to get my goat. Of course, as a result he uses improper grammar accidentally. :eek:

[Verena]

You're doing better than I, ha! If your kids communicate with you in German, by themselves, without any prompting, and are comfortable doing that, then I say you're doing very well (just mho, of course :-)).

What are you using for German? What for grammar?
Are you moving back to Germany some time soon so that your kids need to be at a certain level? Just wondering...If this were me, I'd probably back off some with the correction. I'd correct some, but not all mistakes.

[Karin]

My dad learned his German grammar in German school on Saturdays, not every day. I don't know how much his parents corrected him in everyday speech. German was the dominant language at home and church, but English at school (German was strictly forbidden at school.) I do think that German grammar gets quite involved, and wish I could think of some fun game you could do to help. I do think that correcting in normal conversation helps--my mother did that. Like Laurel, it made it harder for me not to correct others. I do that with my children in English and it makes studying English Grammar much easier, IMO.

[OhElizabeth]

Friederike, What if you did less grammar in your german time (just enough to help their german study) and a short lesson in english grammar during their english time? That way they're not learning to hate either one. If you want to spend more time working on German with them, I'd do it in a way they'll ENJOY, not in something painful. Do you have access to any german news broadcasts or movies? They could watch the news daily and do narrations (in german of course) on a topic that interested them. They could watch movies and discuss or even act out scenes. If you don't have tv broadcasts, then what about written newspapers or magazines in german? They could read the articles, outline, and give oral presentations.

[Friederike in Persia]

Our internet connection isn't that reliable.

A few of you asked what books we use: we're using Das Sprach-Lese-Buch by Klett for their age level (Klett is very common in Baden-Wuerttemberg, I'm not sure about any other States). This would only work for you, if your children are already quite good at German, it's not for foreigners to learn. I'm happy to answer any other German questions!
Using books that are witten for their age-level makes it a bit tough for them, but it means that they can go to school with their peers (cousins and other church kids) when we're back in Germany ever so often. Now that really boosts their language! It's very unlikely that we'll ever move to Germany though, the UK is our base.
But I heard you, I'll try and make it more fun.
One last comment, we do do English grammar, this is the WTM forum after all!!:D

Peace, Friederike