need ideas for adding more to our German language study

[WendyK]

The quick background information is that DH is a native German speaker (only speaks German to the kids). I am not a native speaker and my German is weak. I understand more than I'm able to communicate.

So right now we are using Rosetta Stone German. We have used other workbooks, etc in the past, but DH just doesn't have the time to devote to all of that so we needed something that can be done without him. DS and I both work through Rosetta Stone. We are using the workbooks that come with the homeschool version (which are meh IMO). Sometimes I find I have to pull worksheets from various places to supplement the lack of explicit grammar instruction in them. Generally I think this is working out for us though.

But I'd like to add more. What else could we do to practice? We obviously have the conversational component. What about things like copywork? Or dictations? I also want to encourage DH to read more to us in German. We have tons of books available. We also watch German kid's shows.

Any suggestions to take this further and make it a little meatier? DS is 9 (if that matters). I would like to dig deeper into grammar, but I'd need something preferably in English. I do have some college texts, but I really dislike these books. The conversations/topics are geared towards college students and travel (how I decorated my dorm, what subject I'm studying, how to buy tickets at the train station). Bleh.

My BIL occasionally sends me some workbooks too. He is a high school teacher and sometimes gets examination copies. These are for high school though. At least we might be set in the future.

[regentrude]

Is your son reading in German?
I found that my kids pick up a lot of spelling and grammar just from reading.
In absence of DH, you can use German audiobooks- this has done wonders for my kids' vocabulary (even though we speak German at home, there are many words who don't occur in everyday spoken language, but are used in literature.) Grimm's fairy tales in their original wording are an excellent choice
(there are beautiful dramatized versions)

Do you have a chance to get German CDs from amazon, or through a visitor? Then I can tell you which ones were a hit with my kids.

[WendyK]

Is your son reading in German?
I found that my kids pick up a lot of spelling and grammar just from reading.
In absence of DH, you can use German audiobooks- this has done wonders for my kids' vocabulary (even though we speak German at home, there are many words who don't occur in everyday spoken language, but are used in literature.) Grimm's fairy tales in their original wording are an excellent choice
(there are beautiful dramatized versions)

Do you have a chance to get German CDs from amazon, or through a visitor? Then I can tell you which ones were a hit with my kids.

We have some stories on CD (not many). It would be nicer if I could get some that came with books. If you know of any specific ones I could look on Amazon or ask my in-laws to send some. I have a hard time following books on CD (even in English). It's better if I can follow along in a book. I tend to just space out. The kids don't like the books on CD either, but I bet it would work better with a book. Hm, I suppose I could ask DH to record himself reading books we have.

I agree on the reading thing. That we don't do enough of. We have plenty of books to read though (at all different levels).

[regentrude]

We have some stories on CD (not many). It would be nicer if I could get some that came with books. If you know of any specific ones I could look on Amazon or ask my in-laws to send some. I have a hard time following books on CD (even in English). It's better if I can follow along in a book. I tend to just space out. The kids don't like the books on CD either, but I bet it would work better with a book. Hm, I suppose I could ask DH to record himself reading books we have.

I agree on the reading thing. That we don't do enough of. We have plenty of books to read though (at all different levels).

I don't know any that come with books. We use audiobooks in the car - we are captive audience and tend to pay much better attention because there is nothing else to do.
We LOVE the retellings of Greek mythology by Dimiter Inkiow - he has at least five different 2-CD ones:

http://www.amazon.de/Griechische-Sagen-I-2-Audio-CDs/dp/3893535543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308161084&sr=8-1

Also, the very best dramatized audio version of Grimm's fairy tales is an older East German collection form the litera label:
http://www.amazon.de/Grimms-M%C3%A4rchen-Vol-1-Schneewittchen-Stadtmusikanten/dp/3898305155/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308161161&sr=1-1

There are different volumes. I had them as a kid, the speakers are the first class actors we had in the country, not the third tier people who often do the cheap kid recordings.

[WendyK]

Thanks. I asked DH if he would record himself reading books. He liked the idea. We have about 200 German books so we have plenty to keep us busy for awhile. :D

We have Spongebob stories on CD in German. :lol:

[rieshy]

If your husband gets hung up on recording himself you can subscribe to audible.de. They are running a special right now for around $8 you can get an audiobook a month for free.

You can subscribe even if you are in the States by using a credit or debit card.

[WendyK]

If your husband gets hung up on recording himself you can subscribe to audible.de. They are running a special right now for around $8 you can get an audiobook a month for free.

You can subscribe even if you are in the States by using a credit or debit card.

Thanks, that's pretty cool.

[Yenisei]

Deutsche Welle has some free resources for German learners.

[Frechesmaedl]

Try simple copywork and dictation - that is what they do in Germany in the grammer stage from my understanding. Also, check out ABC der Tiere. http://www.amazon.de/ABC-Tiere-1-Neubearbeitung-Lesezirkus/dp/3619143927/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308270088&sr=1-5We like the books. I am an American mommy with a German dh, whose dd is bilingual. I am teaching her to read in English and then I plan on using the above series to teach her German. We currently live in Sausi Arabia. HTH...

[ElizabethB]

I really like "English Grammar for Students of German."

http://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Students-German-Learning/dp/0934034230

This may also be helpful for you, a marked print book in both English and German:

http://books.google.com/books?id=qFwBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR20&lpg=PR20&dq=edwin+leigh+pronouncing+orthography&source=bl&ots=nPqkX18L2I&sig=EamrNdiU6ghDuHKotuT2O2kTjnI&hl=en&ei=t9v9SYjcF4jCtwfk_aWjDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=edwin%20leigh%20pronouncing%20orthography&f=false

I liked the series I used when I took 1st year German, but it appears to be OOP. It had a great workbook with fun crosswords and other activities. (Kontakte A communicative approach and the workbook was Kontakte: Arbeitsbuch.)

There does appear to be a new online version, however. Here is an online sample chapter from the book and then a link to their free 30 day trial of the online workbook.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072560770/information_center_view0/sample_chapter.html

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072560770/information_center_view0/online_arbeitsbuch.html

[Yenisei]

Modern German Grammar, a Practical Guide is also good, especially for some of the subleties of the language.