jeudi 10 avril 2008

Ich studierte es lang und stark

Round the corner, um die ecke

Round the corner, um die ecke

Round, um

the corner, die ecke

Round the corner, um die ecke

As if I need something else to think about, I'm trying to improve my German.

I'm actually doing it because I feel a bit guilty. The company sent me to Berlin last summer to learn German, at great expense. Whilst there, I did get plenty of opportunity to practice my German tongue, however I left with my language skills still sadly lacking.

So I've downloaded this earworm from I-Tunes and it's driving me crazy. It's supposedly a good way to learn a language - or improve on existing skills. The problem is that you end up speaking in a very sing-song way, because that's the way you've learned it.

I was just making some coffee and found myself singing "round the corner, um die ecke, round, um, the corner, die ecke....".

It's good, but it's annoying as hell.

15 commentaires:

softinthehead a dit…

Earworm - sounds interesting - you do get around - are we discussing languages or...erm..?

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Or...erm...what, dearest Softy?

aims a dit…

You practised your tongue! Uh huh!!

That put my tongue in my cheek immediately and I bit hard on it to keep from spraying my tea all over the place.

You naughty naughty boy!!

Megan McGurk a dit…

Hee.

I hear that Berlin is one of the cheapest cities to live in.
My language skills are for shit, unfortunately.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Medbh, Berlin is so cheap. And so fantastic too.

It's got to be one of the best cities in the world, and probably the only place in euroland where you can get a three course lunch for 5 euros.

I'm planning a return trip this summer....

The Hangar Queen a dit…

"Um die ecke bringen" is slang for having someone killed.

Just remember to invert the verb and you'll be grand.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

HQ, if only I knew how to invert the verb, I'd do just that - I promise!

softinthehead a dit…

well exactly!!

Swearing Mother a dit…

An ear worm?? Can you get drops for that?

Lane Mathias a dit…

'Es regnet, es regnet, die Erde wird nass'
About the only German I remember from school. Songs stick.
Don't know about tongues though;-)

Anonyme a dit…

I can say the 'Our Father' in German. Actually I can pray in most european languages - bloody Irish catholic schools....

Anonyme a dit…

Just hire a translator - not everyone is a linguist.
Most Germans have great English any way.
I prefer Hamburg -great city

Stew a dit…

You mean not everyone is a cunning linguist.


Well, someone had to say it.

Anonyme a dit…

LOLOL Stew
Nice one

travelling, but not in love a dit…

SM - it does sound like some kind of medical condition, doesn't it?

Lane - how very english to teach kids how to talk about the weather in foreign languages!

Conortje - I bet you can too, it's amazing what you can pick up from a priest.

VM - a translator would just annoy me. I'm more of a direct communicator...I need to be able to piss the other person off directly!

Stew - someone had to, and I'm glad it was you.