Introduction to German Language & Culture

• Germany, known as Deutschland, has a flag of black, red, and gold, symbolizing its history and political movements.
• The population is 84.4 million, made up of Germans and minority groups.
• Major cities include Berlin (the capital), Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne.
• Germans value punctuality and possess a strong work ethic.
• Germany is known for its beer, sausages, and diverse breads.
• The magazine, Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen, was the first of its kind to be printed in Germany.

The Language

• German is the official language in Germany and Austria, and one of Switzerland’s official languages.
• It is an inflected West Germanic language with nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive cases and masculine, feminine, and neuter genders.
• German ranks among the most widely spoken languages, with over 90 million native speakers.
• High German and Low German are distinguished by sound systems
• Each of these languages experienced a consonant shift

High German Consonant Shift

• [p] becomes [pf] or [f], like apple changing from [appel] to [apfel].
• [t] changes to [s] or [ts], as in [dat] and [wat] to [das] and [was].
• [k] shifts to [ch], changing maken to machen.

Social Etiquette

• Germans show mutual care and respect.
• It’s customary to greet everyone and use "Auf Wiedersehen" or "Tschüss" as farewells.
• Punctuality is a sign of respect and professionalism.
• Germans maintain a larger personal space during conversations.
• Tips in restaurants are typically 5-10%, rounded to the nearest euro.
• Recycling and cleanliness are valued.
• Honesty and clarity are important when communicating.
• Awareness of designated quiet times in residential areas is crucial.

The Culture

• The dominant religion in Germany is Christianity.
• Key foods include Wurst (sausages) and bread.
• Popular dishes are Brezel (pretzel), Schnitzel, and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel).
• Traditional weddings involve the bride carrying bread and salt and the groom carrying grain for wealth.

A Historical Perspective of Gender Roles in Germany

• German gender roles have evolved from clearly defined roles to more fluid contemporary understandings.
• Historically there were clear gender roles and recently there is increased acceptance of diversity.
• New laws are being implemented to reduce the gender pay gap and increase women in leadership roles.
• There’s a shift towards acceptance of non-traditional roles and identities.

Legal Framework

• Gender equality is implemented legally through a legal framework

Cultural Shifts

• Enhanced acceptance of diverse identities.

Work-Life Balance

• Policies now exist for parental leave and flexible work hours.

How Young Germans View Gender Roles

• Equality and Diversity: Policies and inclusive language are strongly emphasized.
• Personal Identity: Traditional gender norms are being resisted.
• Family and Career: Responsibilities for family are being discussed along with career aspirations.

Gender-Neutral Language

• Implementing gender-neutral language includes using asterisks, underscores, colons, and slashes to signify inclusivity.
• Neutral terms and plural forms are being introduced.
• The alphabet has 26 letters, 3 German umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü), and one ligature (ß).
• Some letters are pronounced similarly to English.

The German Alphabet

• German is difficult for non-native speakers due to three noun genders and complex grammar rules.
• Compound words exist
• The alphabet consists of 30 letters, 26 basic letters, 3 umlauts and "Eszett"

The Umlauts

• Umlauts modify a, o, and u to ä, ö, and ü.
• For example, "Mutter" transforms into "Mütter" to change the meaning from mother to mothers.
• Examples of words wir umlauts: Ähnlich, Ägypten, Öffnen.
• Ä is pronounced similar to "e" in "bet", Ö has a unique sound, and Ü is similar to "sew."
• Umlauts can be created in text by using alt codes.

The German Eszett (B)

• The "B" character is a unique s with a similar sound but appears are long vowels or diphthongs.

Digraphs

• Two letters representing a single sound.
• In German "ch" can have hard and soft variation depending on vowels that come before it
• When it begins a word, it is pronounced like a 'k' sound

Trigraphs

• The digraph "sch" has a phonetic transcription of /ʃ/, similar to ship.

Digraph "ei"

• Functions the same as "ai".

Digraph "ie"

• Gives words an English "ee" sound

Digraphs "eu" and "äu"

• Sounds similar to /oy/ and /oi/

German Nouns

• Noun Gender: Every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.
• Masculine nouns are identified by the article der, feminine by die, and neuter by das.
• Nouns can be singular or plural.
• Plural forms are created through rules, including adding endings.
• Masculine nouns often end in -or, -ling, -ig, and days of the week, feminine nouns have an ending of -heit, -keit or –ung and neuter ending of -chen, -lein

German Articles

• Governed by the gender, number, and case of the noun they accompany.
• Definite articles include der, die, das, and die (plural).
• Indefinite articles indicate non-specific nouns, where ein is used for masculine and neuter and eine for feminine.
• In German, nouns and pronouns exist in four grammatical cases.
• Nominative: Subject of the sentence.
• Accusative: Direct object of the action.
• Dative: Indirect object of the action.
• Genitive: Indicates possession

Pronouns:

• Can be categorized into types, each serving different grammatical functions.
• Categories include personal, possessive, reflexive, interrogative, and demonstrative pronouns.
• Pronouns replace the subject of a sentence, like ich.
• Serves as the direct object of the sentence
• Serves as the direct object of the sentence.

Personal Pronouns:

• Include "ich (I), du (you informal), er (he), sie (she), es (it), wir (we), ihr (you informal plural), Sie (you formal), sie (they)."

Types of Casings

• Nominative acts as the subject of the sentence.
• Function indicates the indirect object of the sentence.
• Genitive cases convey possession but is declining in use.
• Reflexive pronouns refer back to reflexive verbs
• Indicating possession and replace nouns that represent ownership
• Used to ask about a noun

Expressing Feelings

• Expressing concern and interest in the well-being of others creates a friendly atmosphere and should be included when speaking to others

Positive Responses

• Key statements that allow speakers positive response to show sympathy

Celebratory Expressions

• Can mark special occasions or conclude conversations Positive and important as social interjections

Essential Queries:

• Phrases are vital when navigating interactions in a new conversation.
• Empowering learners to seek assistance and understanding.

Requesting Information:

• Help improve a leaners understanding

Excited Reactions:

• Help show and encourage dynamic conversations

Formation

• Ich heiße ich bin allow speakers to say their name

Basic Rules

• The letters of the alphabet are prononces with few exceptions to the english language