Learning German: A Journey through Language and Culture

Overview

Course No. 2846

Join Professor James Pfrehm for an engaging journey through the German language and its rich cultural context. This course is designed to make learning German fun and accessible, covering grammar, vocabulary, and cultural nuances.

Video Lesson List

1. Willkommen!

Introduce yourself to German with useful expressions and distinct sounds like the umlaut.

29 min

2. Definite Articles, Gender, and Nouns

Learn about German articles, gender prediction, and numbers in the language.

29 min

3. Personal Pronouns and the Verb sein

Master the verb sein (to be) and learn to ask and answer basic questions.

23 min

4. Regular Verbs in the Present Tense

Practice present tense verbs and learn about word order in questions and statements.

25 min

5. Asking Questions and Numbers above 100

Learn to ask questions and count beyond 100, discovering patterns and irregularities.

29 min

6. The Nominative and Accusative Cases and kein-

Understand the nominative and accusative cases and learn to negate noun phrases with kein.

26 min

7. Time in German and Possessive Pronouns

Learn to tell time and use possessive pronouns in German.

29 min

8. Modal Verbs and More Accusative

Explore modal verbs and their uses, and continue with the accusative case.

26 min

9. Eine Reise nach München und Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Discover irregular verbs in the present perfect tense through a love story set in Munich and Rothenburg.

28 min

10. Separable-Prefix Verbs

Learn about separable-prefix verbs and their unique word order.

26 min

11. Subordinate and Infinitive Clauses

Understand subordinate and infinitive clauses and their uses in German.

25 min

12. Ich hab’ mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren

Study the dative case and its role in possessive pronouns and word order.

24 min

13. Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

Learn about reflexive verbs and pronouns through a dialogue involving a doctor’s visit.

21 min

14. More Dative and Subordinating Conjunctions

Deepen your understanding of the dative case and learn subordinating conjunctions.

29 min

15. The Simple Past

Explore the simple past tense through a captivating fairy tale.

34 min

16. Bäuerin Bärbel und die rotbärtigen Zwerge

Conclude the fairy tale and learn more about the simple past and relative pronouns.

27 min

17. Two-Way Prepositions and Verbs That Use Them

Understand “two-way” prepositions and their context-dependent use.

32 min

18. Comparative/Superlative and Adjective Endings

Learn to form comparative and superlative sentences and tackle adjective endings.

31 min

19. The Genitive Case and the Passive Voice

Introduce the genitive case and learn how to form the passive voice in German.

29 min

20. The Subjunctive Mood

Explore the subjunctive mood for hypothetical situations and practice with dialogues.

29 min

21. Eine Reise nach Wittenberg und Berlin

Deepen your understanding of the subjunctive with dialogues in Wittenberg and Berlin.

30 min

22. Our Journey: The End or Just the Beginning?

Test your comprehension with unaided dialogues and receive guidance for further study.

32 min