Seite 1 von 6 TPRS Mini Story: Leicht Deutsch Lernen Lerne Deutsch fließend sprechen Learn to speak German fluently This is just a very short story to give you an idea of the TPRS method. TPRS = Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling Preface (Please read this first): With the TPRS method you can learn to speak German fluently regardless of whether you are a beginner or an advanced student (who can t speak fluently yet). While advanced students will only need a few weeks until they can speak fluently, beginners will probably need several months, but even this is much faster than with traditional learning methods. If you are a beginner you just need more patience, more stories/tprs-lessons and more repetitions! Trust me, repetition is a key factor in the learning process! Even the most difficult lesson and story will get easier after some repetitions. I recommend listening to the main story (and also read it) many times and if there is a new word that you don't understand, look at the English translation. When you can finally understand about 70%-80% of the main story then go on to the question and answer part. If you are a beginner, don t try to answer the questions right away just listen to this part a few times (and read it). You will notice that many words are the same that I used in the main story. Please note that the question and answer part isn t fully translated. I did this on purpose! If you don t understand the questions, you need to repeat the main story a couple of times more! You need to understand about 70%-80% of the main story before it makes sense to practice with the question and answer part. If you do understand the main story, you will also be able to understand the meaning of the questions. After you ve read and listened to the question and answer part a few times, try to answer the questions yourself. Don t worry if your pronunciation doesn t match exactly my pronunciation, this is normal in the beginning. The question and answer technique is a very powerful technique. It will enable you step by step to think in German. Your brain will get familiar to the German language in a very natural way. Being able to think in German is the key to fluency. If you cannot think in German, you cannot speak it! You will notice that you can answer the questions with the sentences of the main story. (That s way you need to understand and practice with the main story first). Please try it and repeat the main story and the question and answer part many times. With every repetition you will learn more and more. Not only new words, but also the pronunciation, spelling, structure and even grammar up to a certain point. Audio lessons are very effective and that's why most of my students speak German fluently by the time they have finished all additional audio lessons and audio stories (the packages in my online store): http://leicht-deutsch-lernen.com/lessons. Have an amazing day and a lot of fun with the story :) Lucas PS: Sometimes the English translation looks a little odd but this way it is easier to understand the German meaning :) Please also read the instructions (separate pdf file) with more tips and how to use this method effectively.
Seite 2 von 6 Main Story: Die Schnecke The snail Ein Mann steht auf seinem Balkon und schaut (sich) seine schönen bunten Blumen an (anschauen = to look at) A man stands on his balcony and looks at his beautiful colorful flowers Plötzlich sieht er eine kleine Schnecke auf einem Blatt (er = he) Suddenly he sees a little snail on a leaf Igitt Ugh was haben wir denn* hier? what have we here? Dann nimmt er die kleine Schnecke und schmeißt sie aus dem dritten Stock auf die Straße Then he takes the little snail and throws she (it) out of the third floor on the street Zwei Jahre später klingelt es an der Tür (es = it) Two years later it rings at the door Der Mann macht die Tür auf und sieht die kleine Schnecke (aufmachen/öffnen = to open) The man opens the door and sees the little snail Die kleine Schnecke guckt ihn wütend an und schreit (ihn = him) (angucken = to look at) The little snail looks at him angrily and yells Sag mal was zur Hölle war das denn* gerade eben? Tell me what the hell was that right now Ist der (Witz) nicht süß? Isn t it cute? :) Das Ende (The End) Leicht Deutsch Lernen - Learn German Easily
Seite 3 von 6 Question and Answer Part: This technique is very powerful. If you practice with this technique regularly and with different stories it will enable you step by step to think in German. Your brain will get familiar to the German language in a very natural way. Die Schnecke Ein Mann steht auf seinem Balkon und schaut sich seine schönen bunten Blumen an Wer (who) steht auf seinem Balkon? Ein Mann oder (or) eine Frau (a woman)? Ein Mann Ein Mann steht auf seinem Balkon (on his balcony) Wo (where) steht der Mann - auf einer Terrasse (on a terrace)? Nein (no) nicht (not) auf einer Terrasse Auf einem Balkon (on a balcony) Und zwar (in fact) auf seinem (his) Balkon Ein Mann steht auf seinem Balkon Und (and) was (what) schaut der Mann sich an? Seine Blumen Seine schönen bunten Blumen Der Mann schaut sich seine schönen bunten Blumen an Und wie heißt der Mann? (And how is he called? / And what is the name of the man?) Das wissen wir gar* nicht (We don't know that) Das ist aber egal (That doesn't matter) Wenn ihr die Antwort nicht wisst dann ratet einfach (If you don t know the answer then just guess) Sagen wir mal (let's say) der Mann heißt Simon (the man is called Simon) Schaut Simon (sich) auf seinem Balkon Tomaten (tomatoes) an? Nein keine Tomaten (No, not tomatoes) Er schaut sich doch* keine Tomaten an Simon schaut sich seine schönen bunten Blumen an
Seite 4 von 6 Plötzlich sieht er eine kleine Schnecke auf einem Blatt Was (what) sieht Simon plötzlich (suddenly)? Eine kleine Schnecke Er sieht eine kleine Schnecke auf einem Blatt Und was macht die Schnecke? (machen = to do / to make) Kriecht (crawls) sie langsam (slowly) über (over) das Blatt? Oder (or) hüpft (jumps) sie immer (always) auf und ab (up and down)? Nein die hüpft doch* nicht auf und ab Sie kriecht langsam über ein Blatt Sie schleicht (creeps) über ein Blatt Und ist das (is it) eine kleine Schnecke oder eine riesengroße (huge) Schnecke? Eine kleine Schnecke Das ist eine ganz kleine (very small) Schnecke Igitt was haben wir denn* hier? Freut sich (to be glad) Simon die kleine Schnecke zu sehen? Nein der freut sich nicht Simon freut sich ganz und gar nicht (ganz und gar nicht = not at all) Sagt er: Hallo Schnecke schön dich kennenzulernen (Nice to meet you)? (sagen = to say) Oder sagt er: Igitt was haben wir denn* hier? Er sagt: Igitt was haben wir denn* hier? Simon freut sich überhaupt nicht die Schnecke zu sehen (überhaupt nicht = not at all) Dann (then) nimmt (takes) er die kleine Schnecke und schmeißt sie aus dem dritten Stock auf die Straße Was macht er mit (what does he do with) der kleinen Schnecke? Streichelt (to pet) er sie oder schmeißt er sie vom Balkon? Der streichelt sie doch* nicht Der schmeißt sie vom Balkon Der schmeißt die kleine Schnecke aus dem dritten Stock Schmeißt er die Schnecke aus dem vierten Stock (fourth floor)? Nein nicht aus dem vierten Stock Aus dem dritten Stock Er schmeißt die kleine Schnecke aus dem dritten Stock Und schmeißt er die Schnecke auf die Straße oder in einen Fluss (river)? Nein nicht in einen Fluss Auf die Straße Er schmeißt die Schnecke aus dem dritten Stock auf die Straße
Seite 5 von 6 Zwei Jahre später klingelt es an der Tür Wie viele Jahre später (how many years later) klingelt es an der Tür? Zwei Jahre Zwei Jahre später klingelt es an der Tür Der Mann macht die Tür auf und sieht die kleine Schnecke Wer (who) macht die Tür auf? Simons Meerschweinchen (guinea pig)? Nein doch* nicht Simons Meerschweinchen Simons Meerschweinchen kommt doch* gar* nicht an die Türklinke (doorhandle) heran (kann nicht herankommen = cannot reach) Simons Meerschweinchen ist doch* viel zu klein (too small) Simon selber (himself) macht die Tür auf Und sieht er die kleine Schnecke an? Ja (yes) das ist richtig (that s right) Simon sieht die kleine Schnecke an Die kleine Schnecke guckt ihn wütend an und schreit Freut sich die kleine Schnecke (Is the little snail glad to) Simon nach zwei Jahren endlich wiederzusehen (finally see again)? Nein die freut sich nicht (isn t glad) Die kleine Schnecke freut sich ganz und gar nicht Simon wiederzusehen Sie ist nämlich fürchterlich (terribly) sauer (angry) Schaut sie ihn wütend an und flüstert (whispers)? Nein sie flüstert nicht Sie schaut ihn zwar (indeed) wütend an aber (but) sie flüstert nicht Die kleine Schnecke guckt ihn wütend an und schreit Was schreit sie denn*? Sie schreit: Sag mal was zur Hölle war das denn* gerade eben? Das Ende (The End) * denn / doch / gar are filler words in a lot of cases. Filler words are words which have not too much significance and are not very important for the meaning of the sentence. We Germans use them all the time. Don t worry, you will get used to them. These little annoying words should not discourage you :) Leicht Deutsch Lernen - Learn German Easily
Seite 6 von 6 How to practice with my additional lessons and stories If you consider to buy additional lessons and stories from my online store (to become a fluent speaker), here are a few tips how to start with them: You need to get a feeling when it is appropriate to get to the next lesson. And this is what I recommend until you have figured out your own pace and way of learning: Start with vocabulary lesson No 1 and 2. Load them on your ipod, mobile phone (or other mp3 player). Try to do this: Read and listen to my voice at the same time (do this several times). When you encounter a word that you don't know, pause the recording and look at the English translation. You can also listen to the question and answer part but don't try to answer the questions. Just listen to the part. You should read, listen and pause to look at the translation as long as it takes to understand 70%-80% without looking at the text. Then it is time to try to answer yourself. It is OK if at first you just answer the easier and short questions. After some more repetitions, you will be able to answer the more complicated questions as well. Please don't think that the questions are too difficult. Trust me it is just a matter of repetition! And you need the repetitions to save the word order and grammar in your brain. A lot of advanced students make the mistake and listen to my vocabulary lessons only 1-3 times. They think they understand everything (because they already know the words) and that's why they go on to the next lesson. But this is not effective, because the TPRS method that I use in the lessons of the Package XL and the Upgrade Package is not primarily to learn new words (this is a side effect), but to save the word order and grammar in your brain (this is what your brain needs if you want to speak German fluently someday). *** By the way, the fairy tales by the Gebrüder Grimm have a different approach. They don t have the question and answer parts. They were created to build up your passive vocabulary (words that you need to understand when you encounter them but don t need to use yourself when you speak). I also recommend listening to the fairy tales every now and then. The vocabulary is more advanced but the sentences are completely translated into English which makes it easy to understand them. You can find them in my online store as well. *** OK, back to the Package XL :) If you think, "Wow, I have been listening to a lesson 20 times now - it's getting boring", that is OK and you should go on to the next lesson. It is also totally fine if you do just 5 repetitions (once in a while) and then go on to the next lesson. There is no strict rule. You can experiment with some variations. Everybody learns differently but you should go back to the older lessons and repeat them until you are able to answer the questions before my recorded answer. If you can answer all questions in all lessons and stories, you will be able to speak German fluently - this is a fact! Here is another tip: Don't wait with my story lessons until you have finished all vocabulary lessons. You can also try to listen to the stories in the meantime. In fact, listen to all of them and then decide which story you want to practice with first. I can't give you a recommendation, because the stories are all different. Some are slower spoken, some have more difficult words and some teaches you different tenses. You need to find out what is appropriate for you to start with. Have fun :) Lucas