The German Way: Life in Austria, Germany, Switzerland

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Resources for beginners or advanced learners of German

Also see the German Language site at AboutGerman.net. The author of The German Way is your guide to lessons, resources, and links to help you learn Deutsch.

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Teaching Tips

This Web site can be a valuable teaching and learning tool for anyone interested in the language and cultures of the German-speaking world. You and your students will discover many different ways to explore the Web world of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Below are links to information and photos related to German-speaking countries. (We even have links for tiny Liechtenstein!) In this section we list a few suggestions for you and your students.

Projects and ideas (with or without an oral/written report auf Deutsch) that make use of the site’s many content pages and links:

  1. Research a specific country, region, or city.
  2. Learn more about a person in Germanic culture (Freud, Emmerich, Schwarzenegger, etc.)
  3. Research a specific topic: travel by train, architecture, art, cinema, women's rights, etc.
  4. Take a virtual trip via the Web and share the experience with others.
  5. Describe in German (orally or in writing) a photo or photos located on our photo pages.
  6. Let students devise their own projects, reflecting their individual interests — with your approval.
  7. Reports from students on what they learned during a given length of time online (one week, a month, a semester).
  8. An e-mail exchange with a school in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland. This can involve a single student or a whole class. (See the School and university Web sites page for possible links.) In my own case, it was just such an electronic exchange that led to an actual exchange between my high school students in Reno and a school in Berlin-Köpenick.
  9. Daily German Vocabulary: Wort des Tages (for advanced learners) and German Word of the Day for beginners (from AboutGerman.net)
  10. Online self-scoring quizzes at the German Language Web site at About.com can be used for extra credit for your students.

Information by country

General: Content pages and photos found on this Web site

  • American influences describes how the U.S. has left its mark on the Germanic cultures -- for better or worse.
  • The Autobahn, Driving, and Autobahnpolizei pages offer info on driving and traffic laws in the German-speaking countries.
  • THE BERLIN WALL: The East Side Gallery page is about the Wall today — not just this historic section.
  • Our Christmas in Germany page discusses the Germanic elements of the holiday, and links to other Christmas sites.
  • The Education page describes some of the differences in school systems.
  • BIOGRAPHY: See the pages for Angela Merkel, Einstein, the Red Baron, Sigmund Freud, and others. More: Famous people from Austria, Germany, Switzerland.

    • German Cinema:

  • The Cinema page describes the impact of Austria and Germany on Hollywood and world cinema.
  • Fred Astaire and his Austrian origins!
  • Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio of Titanic fame has a German connection!
  • The German Tarzan Connection (Johnny Weissmuller) is one of the most interesting German-Hollywood Connections!
  • The Music Connection - Many Austrian and German film composers worked in Hollywood — from Ernest Gold (Exodus) to Hans Zimmer (The Rock).
  • The German-Hollywood Connection - About the hundreds of Austrian, German, and Swiss movie people — from Fred Astaire to Arnold Schwarzenegger — who had or still have a Hollywood connection. (now being updated)
  • Billy Wilder is Austria's most famous film director and a living legend!
  • The German language offers learning tips and interesting facts about what Mark Twain termed "The Awful German Language" (from A Tramp Abroad, 1880). Also links to the German Language Web site at About.com.
  • The German Past still haunts the teutonic psyche today, and the word Angst didn’t come from German for nothing.
  • Radio and TV in the German-speaking countries (with links).
  • Train travel in Europe
  • Women, Austria, and the Vienna Philharmonic - Women's Lib comes to Vienna! Or does it?
  • Find more on the German Way Contents page, Search, or our Site Map.

Germanic Culture

The German Way and other BOOKS

German language and cultural Web links

Web links by topic

Products and Services for German: Does your for-profit company offer products or services of interest to teachers or students of German? Get listed below in our “Products and Services” section (below) for a very reasonable rate! More info.

Products and Services for German

Web Links for Teachers of German

Foreign-language Organizations Online

  • ACTFL - American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
  • AATF - American Association of Teachers of French
  • AATG - American Association of Teachers of German
  • AATSP - American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese
  • CSC - Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
  • NECTFL - Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
  • PNCFL - Pacific Northwest Council for Languages
  • SCOLT - Southern Conference on Language Teaching
  • SWCOLT - Southwest Conference on Language Teaching

More Connections

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Hyde Flippo is solely responsible for the content of this site and, other than permission granted to publish copyrighted material, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing has no direct involvement, financial or otherwise, with this site. When in Germany, Do As the Germans ©2002 McGraw-Hill; The German Way ©1999 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books. All rights reserved | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Advertise with us!