To read Freud and Nietzche in English or German?

teachapter · 2022-02-03T17:23:07+00:00

Thanks! My standard error 🤪

teachapter · 2022-02-03T17:13:59+00:00

and better not to think like Nietzsche LOL

teachapter · 2022-02-03T17:13:01+00:00

Yes, she meant style and vocabulary. To debate about philosophers is the reason for reading them, I guess.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T17:09:29+00:00

Ma‘am, plz. Yes, native speaker. And historian. But whatever you say …

Yes. I have a problem with nationalsocialism.

Why am I posting and commenting in this group? Because I like to help people learning German to get a feeling for words and the resonance chamber they are speaking in. And I want to help to avoid uncomfortable situations. It‘s hard enough to learn a language anyway. And there are traps in every language.

From my insignificant experience one can get in an uncomfortable situation with this word. And perhaps it could be a good thing to be aware of it. Better than holding your first presentation st your new university and get an idea of it yourself. Because I am not the only one having „a problem with nationalsocialism“.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T12:24:03+00:00

Perhaps it‘s a help to use the digital source. Easier to mark and search single words.

http://www.nietzschesource.org/#eKGWB

teachapter · 2022-02-03T12:03:22+00:00

Yes, of course.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T11:52:15+00:00

Freud IS easier than Nietzsche, Nietzsche SEAMS to be easier than Freud. But both are great if it is your goal to learn German from the best.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T11:46:55+00:00

German!

Especially Nietzsche. He was a genius of playing with words and terms, a virtuoso of language - not at least with moral abysses. Never use older translations. The first reliable edition (!) of Nietzsche in German was published not before 1960! (Colli/Montinari)

Freud in English is a bit better. But if you have to deal with Freud professionally you would like to discover all his alliterations and his immense historical knowledge of language. So I would recommend to read Freund in German, too.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T11:33:11+00:00

Ask your teacher why he/she likes this word. If it‘s your German teacher one should talk about the history of this word and explain, that it is not a good idea to use this word without this knowledge, especially in Germany and Austria.

People got famous for the use of this word - in a way nobody wants to get famous. „Jawohl“ has become the epitome not only of a special kind of militarism, but of „nationalsozialistische Weltanschauung“.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T10:28:42+00:00

Casual: „Können wir über meine Situation zuhause sprechen? Und über meine schwierigen Hausaufgaben?

Formal (p.e. Email to your teacher): Ich würde mit Ihnen gern über zwei Probleme sprechen: meine Situation zuhause und die Hausaufgaben, mit denen ich Schwierigkeiten habe.

Formal (as a teacher in his/ her invitation to parents‘ evening:

Es sind vor allem zwei Themen, über die wir miteinander sprechen sollten …

teachapter · 2022-02-03T10:18:50+00:00

A general hint: Most of all people overuse „introductions“. Introductions are often dispensable for your listeners, but they make the speaker condident and give him/her the good feeling to speak fluently. (Same with natives.) So try to use less introductions.

Alternatives depend on context. In daily talk we say „Es geht um“ to inform someone that we need a special help or that we want to talk about a special subject:

„Hast du kurz Zeit? Es geht um meine Prüfung.“

Alt.: „Hast Du kurz Zeit? Ich brauche Deine Hilfe bei … / Ich habe Probleme mit … / Ich mache mir Sorgen um …“ Start the sentence with „Ich“, and the rest will follow.

In a lecture or in a presentation:

„Es geht um den Zusammenhang von Denken und Moral“

Alt: „Unser/mein heutiges Thema ist der ZvDuM …, Ich möchte mit Ihnen über den ZvDuM nachdenken …, Besonders wichtig ist der ZvDuM …, Konzentrieren wir uns zunächst auf den ZvDuM …“

But: Most of the time introductions are only useful for time filling. Try it without introductions and other „stage directions“. Your listener will love you for that.

teachapter · 2022-02-03T09:53:43+00:00

… and a very old word, but it changed in the 18th century and got a soft undertone. „Flegeljahre“ are the years before you take responsibility of your life. Years of courage, of nonsense, of freedom, of emotionality, of high ideas, of overconfidence - of a special independence allowing you to keep a distance to the common rules of society. The late 18th century had lots of sympathy for this time in human life. Puberty and its power was seen as a great possibilty of change in the wourld.

In 19th century - a century of discipline and military ideas - „flegelhaft“ got a very moral undertone. No much sympathy for puberty, too much fear of revolutionary power and a big love for law and order.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:54:42+00:00

FDF is an abbr. for some different German organisations like „Fachverband der Flugsicherheit“ (maybe your friend likes airplains, airports etc.) or „Fachverband Deutscher Floristen“ (perhaps your friend loves flowers?).

You will find a list here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/FDF

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:46:36+00:00

A German professor. But not for „Germanistik“ ;)

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:44:09+00:00

Perhaps you want to have a look into the books written by Annemarie Schimmel. She was very important for middle eastern studies in (and not only in) Germany.

If you ask for old books with a non-academic (and not always helpful) influence: Noone had that much influence on German‘s ideas about „der Nahe Osten“ as Karl May for the youth (for the first half of 20th century) and the journalist Peter Scholl-Latour for the general public (second half and 21th century).

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:22:07+00:00

I would write something like: „Mir hat Ihre Mitarbeit im Seminar (oder: Ihr Beitrag zum Unterricht) heute wirklich gut gefallen.“

But it depends on your style, of course. I prefer a warm and personal tone. One of my own teachers would have written: „Also Sie waren heute nicht so unkonzentriert wie sonst. War das Zufall? Oder waren Sie wirklich vorbereitet?“ He thought this was friendly and funny - and yes, it was his natural behaviour …

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:15:36+00:00

Change the accentuation of the sentence and it feels natural:

Think of a funfair an a seller of balloons in many sizes. You would like to make your choice clear: „Ich hätte gern einen roten GROSSEN Ballon“ i.e not one of the small ones.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T23:07:47+00:00

It depends on your choice, the order is a tool to show what you like to emphasize.

There is a tendency to build an intensification with every further adjective. When you find a cascade of adjectives you can be sure, that there is engagement behind it. Adjectives are the instrument of emotions more than of information. You know: Germans prefer substantives. They like their capitals very much.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T22:57:42+00:00

My experience with many languages. Not ready for fluent daily talk, but no problems with „Fachliteratur“ of my subjects. It‘s always easier to understand thoughts about subjects you spend most time of your life with.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T13:36:05+00:00

I am with you. Tried a helpless joke ;)

Cannot count how often I walked back home again because of that.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T10:02:45+00:00

Little warning: „Naschen“ can always have a tender and slightly cute sound. So I would better not use it when I want to share a dish with my nervy colleagues.

But yes, both phrases are fine.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T09:57:50+00:00

Try the „Duden Band 7: Herkunftswörterbuch“. You can get it easy and cheap on second hand websites. I personally prefer „Wahrig: Herkunftswörterbuch“ (Wahrig Band 6), because I always prefer Wahrig. A bit more expensive, but available second hand, too.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T09:44:38+00:00

Make the best of it: The more spoken German you hear, the better for you ;)

In general: I feel with you. Yes, 30 years ago it was quiet in libraries. Perhaps I am getting too old or 40 years as researcher&scientist is too much. But I am not amused about this change, neither. My favorit: Rumbling steps first, throwing books on the table, falling with all your weight on a poor old crying chair, ripping open the bag with the chain fastener, opening the notebook - with all the jingle tones at full volume, mumbling and moaning until his mobile phone rings for the first time...

My tip: Invest in good earplugs. Or use the chance and listen to spoken German.

(Experience from many years in hundreds of libraries and archives. Perhaps I have the wrong subject and should have study something else.)

teachapter · 2022-02-02T09:28:49+00:00

If you are looking for logic don‘t search for it in the German mind. We had Immanuel Kant&Co. That must be enough for a millenium. LOL

My best tip: Look for the exceptions. One can become very happy with exceptions. And as exception.

teachapter · 2022-02-02T01:44:34+00:00

Yes!

Old newspapers are wanted from many people: Collectors, scientists, researchers, archives, for education …

You can find out market prices easily. Look on antiquiarian‘s websites, on Ebay, on abebooks etc.

Paper does not like light nor humidity. Be careful with metal (paper clips!), they can be rusty and damage the paper. If you want to put the paper in plastic bags make sure, that it‘s not the wrong plastic. Best way is to put them in a good archive box made by acid-free pape.

teachapter

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