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Where in Germany to learn German? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6554 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes  1 sounds Speaks: EnglishC2*, Spanish*, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew | Message 17 of 35 07 May 2009 at 5:20pm | IP Logged | ||
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Don't agree.
Come to Munich - In the city the people mostly speak standrd German as they tend to be from all over Germany - it's a beautiful city and well worth your time. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Paramecium Tetraglot Groupie Germany Joined 5714 days ago 46 posts - 59 votes Speaks: German*, English, French, Russian Studies: Japanese | Message 18 of 35 07 May 2009 at 11:32pm | IP Logged | ||
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Some Germans may argue that they count Munich (like whole bavaria) not even to Germany :-P
First of all, here in Germany we have much beautiful places, munich is not the only one. One of the problems of Munich is, that the cost for living are much higher than they are in most other parts of Germany (especially in comparison with the places I mentioned before). I agree that in Munich live a lot of persons who aren't originally from bavaria, but nevertheless most persons there have a bavarian accent. Edited by Paramecium on 07 May 2009 at 11:32pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Earle Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6317 days ago 276 posts - 276 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Norwegian, Spanish | Message 19 of 35 08 May 2009 at 4:15am | IP Logged | ||
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I have to confess that I have a bit of a problem with the premise of this thread, which seems to be that one will imitate only the German one hears in the immediate environment. Wherever one lives, there are many opportunities to hear different accents, the accents arising from the pre-existing dialect. I learned German in the States, but in a community with German-speakers from all over. My earliest conversations were with Austrians. For nine years, my next door neighbors were a man (rocket scientist) from Darmstadt and wife from near Ulm. I tend to imitate the accent I hear around me when I'm in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In fact, I do the same with English, as I move around the US. I just don't get this idea that one has to settle down in one part of Germany, learn the pronunciation in that area and stick with it for the rest of one's life...
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| zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6554 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: EnglishC2*, Spanish*, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew | Message 20 of 35 08 May 2009 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | ||
Just snobbery from the north. ;) Well, I live here and find the statement about the accent not to be really true. Cost of living is somewhat to a lot higher than parts of Germany but less than other places (I've lived in Paris, NYC and know London quite well). One can manage. Munich is a great experience and should not be thrown out and it's a good gateway to Europe (has an excellent airport) and it's possible to think about finding work, too. Edited by zenmonkey on 08 May 2009 at 12:28pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5840 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 21 of 35 08 May 2009 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | ||
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Hi all, I have two questions:
1) If you had to pick the accent from ONE city in Germany to best represent the German language as you would like foreigners to learn it, which city would this be? 2) Do Swiss Germans sometimes switch to Hochdeutch, or do they always speak Swiss German no matter what? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6554 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: EnglishC2*, Spanish*, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew | Message 22 of 35 08 May 2009 at 12:35pm | IP Logged | ||
For me 1) does not really make sense - which accent of an American city best represents English? Bayerisch is another language not just an accent. But I'm sure the Germans on the board will give you their opinion of how lovely their accent is. 2)Yes, many do switch depending on their audience, at least those I work with. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5840 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 23 of 35 08 May 2009 at 1:07pm | IP Logged | ||
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Zenmonkey - yeah ok I see what you mean. Perhaps there is no "official" centre of the German language.
I was partly asking because I thought there might be some kind of official German consensus on this, but perhaps there isn't. In France, for example, I think the standard answer is that the city of Tours is supposed to have the best accent. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6554 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: EnglishC2*, Spanish*, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew | Message 24 of 35 08 May 2009 at 1:20pm | IP Logged | ||
Cordelia, technically you are correct, the Tourraine accent is considered to be canonical. But let me quote some French people on the subject:
Accepting diversity is very important to me because I think we can not imagine a language where there is no diversity. There is, in all languages we have studied and studied that, even in smaller groups or tribes of the Amazon where there are forty people who speak one language, one finds in these language diversity. And I think we need not accept it and seek a kind of neutrality which everything would be erased, which would be absolutely homogeneous and uniform, which is impossible. You can not comment on a rugby match with a Strasbourgeois accent. It is not possible, finally. Wait, one must be reasonable, anyway. But no, but there are lots of accents. Fortunately there are plenty of accents, that's the charm of the whole world. From here: http://french.about.com/library/listening/bllg-accents-trans cript.htm Edited by zenmonkey on 08 May 2009 at 1:22pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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