Posted in My languages

Avid readers will remember my language experiment entry where I tested how fast I read English, German, and Spanish.  Since then I have decided to work on improving my reading speed in German.  So I am happy to announce that I recently finished reading my first book in German!  It is a children's book called "Das doppelte Lottchen" by Erich Kästner.  If you are familiar with the old movie "The Parent Trap" or the newer version of the movie that the Olsen twins did, this is the book that it's based on.  The parents of identical twins get divorced when the girls are babies and each takes one.  The girls don't know about each other until they meet at summer camp and realize that they are twins.  At the end of the summer, they switch places so each can get to know the other parent, and eventually they get the parents back together.

This book was translated into English, and I had it as a little girl.  It's called "Lisa and Lottie."  I am trying to find a copy of it for my daughters, who are very interested in the story.  Of course, back when I read it, I never dreamed I would have identical twins some day!

Our library has a pretty good sized German section, and they have 4 or 5 books by Kästner, so I am reading through them.  They seem to be exactly at my level, where I can follow the story and get most of the details while cementing new vocabulary in my head.  I have continued to study words using the Usborne Internet-Linked German Dictionary for Beginners.  It amused me that I wondered how on earth I would ever remember that curls were "Locken" and braids were "Zöpfe", and then I started reading "Das doppelte Lottchen."  One twin has curls and the other braids, and the words are used over and over and over!

This morning I took a placement quiz on the Goethe Institut website which tells you what level course you should take with them.  The levels are tied into the European Common Frame of Reference (scroll down to read the levels - they are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.)  I remember taking the placement test sometime last year and getting either the B1 or 2 level, but this time it said I should take a class at the C1 level!  There were a lot less questions where I said, "Huh?" and then just guessed.  I got 22 out of 30 correct.  This time I recorded the date and how I did so I can retake it again at the end of year.

I still need some kind of immersion experience, and I am still kind of clueless on how to accomplish that with my soon-to-be 4 children under 5, not to mention the increasingly worthless dollar.  It will have to be something here in the US definitely.

Up next in my reading queue: "Das fliegende Klassenzimmer."  No, I don't yet know why the classroom is flying!