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I suggest you add videos similar to Yabla German website

bauchweh
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Joined: January 9th, 2010 2:36 am

I suggest you add videos similar to Yabla German website

Postby bauchweh » January 9th, 2010 4:31 am

Hi, I suggest that you add videos similar to the Yabla website. I thought they look pretty good but If I am going to subscribe to something I want it to have enough material/variety available that I don't have to go anywhere else to finish getting fluent, other than watching German movies or whatever... and maybe Deutsche Welle or something. Just a suggestion because I want more than just some audio with transcripts if I am going to subscribe. But I will subscribe if this site reaches a level where I feel that it will be very beneficial to me. I like what you have so far though.

Sprachprofi
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Joined: January 29th, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby Sprachprofi » January 30th, 2010 9:45 am

I personally believe that such videos cannot teach you natural German - I wrote more about that in the other thread. Considering that a video costs at least ten times as much to produce, edit and host as a podcast of the same length, it's also just not possible for GermanPod101 at this point, as we're not making money.

As for reaching fluency: there are more than 300 lessons in GermanPod101 already, and each week sees the addition of 4 fresh ones. At one lesson a day, you can study GermanPod101 for 100 weeks (almost two years!) before you run out of materials. Most people will not be able to study a fresh lesson every day, they will only be able to study on some days, and on some of those days they will also need to review previous lessons, so it's actually unlikely anybody will run out of fresh content to study - and if you ever do, you can just cancel the subscription.

Another way to see it: according to the American Foreign Service Institute, you need 750 hours to go from zero to fluency in German. Let's assume that you spend at least 1 hour on each GermanPod101 lesson, as you listen to it, re-listen to it, memorize the vocabulary using the Wordbank, study the grammar, do the exercises, listen to the review track and finally listen to the dialog track to ensure you can understand everything without a hitch now. Just with the materials currently available on GermanPod101, you can already spend almost half the amount of hours required! And that's just the formal study. You can't reach fluency without actually speaking German, so a large part of those 750 hours would not be formal study but active language usage, and another large part is informal study, such as reading German (books, newspapers, magazines, websites...).

There are already enough materials on GermanPod101 to lead anyone to fluency. We are just producing more because different materials will suit different tastes, e. g. beginner series season 2 was based on a mystery story, while the current season features a more traditional approach, but both will lead you to an intermediate level.

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johnD
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Re: I suggest you add videos similar to Yabla German website

Postby johnD » February 8th, 2010 1:38 am

bauchweh wrote:Hi, I suggest that you add videos similar to the Yabla website. I thought they look pretty good but If I am going to subscribe to something I want it to have enough material/variety available that I don't have to go anywhere else to finish getting fluent, other than watching German movies or whatever... and maybe Deutsche Welle or something. Just a suggestion because I want more than just some audio with transcripts if I am going to subscribe. But I will subscribe if this site reaches a level where I feel that it will be very beneficial to me. I like what you have so far though.


Bauckweh, there is not single way to master a language. GermanPod101 is excellent, but it is not Yabla German. There is no reason not to utilize all of the resources available to you as a language learner. Yabla German is very inexpensive and GermanPod101 is an excellent investment as well. When you get a chance, spend as much time as possible in Germany, and continue to use these resources while you are there. You will progress quickly. I am enjoying GermanPod101 immensely and I'm the founder of Yabla.

trinidakota
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Joined: December 5th, 2009 8:56 pm

Huh?... Videos? Heard of it?

Postby trinidakota » February 11th, 2010 4:10 pm

Hello Everyone.
In response to this German video addition to the site. I can understand why bauchweh would make a suggestion like that. I do not see a problem with having videos as a learning aid. The thing is, a lot of people learn differently. Some learn from listening and theorizing while others may learn from visualizing and reflecting.
Germanpod101 is excellent and I understand that it maybe expensive to produce such videos for learning. However, to teach a language, a Teacher must understand his/her students well (or in this case the majority of them); and be sensitive to the fact that people have different personal learning styles in order to receive information.

Germanpod101, offer great lessons, but doesn't cater to the visual learners who learn through mainly seeing and who constitutes to around 70% of ALL learners. I personally use Germanpod101 lessons, but I feel that I must resort to other German learning sources in order to be where I want to be in fluency of the language. I am sure that if I were to drill the vocabulary lessons and memorize this and that I would eventually get from zero to some where near fluent; but my learning senses are a bit different, just like many other learners who immerse themselves fully in new experiences and learn the language by actively using it. Some learners are more cautious and they prefer to stand back and watch others experiment with the language. Some are focused on logic and they aim to fit things into rational order.

Germanpod101 is geared to the theorist learners who can only read and listen, but visual learners would have to seek other places to fill that learning gap. Reading and listening are only two parts of learning a language. Learners would have to be able to possess the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in order to be well balanced in a language.

I do not think that it is fair to shot away bauchweh's suggestion. I can understand if the moderators of Germanpod101 are defending their beliefs; perhaps being more open to suggestions wouldn't hurt. Maybe it could even generate more learners or maybe the financial burden for funding a couple videos as learning materials could be an easier problem to solve with new ideas and suggestions. When you turn away potential clients' ideas and suggestions, you are causing Germanpod101 to lack those funds needed. They will choose to spend their money where they see fit.

I enjoy Germanpod101 lessons a lot and I find it beneficial to some extent. Learning also depends on the individual's motivation. Learning any language to be fluent takes time and practice with the aid of proper learning materials. Furthermore, why would the founder of Yabla rant about Germanpod101 if they are trying to make money for their own website? That one sure baffles me 'immensely'.

:)

johnD
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Postby johnD » February 11th, 2010 4:28 pm

" Furthermore, why would the founder of Yabla rant about Germanpod101 if they are trying to make money for their own website? That one sure baffles me 'immensely'."

Hello Trinidakota,
At Yabla German (and Yabla French, Spanish etc.) we encourage language learners (when they ask) to use a wide variety of resources. The more successful learners are, the more we all "make money." Language learning is an ongoing process, there is plenty of money to be made for all quality resources. Germanpod101 is certainly an excellent one. Any language resource that claims it is all you will ever need to be "fluent," unless it is in the form of long haired blond from Stuttgart, is disingenuous. We suggest you spend as much time as possible with the resources that you enjoy, and that you can feel working. And get yourself to Germany and spend at least several weeks, as soon as you can -- using English as little as possible. Continue using resources like Germanpod101 even while in Germany, reinforcing your "street" practice while resting in your lodgings. That's our advice.

trinidakota
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Posts: 13
Joined: December 5th, 2009 8:56 pm

Postby trinidakota » February 11th, 2010 4:41 pm

johnD wrote:" Furthermore, why would the founder of Yabla rant about Germanpod101 if they are trying to make money for their own website? That one sure baffles me 'immensely'."

Hello Trinidakota,
At Yabla German (and Yabla French, Spanish etc.) we encourage language learners (when they ask) to use a wide variety of resources. The more successful learners are, the more we all "make money." Language learning is an ongoing process, there is plenty of money to be made for all quality resources. Germanpod101 is certainly an excellent one. Any language resource that claims it is all you will ever need to be "fluent," unless it is in the form of long haired blond from Stuttgart, is disingenuous. We suggest you spend as much time as possible with the resources that you enjoy, and that you can feel working. And get yourself to Germany and spend at least several weeks, as soon as you can -- using English as little as possible. Continue using resources like Germanpod101 even while in Germany, reinforcing your "street" practice while resting in your lodgings. That's our advice.


Thanks for clearing that up so quickly. I never said anything about there being only "one" language resource that claims it is all you will ever need to be "fluent".
Since we are so strong on expressing our beliefs today...It is my belief that the founder of Yabla (whatever) isn't really posting up on Germanpod101 forums. Secondly, If you are so keen on sharing the wealth, why not supply Germanpod101 with some videos? Problem solved and everyone goes away happy including the "long haired blond from Stuttgart".
;-)

johnD
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Joined: February 8th, 2010 1:32 am

Postby johnD » February 11th, 2010 6:28 pm

" I never said anything about there being only "one" language resource that claims it is all you will ever need to be "fluent"."

No, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you did, nor that GermanPod101 does. I was simply waxing philosophic. Some products do make such claims (many, in fact).

"Since we are so strong on expressing our beliefs today...It is my belief that the founder of Yabla (whatever) isn't really posting up on Germanpod101 forums."

I think the private message I sent you will make it clear that it is true. Anyone else is free to contact me to verify (contact info is found on the german.yabla.com site).

"why not supply Germanpod101 with some videos?"

We'd be happy to supply them with a few if they ask. We've never had any contact with the GermanPod101 team.

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