Self-study resources for students of German

Dictionaries:
Even if you are just beginning your journey into the German language, a good German-English / English-German dictionary is a crucial tool. While you understandably may be reluctant to invest into a large dictionary until you have established whether you intend to continue with your study of the language beyond the 1000-level, even at an early stage it is advisable to work with something larger than a tourist's pocket dictionary. A dictionary is the essential companion to any homework assignment. If you choose not to immediately invest into a personal dictionary, you should familiarise yourself with the German reference section in the library and with the online dictionary Leo.

Students wishing to purchase a dictionary should look at the Oxford Duden and Collins range of dictionaries, published by Oxford University Press and Collins respectively. These dictionaries are available in various sizes (Beginner's, Pocket, Concise, Unabridged). The Department recommends that the minimum size students should purchase is the Concise (ca. 1200 pages). The next version up from the Concise would be either the Oxford Duden German Dictionary or the Collins German Unabridged Dictionary, which are the largest one-volume dictionaries on the market (ca. 1800-2000 pages)

Leo, an excellent, freely accessible German-English / English-German dictionary, is available online at http://dict.leo.org. The Leo site also features German-Chinese, German-French, German-Italian and German-Spanish dictionaries for students with mother tongues other than English.

Listening:
It's never to early to start practising your listening skills. The Deutsche Welle (www.dw-world.de) is Germany's international broadcaster: on-line, on-screen and over the air. From their homepage, click on the links Learning German or German XXL from the menu on the left-hand side, and you will find a wealth of opportunities to practise your listening, reading, pronunciation and grammar skills with specially designed multi-part self-study courses and genuine news reports adapted to your needs as a language learner. Features of note include the Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten - the daily news read slowly for language learners - and a Wort der Woche - a word of the week. Most listening exercises are accompanied by an on-screen text so that students can listen along or check their responses afterwards.

Reading:
Deutsch Perfekt: The Department has a subscription, and copies may be borrowed through the secretary in Crabtree 310. It is written especially for language learners, and features interesting stories from the German-speaking countries. Texts are labelled Leicht (easy) or Mittel (intermediate) and Schwer (difficult) so that the reader can choose the appropriate level of difficulty. The magazine complements its monthly print edition with extra online features and exercises at www.deutsch-perfekt.com. MLL has a subscription to the German weekly broadsheet Die Zeit, which may be of interest to students at the 3000-level and beyond. The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, which can perhaps be described as the German equivalent of MacLeans, Time or Newsweek, can be found in the periodicals section in the basement of the Mt.A Library. Der Spiegel also has an extensive, freely accessible website at www.spiegel.de, with a section in English on both German and international news.

Grammar:
Students looking for extra grammar practice should know that the library carries e-book versions of the Routledge grammar books Basic German (by Heiner Schenke and Karen Seago) and Intermediate German (by Anna Miell and Heiner Schenke). Readers can access the full text of these books on-screen from the library catalogue and print off relevant pages. These books offer a complete grammar review with simple explanations in English and practise exercises. Solutions are given at the back of the book so that students can work independently.The library also has a copy of Barron's 501 German Verbs in its reference section. This book offers conjugations of 501 German verbs in all tenses, moods and voices. Several publishers offer a version of this book if students would like to purchase their own personal German verb reference work (e.g. McGraw-Hill's The Big Yellow Book of German Verbs, Webster's New World 575+ German Verbs).

Library Resources:
From the library homepage, click on Resources by Subject in the left-hand column and then on German for an extensive list of subject-related resources, including links to complete listings of German-language newspapers and magazines. Anita Cannon, our subject librarian, is always happy to talk to students about the library's German-language resources.Links

Links:
Young Germany (www.young-germany.de) is an English-language website sponsored by the German government which provides information on life in Germany and on the country's educational and career opportunities.

The Goethe Institut (www.goethe-institut.de) is Germany's national institution for the promotion of the German language and German culture. The Goethe Institut offers German courses and administers standardised examinations such as Zertifikat Deutsch. It also organises and sponsors cultural events. Canadian branches of the Goethe Institut can be found in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

The 1000-level textbook, Treffpunkt Deutsch has a companion website with extra exercises and activities, accessible at: www.prenhall.com/treffpunkt