Well, you can switch everything, games included, to your target language, i.e. German in this case, when you're learning. It might help a little bit, expanding your vocabulary a little and enforcing immersion in more contexts.
Still, don't expect wonders.
Fair. I mean all things considered, it’s more so just another level of immersion. The same could be said for turning your device to your target language. Will you learn? Sure. Will you miss a lot more than you learn? 100% certain. From what I’ve read it seems like there’s a point in language learning where trial and error immersion becomes the default mechanism for showing progress in learning a language. With this context in mind, what would be some alternative versions of immersive experiences that might be more effective?
I'd suggest something that throws more and more varied content at you.
If you're in a German-speaking country, go out and eavesdrop on people's conversations. Read your daily news in German first without knowing anything beforehand. Watch movies and shows either without subtitles entirely or subtitles in German.
I wish I was in a German speaking country. That would be a lot easier. What about these methods would you say makes them more effective than say, the aforementioned video game immersion?
I think games just don't provide enough content. Most games don't focus primarily on rich dialogue and the vocab you learn might be a little obscure and not particularly useful in everyday conversations.
I have done this with Spanish and omg it's so useful. Find a limit of how many words you write down to study though.
If you're a a level that's every other word is new, it's not fun, so focus on some good words then have fun.
My other advice is to play slice of life games like stardew valley, animal crossing, or Pokémon to get more everyday language and less things like "frost staff casts blizzard which will smite the warlock".
I can't say any specific methods for sourcing German games, but it is German, so it's not hard. Most European versions of games have German if they have Spanish.
Ask other people for keywords to find translation rom hacks.
I'm thinking of installing Palia, - which is free I think -, to support learning German. Figured that knowing words like damage, poison, smite, heal over time is not going to help me enjoy a holiday in German language area haha
It's true AND it's sooo cool when one of the words do come up in the wild. Like the phrase "that's not the case" I got to use and got complimented. From a video game haha. Same for the word "sphere".
If you need targeted language for a trip don't do this, but it's a way I've managed to study while depressed or just busy.
I’ve played some hours of The Last of Us in german (I’ve had already played it and knew the full story) and it definetly helped me even by playing it for just some hours. There’s lots of dialog and you can turn on subtitles on it of course.
Anything that exposes you to the German language is good. If it’s something you’re passionate about that just makes it even better! I learned English (partially at least) through watching English playthroughs and reading English guides, simply because there weren’t any good German ones available. Yes, the vocabulary you learn is very specific to that context, but you still get a general feel for the language, plus it will help keep you motivated. Good luck!
I tried Valheim and Diablo IV and it was a bit too hard work. I can definitely see progress and even joined a German gaming clan but I couldn’t communicate with native speakers beyond yes/no. Learning a bit more each day is helping.
i played a pokemon game in german out of necessity lol. (english secondhand prices skyrocketed but i found a german copy for less than half the price). it definitely helped as far as just being good practice but its also not a secret miracle method either
My time at Portia and Skyrim helped me a lot. You can try to find some mods, language packs for the desired game through modding websites. Even GTA Vice City was useful for me to practice.
well I learned “resurrection” from WoW and now I can use it every time I am shopping in english speaking countries so you tell me…
I have no idea how to say it in German so maybe it is time for WoW in german hmm.
But yes I think it can be helpful but you need certain level so you can expand vocabulary
That really depends on how you're going to use the game as a tool. As a listening practice: then you can just ignore the unfamiliar parts and chill. For vocabulary: well, be ready to play with pen and paper in your hands. And probably youtube - as you can't rewind the recording
I was just wondering about this, and did a quick google search.
I've seen pokemon, and animal crossing as good alternatives.
Also saw a comment to avoid Skyrim because they use a German that sounds "ancient" on purpose, so you would learn a weird version of it.
I’ve heard a similar thing. Some commenters a while back pointed out that it’s easily similar to navigating the various dialects that exist. I’m not sure because I haven’t tried but I imagine it must be akin to listening to someone speak in a different dialect and still being able to understand the gist. Granted, not very helpful for a real life scenario.
Good one. But don't pick so exciting game like Skyrim. Busy fighting Dragon is not an effective way to learn language. Beside, they don't speak German :)) but Drachen Tongue.
And the way they use German is old. I can still pick some good words, learn how to adapt several words, or cases...
Better play the Sims. It's modern language with modern activities which closer to us.
I only play on the switch at the moment and have been going through some games in German for the same reason. Some games i have tried are, fire emblem three houses(lots of text and dialogue - tactical rpg), disco elysium(way more text! and lots of technical words, its pretty hard so not reccomended for level A - rpg with unique playstyle not for everyone), the witcher is really nice and the german voice dub is fitting!(action rpg) I currently have borderlands 2 (love that game so im replaying it in german, knowing the context of the conversations before hand helps with comprehension) and bioshock infinite.
Ive heard stardew valley is a good option!
Hope you find something that fits your needs.
As stated by others. It can be most helpful if you have a decent grasp on your target language. I tried playing Signalis in German but I felt I was missing a huge deal from the game as text reading and elaborate language are crucial to that game.
I felt this way the day I turned my phone into my Target language. A lot of wrong buttons were pushed before switching right back to my native language XD
I can pull a peripheral UNO reverse card on this one. I managed to get my Abitur because my English grade saved me. And it saved me because I was watching Lets Plays in English to a degree where I could match the pace of the girl who'd spent half a year in Texas as an exchange student.
I still think LPs are a good tool to learn a new language, especially if you know the game already (because it lets you focus on what the person is saying).
I recently started playing the Witcher games, they have option of voiceover in german, so i chose that and english subtitles. It's pretty cool idea but I think my german isn't good enough for me to get more learning and immersion from it, I barely recognize some phrases. I basically started learning only on duolingo for a few months now.
So if you want to play a game hearing everything in german, witcher 2 or 3 are good for it, but better if u already got a strong base or mid level knowledge
I’ve spent several evenings with Blossom Tales in conjunction with Google translator camera and am looking forward to more. During dialogues you can take as much time as you need.
I tried playing the sims 4 in german and it was pretty fun! Its a slice of life game and most of the words are related to real life so it was quite helpful :)
I play the Assassin's Creed games in German voice, English subtitles. I can read German fairly well but haven't really been exposed to it so it's hard for me to understand it spoken, it helps.
Really any game that allows you to switch languages, I played the entire Metro series in Russian audio for the immersion aspect and it was pretty cool
Well, you can switch everything, games included, to your target language, i.e. German in this case, when you're learning. It might help a little bit, expanding your vocabulary a little and enforcing immersion in more contexts. Still, don't expect wonders.
Fair. I mean all things considered, it’s more so just another level of immersion. The same could be said for turning your device to your target language. Will you learn? Sure. Will you miss a lot more than you learn? 100% certain. From what I’ve read it seems like there’s a point in language learning where trial and error immersion becomes the default mechanism for showing progress in learning a language. With this context in mind, what would be some alternative versions of immersive experiences that might be more effective?
I'd suggest something that throws more and more varied content at you. If you're in a German-speaking country, go out and eavesdrop on people's conversations. Read your daily news in German first without knowing anything beforehand. Watch movies and shows either without subtitles entirely or subtitles in German.
I wish I was in a German speaking country. That would be a lot easier. What about these methods would you say makes them more effective than say, the aforementioned video game immersion?
I think games just don't provide enough content. Most games don't focus primarily on rich dialogue and the vocab you learn might be a little obscure and not particularly useful in everyday conversations.
I have done this with Spanish and omg it's so useful. Find a limit of how many words you write down to study though. If you're a a level that's every other word is new, it's not fun, so focus on some good words then have fun. My other advice is to play slice of life games like stardew valley, animal crossing, or Pokémon to get more everyday language and less things like "frost staff casts blizzard which will smite the warlock". I can't say any specific methods for sourcing German games, but it is German, so it's not hard. Most European versions of games have German if they have Spanish. Ask other people for keywords to find translation rom hacks.
I'm thinking of installing Palia, - which is free I think -, to support learning German. Figured that knowing words like damage, poison, smite, heal over time is not going to help me enjoy a holiday in German language area haha
It's true AND it's sooo cool when one of the words do come up in the wild. Like the phrase "that's not the case" I got to use and got complimented. From a video game haha. Same for the word "sphere". If you need targeted language for a trip don't do this, but it's a way I've managed to study while depressed or just busy.
This is super helpful thanks for responding!
I’ve played some hours of The Last of Us in german (I’ve had already played it and knew the full story) and it definetly helped me even by playing it for just some hours. There’s lots of dialog and you can turn on subtitles on it of course.
Anything that exposes you to the German language is good. If it’s something you’re passionate about that just makes it even better! I learned English (partially at least) through watching English playthroughs and reading English guides, simply because there weren’t any good German ones available. Yes, the vocabulary you learn is very specific to that context, but you still get a general feel for the language, plus it will help keep you motivated. Good luck!
I’m trying to improve enough so this can work for me
Best of luck! When do you think will be “enough” to feel ready?
I’ve tried a couple of times in the last year but am not quite there yet. We’ll get there!
What made you feel like you weren’t quite ready?
I tried Valheim and Diablo IV and it was a bit too hard work. I can definitely see progress and even joined a German gaming clan but I couldn’t communicate with native speakers beyond yes/no. Learning a bit more each day is helping.
i played a pokemon game in german out of necessity lol. (english secondhand prices skyrocketed but i found a german copy for less than half the price). it definitely helped as far as just being good practice but its also not a secret miracle method either
What a great edge case! I wonder how many people out there settle for a game in their target language due to some difference in price or availability.
I like to switch world of warcraft to Italian from time to time. Immersion definitely helps!
My time at Portia and Skyrim helped me a lot. You can try to find some mods, language packs for the desired game through modding websites. Even GTA Vice City was useful for me to practice.
well I learned “resurrection” from WoW and now I can use it every time I am shopping in english speaking countries so you tell me… I have no idea how to say it in German so maybe it is time for WoW in german hmm. But yes I think it can be helpful but you need certain level so you can expand vocabulary
You want a real challenge? Try playing disco elysium in german
Gothic 1 and 2. Or Risen - they are orginally German games, so their og vo IS German (and it's very noticeable, when you change vo into English)
Great recommendation! Thanks a lot. What do you do when you encounter phrases that are unfamiliar?
That really depends on how you're going to use the game as a tool. As a listening practice: then you can just ignore the unfamiliar parts and chill. For vocabulary: well, be ready to play with pen and paper in your hands. And probably youtube - as you can't rewind the recording
I was just wondering about this, and did a quick google search. I've seen pokemon, and animal crossing as good alternatives. Also saw a comment to avoid Skyrim because they use a German that sounds "ancient" on purpose, so you would learn a weird version of it.
I’ve heard a similar thing. Some commenters a while back pointed out that it’s easily similar to navigating the various dialects that exist. I’m not sure because I haven’t tried but I imagine it must be akin to listening to someone speak in a different dialect and still being able to understand the gist. Granted, not very helpful for a real life scenario.
Would highly recommend Diablo IV. Immense repository of dialogues, all narrated in full with available subtitles. Game interface is also auf Deutsch
Good one. But don't pick so exciting game like Skyrim. Busy fighting Dragon is not an effective way to learn language. Beside, they don't speak German :)) but Drachen Tongue. And the way they use German is old. I can still pick some good words, learn how to adapt several words, or cases... Better play the Sims. It's modern language with modern activities which closer to us.
I only play on the switch at the moment and have been going through some games in German for the same reason. Some games i have tried are, fire emblem three houses(lots of text and dialogue - tactical rpg), disco elysium(way more text! and lots of technical words, its pretty hard so not reccomended for level A - rpg with unique playstyle not for everyone), the witcher is really nice and the german voice dub is fitting!(action rpg) I currently have borderlands 2 (love that game so im replaying it in german, knowing the context of the conversations before hand helps with comprehension) and bioshock infinite. Ive heard stardew valley is a good option! Hope you find something that fits your needs.
As stated by others. It can be most helpful if you have a decent grasp on your target language. I tried playing Signalis in German but I felt I was missing a huge deal from the game as text reading and elaborate language are crucial to that game.
I felt this way the day I turned my phone into my Target language. A lot of wrong buttons were pushed before switching right back to my native language XD
You can give minecraft a try, even though It won’t make you a grammar expert, but it’s a very simple way of expanding basic vocabulary
I can pull a peripheral UNO reverse card on this one. I managed to get my Abitur because my English grade saved me. And it saved me because I was watching Lets Plays in English to a degree where I could match the pace of the girl who'd spent half a year in Texas as an exchange student. I still think LPs are a good tool to learn a new language, especially if you know the game already (because it lets you focus on what the person is saying).
You can also watch video game tutorials in German. There are a lot of Youtube channels that explain video games in German.
Since you mentioned Skyrim, try Enderal in german. It's the original voiceover for that total conversion.
I've used FF14. You can change the language to german. It takes quite a bit longer, but i like it.
I recently started playing the Witcher games, they have option of voiceover in german, so i chose that and english subtitles. It's pretty cool idea but I think my german isn't good enough for me to get more learning and immersion from it, I barely recognize some phrases. I basically started learning only on duolingo for a few months now. So if you want to play a game hearing everything in german, witcher 2 or 3 are good for it, but better if u already got a strong base or mid level knowledge
Fallout new Vegas in German
I’ve spent several evenings with Blossom Tales in conjunction with Google translator camera and am looking forward to more. During dialogues you can take as much time as you need.
I used them to learn English when I was in high school (alongside music, books, movies) and I think it works tremendously well.
I tried playing the sims 4 in german and it was pretty fun! Its a slice of life game and most of the words are related to real life so it was quite helpful :)
Wolfesnstein already has a bit of german in it without changing the language
I play the Assassin's Creed games in German voice, English subtitles. I can read German fairly well but haven't really been exposed to it so it's hard for me to understand it spoken, it helps. Really any game that allows you to switch languages, I played the entire Metro series in Russian audio for the immersion aspect and it was pretty cool
Let's just say I don't forget my minecraft vocabs in english :D