Paul Noble – German
by Paul Noble
Level: A1
Language of instruction: English
From the course – Paul Noble:
Over the years I have taught many, many people. Curiously they have each had much the same stories to tell regarding their previous experiences of language learning. As a result these days when I first start to teach a session, I will ask my student to raise their hands if they have had any of the following experiences:
Raise your hand I say, if you studied a language for several years at school but came out unable to really say anything. Or if you have every bought a language course and given up around page 30 – somewhere around chapter 2. Or if you have ever felt more confused by teachers explanation of the language than by the language itself. Or if you have ever been amazed by just how closely grammar books resemble furniture assembly instructions. Or finally, raise your hand I say if you have ever felt that you may in fact be more or less incapable to learning a foreign language. … all students have at least one hand in the air!
Paul Noble had the same experiences and therefore searched for a method to teach language in a better way.
What the course provides
This is an audio course only. No course book! There is a very thin booklet (pdf), where you can find a transcript of the sentences, you will learn BUT YOU DO NOT NEED IT!!!
The course is built on the similarities between English and German. Many of the first words you learn, are similar in both languages. Paul Noble also points out all the ways to find and remember those words. So you built up vocabulary quite fast.
Secondly the course is built for a normal day traveller and therefore provides vocabulary, which is helpful in these situations. No learning of meaningless phrases or vocabulary.
Other than that this course is very similar to other courses. You hear something and you repeat. You get asked, how to say something in German and you try to answer and then get the right answer, so you can compare.
How Paul Noble suggests to learn
There are three main rules, which you should follow:
- Take your time to answer!
- Do not make an effort to remember (do not take notes)!
- Do not worry about making mistakes!
Pros
- The course takes advantage of the similarities between English and German, which makes remembering words easier.
- It teaches useful, everyday vocabulary.
- Also it builds up vocabulary in a good pace.
- The gaps to answer the questions are long enough.
Cons
- Although there are 3 courses available, they only cover level A1. Sadly there are no courses for advanced students.
My opinion
I have learnt Spanish with the Paul Noble course and it is my all time favourite. After taking this course it was the first time that I felt comfortable speaking the language – although I was still on a beginner level. As a German tutor I have recommended the German course to many of my beginner students and all tell me the same: It is the best course to start. Therefore it has helped them tremendously.
Here you can buy the course (Affiliatelinks/Werbung):
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*Als Amazon-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Käufen.