Carolyn Roberts Thompson - Reading German for Theological Studies: A Grammar and Reader

What is your purpose for reading this book? I assume the answer has to do in some way with your desire to learn to read German, more specifically to read German for theological studies. If that is the case, I want to help you make the most of your time as you begin. It will not be a short read.

I have designed the lessons to expose you to authentic German texts from the start and to acquaint you with the grammar as you read. Each reading is glossed; that is, it has accompanying vocabulary keyed to the text. The grammar needed to understand the text is explained after each reading. To get the most out of the readings, you will need to learn (memorize) as much of the vocabulary as you can. Once a word has been introduced, it is not usually repeated in the vocabulary for subsequent readings. I suggest that you create vocabulary cards and review them often. You may choose to create digital vocabulary cards, but research confirms that writing the words by hand improves retention. Be sure to write the words correctly, however, because it is very difficult to relearn words that you have learned incorrectly.

One bad habit to avoid: Do not write the meanings of the German words between the lines of the reading. If you do so, your eyes will naturally tend to look at the English instead of the German as you read, and this will hinder your learning.

You will also need to learn the grammar, including verb conjugations and noun declensions. German is a highly inflected language, so you will need to learn cases and tenses. As was true of the vocabulary, paradigm tables of various parts of speech are not repeated in succeeding lessons, but for reference a chapter appears at the end of the book containing all the paradigms presented in the lessons. Along with all the paradigms for nouns, verbs, and adjectives, the reference chapter includes many examples and explanations. Do not forget that it is there.

Do the assignment for each reading, and then check your answers at the back of the book. Looking at the answers before you complete the assignment will of course work against your efforts to master the material and hinder your ability to read independently. Many of the assignments say simply translate the reading. When you check your translations, look carefully at the verb forms (number, tense, mood, and voice). Most German verbs end with a t in the third-person singular present tense indicative mood. Your ear may hear this as the -ed of the English past tense and lead you to translate these forms as past tense. Do not fall into this trap. Check the verb forms carefully.