Wendy Foster - German Essentials for Dummies

German Essentials For Dummies

by Wendy Foster, Pauline Christensen, PhD, and Anne Fox

German Essentials For Dummies

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Copyright 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012936850

ISBN 978-1-118-18422-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-22751-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-24038-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26510-9 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Wendy Foster has been working as a teacher, writer, editor, and translator for longer than she can remember. She holds a German language diploma from the Language and Interpreting Institute, Munich, Germany, an MA in French from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, and a public school teaching certificate for German and French. She studied in France for two years before settling in Munich, Germany, where she worked in various teaching and writing capacities at several institutions, including Siemens, HypoVereinsbank, Munich Chamber of Commerce, and a number of publishers. She recently returned to her New England roots, where she works from her home overlooking a spectacular salt marsh that constantly beckons her to go kayaking, swimming, walking, and bird-watching.

Pauline Christensen has been working as a writer, editor, and translator for almost ten years. She holds a degree in English and German literature and has developed, written, and edited numerous German-language textbooks and teachers handbooks for Berlitz International. Her work as a translator ranges from new media art to science fiction ( Starlog magazine). She occasionally works as a court interpreter and does consulting and interpreting at educational conferences, as well as voice-overs for educational videos and CD-ROMs. Dr. Christensen received her MA and PhD from Dsseldorf University, Germany, and has taught at Berlitz Language Schools, New York University, and Fordham University.

Anne Fox has been working as a translator, editor, and writer for the past twelve years. She studied at Interpreters School, Zurich, Switzerland, and holds a degree in translation. Her various assignments have taken her to outer space, hyperspace, and around the world. She has also taught at Berlitz Language Schools and worked as a legal and technical proofreader in the editorial departments of several law firms. Most recently she has been developing, writing, and editing student textbooks and teachers handbooks for Berlitz.

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Introduction

You may be taking a German course in high school or college, or perhaps youre interested in refreshing your German because youre planning to spend some time in German-speaking Europe. Using this practical reference book to help you advance your German is a great means of making measurable progress fast. How? Well, this book offers you straight talk as it leads you through a review of the key material you need to understand the basic level of German.