So today was the last course day!

It is incredible how time flies and one more German course level is over!

Remember that in my class there were people from eight different nationalities and two teachers? I think that both facts contributed to make this course more enjoyable, because the diversity in terms of backgrounds and profiles enables a deeper learning experience. Also, having two teachers enables us to get the best of learning through each of their teaching styles.

At our last class day, we finished the last lesson of the book and the teacher dedicated some time to any doubt we could have. Then, we played a game in pairs that involved some of the key words that we’ve learned at the course (like “weil”, “deshalb”, “dass”, etc.).

During the class break we enjoyed some delicious pancakes and cake that our friends had themselves cooked specially for our last class celebration! This last day could not be better :) Take a look at the picture and I am sure you will agree! By the way, I would like to take advantage of this post to share the Instagram @jobocakes for you to contact in case you would like to order a cake – I really recommend!

After the break, the teacher made a quiz with questions related to the course and to Germany. It was a very nice activity to test our knowledge!

Lastly, we played another game in which the class decide a name (it can be a person, object, profession, animal, etc) without one of us know, so this person have to guess it! It is a really fun game as well :) 

At this time, I feel ready to take the next course at DeutschAkademie and continue with this great learning experience! 

So, I hope you had enjoyed all my posts here and if you have any question please let us know through the comments!

All the best,

Maiara

When I tell people that I come from Brazil the first thing they think and talk about is “carnaval”. Not wrong, but Brazil is much more than Carnaval, and Carnaval is much more than what the media shows. In this sense, I would like to explore more about this here by presenting how is the real carnaval in Sao Paulo (my home city).
What the media focus in presenting the carnaval in Brazil is only part of its big festival. If you are not in Brazil, you basically see or read about the huge organized parades led by the samba schools in Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. So, what I would like to share here is that when you are in Brazil you can experience much more. In most of the Brazilian cities there are carnaval celebrations on the streets, with Brazilian music and free for everyone to enjoy. To illustrate: imagine it is Summer, there are many people wearing costume, dancing and following a music band on top of a truck that drives slowly through the city. 

In Sao Paulo there is approximately 400 parades where about 9 million people celebrate the festival. Although the carnaval holiday lasts 4 days, some parades are launched a few days before so people can start celebrating the festival for a longer period of time. 
What about carnaval in Munich? Here, the carnaval lasts only 3 days (during the Winter) but it is packed with fun and costume parties. Although here the festival counts with less people than in Sao Paulo, both  cities can host great events!
If you ever have an opportunity to go to Brazil during carnaval, be prepared to have fun and watch out to be safe and hydrated because of the hot weather!
I hope this post helps you to be more familiar with this traditional and huge Brazilian event. Should you have any question, please let me know!
Kind regards,

Maiara

Today in class we learned new vocabulary on dishes and how to order food in a restaurant. I think this is a very useful subject and I can’t wait to go to more  restaurants to apply my learning :)
In this sense, I would like to take advantage of the topic to write here about one of my favorite restaurants in Munich!
Paulaner is one of the six breweries in Munich that serves the beer for Oktoberfest. Its restaurant is located in Nockherberg. There you can find real Bavarian cooking and brewing. 
I think Paulaner is a very nice restaurant in Munich because it offers home brewed beer specialties and dishes of the best regional quality. Therefore, you can enjoy it in the tavern or in the beer garden. Not only the food is delicious, but the environment is very welcoming. In other words, it presents a cozy place for you and your family and friends to have a good time.

If you would like to eat a typical Bavarian dish in Paulaner, I advise you to ask for the “schweinshaxe” and, of course, ask for a 1 Maß Bier! 
Also, it is relevant to mention that this year, from March 15th to April 7th, you can experience the Starkbierfest in Paulaner. It is a traditional Bavarian festival with not only beer but many top-class bands. 
How to get there? The exact address is Hichstr. 77, 81541. The restaurant is located 15 minutes drive from Marienplatz. If you are taking public transportation, you can easily have access by bus (52, 58, 68, X30, 148, N45), tram (18/ N27, 15/25), U-Bahn (U1, U7, U2) or S-Bahn station Rosenheimer Platz.
To conclude today’s post, it is important to our German learning to apply the new lessons in real life opportunities. So, going to a restaurant and asking for your food in German is an example for such opportunity. I was in Paulaner last week and I had a great time, hope you can also enjoy my recommendation and use your German skills to have a nice meal! 
Prost!
Maiara

Would you like to know a easy to use tool that can boost your studies?

In this post I would like to share a tip with you, based on my learning methods. 

Tackling complex subjects like German can be easier if you keep your ideas front and center. How? By simply using “post-it” notes! 

Every new lesson from my German course is registered in a post it note, because I like to keep the key topics of grammar and vocabulary in front of me in a visual way that would help me check and remind what is important! For example, I have one note for the Adjektiv deklination mit definite und indefinite Artikel. 

Also, I like to write the name of some house furniture or objects in a post it and stick at it so I can always remember how it is called in German. Relevant to mention that I write the name of the object with the article, for example “der Fernseher”, “das Fenster” or “die Schublade”.

My advice for you is to stick post its in easy to see places like your bedroom walls, bathroom mirrors, etc. Using post its is a great way to retain information for your foreign language studies. Moreover, it is a tool that can help you organize and optimize the lessons of your course plan. 

So, do you want to improve your learning habits? You do not need costly tools or a super digital device. You just need a stack of “post it” notes! If you don’t have any “post it” at your house, you can cut small pieces of paper and stick them with a glue, or you can buy some “post it” at a library or at stores like Galeria kaufhof.

I hope you can take advantage of this tip to boost your studies! 

Best regards,

Maiara

It has been exactly two months since I moved to Munich. The city is great and I am adapting very well to the new environment. Everyday I learn something here and fortunately I am able to help newcomers with my experience as well.
One of the first things that people ask when arriving in Munich is: how/ where do I find a home? The biggest pain in Munich is house as rentals are very expensive and it is difficult to get a place. So, my first advise would be to tell everyone you know that you are looking for an apartment and ask their help. Secondly, look up at German real estate websites, such as https://www.immobilienscout24.de/Suche/de/bayern/muenchen/wohnung-mieten

Another issue for a newcomer could be networking. In this sense, I strongly recommend joining some groups in social medias like Facebook. For example, the “Munich International Friends” group is a nice starting point for you to ask questions and look for tips in general.
Moreover, there are some very useful websites to enrich your knowledge about the town, its culture and so on. I can name here the ones I find most informative and that I usually access: Munchen.de (https://www.muenchen.de/) and Toytown Germany (https://www.toytowngermany.com/munich/)
Last, but not least, the language! If you are not a German speaker, you should start studying German as soon as possible! Even though Munich is a very international city and many people can speak English, learning German is a must. Why? Because it will open more possibilities for you and help you integrate locally. Here, my tip for you would be to enroll in DeutschAkademie. 
To conclude, Munich is a beautiful city and it can treat you very well. If you are starting a new life here, I really hope you are able to enjoy the parks, the river, the beer gardens, the cultural activities and more! 

Cheers,

Maiara

Learning German in DeutschAkademie has been easier than I thought it would be. Why? Because of the class dynamics. Everyday we have lots of content, but the teachers can pass all the knowledge to us in a simple and fun way.
Seriously, simple and fun! 
How?
The most effective way, in my opinion, is playing games. So, during the class we play some quick and simple games that really helps us to absorb the subject.
For example, the teacher divide the class in 2 groups of people and give one pen to each. So she says a subject (like house furniture, or body parts) and we work as a team to write on the board all the words we know related to the topic WITH ARTICLE at a given time! It may sound easy, but it is challenging! Then, the teacher check every word written and give us a point for each one that is right. Today we played this game and both teams ended up with the same amount of points!
Another game that sometimes we play is “Stop”. So, everyone get a sheet of paper and divide it with columns. Each column is a topic, such as name, adjective, animal, profession, country, etc. We need to write a word according to the columns subject starting with a letter given by the teacher. Whoever fulfill all the columns faster says “stop” and we review the answers together!
Moreover, we always get some illustration that helps us memorize key grammatical learning. For example, the ones that I keep on my desk to help me study (see the picture).
To conclude, there are some best practices in DeutschAkademie that can really leverage your learning curve. Indeed, I take advantage of all of them to support my studies! Hope you find these tips useful and that you are able to apply them to boost your German learning!

Best,

Maiara

Do you know that the biggest car manufacturer in Bayern started as an aircraft engines producer? 

The Bayerische Motoren Werke was founded in 1916 as a merge of three companies that made aircraft engines, airplanes and automobiles. After World War I, it’s became a company focused on motocycles and automobiles.

The BMW headquarters is in Munich. Its construction started in 1968 and was completed in 1972. The tower is 101 meters high with 22 floors and is located next to the Olympic Village. The building is a notable example of architecture, and it is shaped as four cylinders like in a car engine. 

Right there it is the BMW Museum, a fascinating place that holds more than 100 years of history. 

Also there in the campus is the BMW Welt, where the company showcases its many cars and offers an amazing experience to its visitors!

In Munich you definitely have to add to your tour guide visiting the BMW Welt and BMW Museum. Even if you don’t like cars or motorcycles, at least you should go for the architecture! And if you say you don’t like any of these, you still should go for the fascinating environment and then take a walk in the surroundings (Olympia Park)!

How to get there? Just take a U-Bahn to Olympiazentrum and you will face the huge BMW buildings. From Marienplatz you will take only 15 minutes to get there! 

The BMW Welt is opened from Monday to Saturday from 7:30AM to 12:00AM, and on Sundays from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. Yet, the BMW Museum is closed on Mondays and opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00AM to 6:00PM. For more details, you can check the website.

So, visiting the BMW is a great experience and I am sure you will be amazed with the tour! Hope you enjoy!

Regards,

Maiara

Are you a sports person? If yes, here you will find some tips about exercising in Munich – please keep reading the post. If you are not, here you may find motivation to become – you are encouraged to read the entire post. 

I love sports, specially running, cycling and swimming. In Brazil I used to train Triathlon, so when I came to Germany I’ve brought my bike and all the other Triathlon gadgets to continue with the three sports here. 

So, running is pretty easy to train everywhere, meaning you basically only need to wear your tennis shoes and run. In Munich, there are several nice locations to run, my favorite are Olympiapark and Englischer Garten (picture).

Cycling is a little more complex, because not only you need the right equipment and accessories, but also a safe road to train. In this sense, I found the path alongside the Isar River the perfect spot here in Munich to cycle! 

About swim, I’ve been swimming in the “Schwimmhalle” within Olympiapark. The pool is 50m and you can swim with a single ticket that costs only $4,80 Euro. Here you can find more information: 

Now let’s say you don’t like any of these sports. Not a problem!

In Munich there are several gyms and you can easily find one that fits your profile and your pocket ;) Look up at the following website for a list of gyms in Munich https://www.muenchen.de/service/branchenbuch/F/123.html 

Also, there is a great program of the city of Munich that suits perfectly everyone: “Das Hallensportsprogram”. It offers a wide variety of sports, from basketball to yoga, and it enables all ages and fitness level to participate. Check out more details at https://www.muenchen.de/freizeit/sport/freizeitsportprogramm.html 

To conclude, exercising is good for a healthier and more balanced life style. What is your favorite sports? Or what sport would you like to try? Please feel free to share your comments!

Regards,

Maiara

Today is Thursday, this means that half of the course is done already! Time passes by really fast, so let me tell you more about how is everything going.
First, the teachers are awesome! Remember that I have two teachers? Both are very attentive and energetic about teaching us everything they know (including culture, literature, etc.) as well as offering many creative ways of learning (like games, charts, conversation, etc.). This is very important for me and my colleagues because we naturally learn German and other related topics that reinforce our knowledge. In other words, no panic in any new lesson :)
Second, my classmates are great! We get along well and help each other all the time. This collaborative spirit really makes the difference for each one learning. For example, when we do an exercise in pairs or in groups, one usually corrects the other in case of any mistake in pronunciation, writing and so on. Also, it is totally enriching to have people from many different nationalities at the same environment. Remember, there are 8 different countries being represented in my class! Everyday during our 15-minute break we stay outside of the room talking in a way that we exchange experiences and ideas. It is so cool :)
Third, DeutschAkademie is absolutely a school that supports the student in every sense! The school is clean and organized, the people who work there are very nice and are always seeking for feedback in an effort to continuously improve and excel. Moreover, the online platform is a very good tool to complement the studies. If you have never used the free online German course offered by DeutschAkademie, you should start using it now! There you can practice grammar and other topics that will certainly help you. So be my guest and visit https://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/
Finally, to summarize the post: learning German couldn’t be more effective for me if it wasn’t for DeutschAkademie and the whole support carefully offered to the students.

Schönes Wochenende,

Maiara

Today’s post was inspired by the subject of our class. The lesson was about “Stadtbesichtigung”. In this sense, I thought you would like to know more about one of the most famous place in Munich.

Have you ever been to the Nymphenburger Schloss?

Commissioned in 1664, the Nymphenburger Schloss is a Baroque palace that served as a summer residence for the Bavarian rulers. It is still the home and chancellery of the head of the House of Wittelsbach (the former royal family of the Bavaria’s Kingdom, represented by Franz Duke of Bavaria)

Nowadays, it is open to the public and a very nice place to visit. There you can go the Beauty Gallery of King Ludwig I as well as to the park. This last one is huge, meaning it counts with an area of 800.000 m²! In the northern part, there is a passage near the old arborium that bring around to the great Botanical Gardens. Still in the park, you can go to the 5 different pavilions – that I will not describe so your curiosity arise and leads you to there!

How can you get there? Very easy by public transportation. All you have to do is take a tram number 17 heading to Amalienburgstrasse. If you are in the center of Munich, it will take about 20 minutes to get to the palace! Important information: it is opened as of 6:00AM!

If you would like to check more details, please go to the official website https://www.schloss-nymphenburg.de/  

Visiting the Nymphenburger Schloss is a must! I am sure you will enjoy the tour, the landscape, the history and will take many pictures! 

Best,

Maiara