Activity helps you learn German easier

Because it helps our brain to be more receptive and therefore makes us learn easier and faster. Amazing, right?

I usually go for a run every other day. Since I currently live in the tropics and it gets really warm here, I have to start rather early. And that’s no complaint! I quite enjoy the peaceful atmosphere during those early hours – no cars, few people, lots of tranquility and fresh morning air.

While my body starts sweating from the moment I step outside, my brain does this thing where it just runs wild. It’s doing its own workout and it feels like an explosion of creativity. In addition, this brain activity becomes more and stronger with every run. I remember it hasn’t always been like this. Most of my genius ideas that I get during my runs are the kind that I don’t really follow up on but it’s still fun to play them through in my head and just explore them mentally. Occasionally, though, I act on these ideas. One of those is my very first podcast: Wild German – Outdoors. Intended for beginners, this podcast guides you through the whole of A1 in 34 episodes – for free!

‘Wild German – Outdoors’ Podcast: The activity helps you learn German

I did some research about this brain activity and found out that our brain is way more receptive when our body is moving. That explained why I have so many more ideas when I’m running or hiking. All I need is movement and basically being able to be in my head. If I constantly talk to someone else, my brain is occupied or distracted, and thus can’t focus.

Then, during one of my morning runs, I thought about my partner learning German even though he has quiet a busy schedule. He loves running, too. What if he could combine these things?! Learning German and exercising at the same time. That wouldn’t just save him time, it would also be highly effective.

So, this is how I came to create Wild German – Outdoors. And I want to share it with all of you and not just my lovely partner. Instead of sitting in a classroom or at home, the podcast offers you a chance to get outside (or stay inside if you want to) and get moving, enjoy fresh air and physical exercise. In short, it helps you be active while learning German. Activity helps us learn German – easier and more beneficial in the long term.

Fresh air, wind, sun, rain – ‘Wild German – Outdoors’ offers you an opportunity to learn German and exercise at the same time

Easy as! Build up vocabulary, strengthen your listening comprehension and speaking skills while enjoying an active outdoor experience. It will not just save you time and make you feel refreshed. You will also be highly receptive of taking in new knowledge and, thus, make better and faster progress with German.

The combination of learning German and physical activity is a highly effective way to increase your ability to retain new information. This occurs because the human body responds to physical activity by sending signals to the brain that special attention is required. This is an evolutionary trait that developed as a survival response in early human development. For example, for early humans escaping from a predator or finding shelter was a key requirement for surviving and therefore needed more attention. Vice versa, not moving leads your brain to think that not much attention is needed.

Only benefits coming from the activity

Exercise is more than losing weight and having a healthier heart. Wendy Suzuki, a professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University, claims that exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain because it has immediate effects, such as a better memory retention, enhanced focus and attention and an improved mood. As well as persistent improvement if you also change your exercise routine on a long-term basis. Because exercise changes the brain’s anatomy, physiology, and function.

A recent study has proven that learning a language while doing sports is more effective and sustainable. “Exercise makes your brain better. It optimizes your brain’s’ ability to learn, it helps regulate your emotions, it improves your motivation” (Dr. John J. Ratey, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School; Source).

Additional benefits are increased energy levels as well as a clear head, reduced stress and anxiety, and an immediate refill of oxygen while working out.

So, moving your brain will let you learn German quickly and remember it more easily. The activity helps you learn German with fun and motivation even with a busy schedule.

How will I learn German with ‘Wild German – Outdoors’?

Speaking exercises with clear pronunciation advice will be combined with exercises and things you can see and do while you’re walking your dog, going for your morning run or evening bike ride home from work – or even when you move around the house to clean up after the kids. Learning by doing without any immediately needed materials plays a main role in this exploratory teaching concept.

The focus in this first A1 podcast lies on grammatical structures and vocabulary for your everyday life as well as outdoor, sports and nature topics. The practical-oriented episodes will develop more and more into communicative role-plays that can be transferred to reallife situations. Important grammatical structures and vocabulary will be repeated in different contexts and subsequently build and develop your feeling for German.

You decide your level of exercise and you choose which of the suggested exercises you include in your routine. Just make sure you can still focus on the content and your personal language development.

Go the extra mile if you want to get more out of the podcast

For every episode the manuscript can be downloaded via this website. It helps you learn the spelling of words and practice your reading comprehension. It can also come in handy if you quickly want to check on something. Nevertheless, 34 episodes can’t provide every little detail to be ready for an A1 exam for example. This will take approx. 120 hours which is why I also created a FULL A1 ONLINE COURSE. In this course you’ll find additional exercises, the video format of the podcast, practice and pronunciation videos, vocabulary lists, brief grammar overviews and a quiz for each episode to evaluate how much you have learned. Some of those quizzes include writing or speaking tasks for which you’ll get a feedback from me as well!

This way you can fully focus on the class without having to make notes.

I hope this project that came into existence amidst lots of sweat and accelerated breathing will bring you motivation, joy and most of all provide you with a fun way to learn a (new) language!

Viel Spaß!

Photo credit at the top: Image by jcomp on Freepik

Das könnte auch für dich interessant sein:

• Lerne natürlich(es) Deutsch zu sprechen in der WILD GERMAN COMMUNITY
• Melde dich zu meinem monatlichen Newsletter an & erhalte meine kostenlose CHECKLISTE zu deutschsprachigen Medien
• Folge mir auf Social Media
• Informiere dich auf Deutsch über naturverbundene Themen: Vögel mit Brot füttern? Keine gute Idee!

Und wenn du Fragen hast, dann schreibe mir einfach eine Nachricht über das Kontaktformular oder per Mail an info ‘at’ wildgerman ‘punkt’ com.