das Fernstehen - TV

on the advice of one of dan's coworkers i have been watching soap operas and other daytime tv to better learn the language. she said this helped her learn english - which i am guessing is how she knows certain phrases like "you are dead to me" and "my evil twin woke up from her coma".

as a drama teacher i would recommend watching soap operas only in very specific situations. say i have an acting student that doesn't know when he/she is overacting, or a playwriting student who might need an example of a highly unrealistic plot. these are times when a soap opera can be a teaching tool. to show what not to do.

that said, i have chosen, reluctantly, a german soap to watch and learn from. i can't believe i am about to say this - its working.

the soap i have chosen centers around the inner workings of a bavarian hotel and all of the personnel from the owner to the housekeepers. there seems to be some mystery surrounding little chocolates of some kind, but i haven't figured that part out yet. it showcases the kind of acting that makes me cringe but this actually seems to help. i have a context (however contrived), facial expressions (grossly exaggerated), and, of course, the people are pretty to look at.

so now i too have learned some phrases: "das Rezeptbuch leigt nicht in der Safe!" - the recipe book isn't in the safe!, and "Laura hat gehabt eine Fehlgeburt!" - laura had a miscarriage! these phrases are sure to help me in my daily berlin life.