{"id":7556,"date":"2016-07-17T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2016-07-17T11:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=7556"},"modified":"2017-12-08T13:55:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T13:55:00","slug":"take-it-easy-and-learn-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/take-it-easy-and-learn-german\/","title":{"rendered":"Take It Easy and Learn German!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

There are many ways to learn a language, but German is sometimes hard to start with. Fortunately, there are initiatives such as\u00a0Leichte Sprache<\/em>, which can make things a lot easier. Read on!<\/p>\n

“(1) H\u00e4lt ein Gericht ein Gesetz, auf dessen G\u00fcltigkeit es bei der Entscheidung ankommt, f\u00fcr verfassungswidrig, so ist das Verfahren auszusetzen und, wenn es sich um die Verletzung der Verfassung eines Landes handelt, die Entscheidung des f\u00fcr Verfassungsstreitigkeiten zust\u00e4ndigen Gerichtes des Landes, wenn es sich um die Verletzung dieses Grundgesetzes handelt, die Entscheidung des Bundesverfassungsgerichtes einzuholen. Dies gilt auch, wenn es sich um die Verletzung dieses Grundgesetzes durch Landesrecht oder um die Unvereinbarkeit eines Landesgesetzes mit einem Bundesgesetze handelt.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the first paragraph of Article 100 of the German Constitution, the\u00a0Grundgesetz<\/em>. It is a good example of how German can be quite complicated! Now, I will admit, legal language is often enough hard to grasp, but I think German excels in making it difficult. I am sure you have experienced this during your time learning German! Hence the saying,\u00a0deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache.<\/em><\/p>\n

Leichte Sprache<\/em><\/h2>\n

If you have difficulties with the complex sentence structures, long and difficult words, you are not alone. In fact, there is an organization, called\u00a0Leichte Sprache<\/a><\/em>, that converts difficult language into\u00a0easy language. Sentences are short, using common words and are often accompanied by pictures to explain the text. The idea behind it is actually a great cause. It was conceived for people with learning difficulties, so that also they can understand and participate everywhere.<\/p>\n

Of course, even if you don’t have learning difficulties, simplified language when learning a language, especially at the beginning, is very welcome! It has been used as a learning tool recently as well for Fl\u00fcchtlinge <\/em>(refugees) that have entered Germany to learn German more easily.<\/p>\n

Where can you find l<\/em>eichte Sprache<\/em>?<\/h2>\n

On their website, they provide some\u00a0B\u00fccher\u00a0<\/em>(books) that they made in\u00a0leichte Sprache.\u00a0<\/em>But since they have a\u00a0G\u00fctesiegel\u00a0<\/em>(quality seal) for texts that are written in\u00a0Leichte Sprache,\u00a0<\/em>they are easier to identify. You will see either the seal on the right, or the one on the left, which is most common. They have rules that\u00a0leichte Sprache\u00a0<\/em>needs to follow. There is even a language proofing tool<\/a> that will highlight parts of a text that are problematic for it to be considered\u00a0leicht<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n