American boyfriend attempts to learn German! 🇩🇪😅 We need YOUR help! | Feli from Germany

Ben is starting a 90-day German learning challenge 🎉 and we'll document his progress here on KZbin and on social media! What do you think, how is he doing so far? 🤔
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:04 Ben's current German skills
3:49 90-day German learning challenge
4:27 Learning German with KLEO
6:15 Let the challenge begin! First lesson
9:21 Impressions of KLEO
13:21 Ben's strategy
14:03 1st month challenge: We need YOUR HELP!
16:22 Learning German in everyday life
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 28, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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[@abernardes2]

My challenge idea for Ben is to record a video teaching us a recipe in German! Could be something simple like Spätzle or a Smoothie.

[@word20]

You could combine the two first suggestions. He could teach us doing Nudelsalat and/or Kartoffelsalat, two recipe that German makes in summer time or when there is a party

[@Simon-tc1mc]

Yes, do Spätzle

[@salbuda6957]

@word20. Replace “doing” with “how to make”. 😉

[@DanielHebell]

@@word20 I'd rather see a typical American dish being thought in german. =) Gonna be fun either way, though.

[@DJarr216]

Ok, so I have a challenge idea. It's simple but genius at the same time because it can be both a reward or a punishment depending on how Ben does. Cook a meal together. Give Ben a recipe in english and he then has to translate it and tell you the cooking instructions in german. Or you give Ben the instructions in german and he has to do the cooking. Either way, Ben gets to eat the finished product. If his lessons were succesfull, there should be no communication issues and the meal will turn out fine. If his lessons weren't succesfull then the meal will probably not turn out allright and then you can make Ben eat up his failure.

[@GaryJames864]

The fun thing about learning a new recipe is you get to ear your mistakes. The bad thing about being poor (or food insecure because of scarcity of some foods/ingredients) and learning a new recipe is you have to eat your mistakes.

[@Turbokon12]

I love this

[@Speireata4]

I wanted to write the same challenge. The good thing is that Féli knows which words he should theoratically know and can choose a recipe accordingly. So it's not too hard if he did study, but can still be a desaster if he fails.

[@FluffyEmmy1116]

i like this one. 👍

[@MGVK2277]

That's a nice idea

[@redlotus2805]

I would definitely like to see Ben singing "biene Maja" in german 😁

[@KiraFriede]

@Paul Fellows It's the Intro song of a popular cartoon show for kids. And at least every German knows it.

[@FelifromGermany]

Ohhhh tempting!

[@mrjaspersrevenge]

@@FelifromGermany I am married to a Swiss woman who busts out laughing every Time I try to speak German. After 18 years of marriage, I still can't get the language.

[@oida10000]

Oder "Vielen Dank für die Blumen". Wir sollten für ihn eine Liderliste erstellen. Letztes Lied: "Wer hat an der Uhr gedreht?" mit der Zeile "Ich komm' wieder, keine Frage!" abgewandelt in "Ich sing' wieder, keine Frage!" (Könnte eine Reihe werden.)

[@Grauwolf57]

Aller Anfang ist schwer, Ben! Ich wünsche dir viel Erfolg.

[@alexechoz]

I'd say the hardest thing is to understand a native, so the challenge should be a German language interaction with you. Blindfold him and guide him with instructions around the apartment without walking into anything, or get him to complete a task, or to draw a picture, by only following your spoken instructions. Obviously choosing something which only uses words he's covered in the app, or it's just frustrating.

[@mediumjohnsilver]

There should be a reward for success as well as a penalty for failure. I think a vocabulary test would be fun. Put various items from around your apartment into a box, and as you take out each one Ben will need to name it in German.

[@AdZS848]

Challenge idea: Ben should memorize a song or a poem. This is an excellent way to learn a language because it teaches you vocab, pronunciation, and grammar. Even if you don't understand everything you are saying, you get a feeling for what "sounds right" and it can help you figure some things out for yourself, which helps things stick. I should know since I can speak 7 languages and have taught 3.

[@Baccatube79]

Memorizing stuff is always good, keeps the grey matter going. I suggest Goethe's "Erlkönig" or Heine's "Die Lorelei"

[@cedriceric9730]

Great advise 🤩 Any German songs or poems you can recommend?

[@AdZS848]

@@cedriceric9730 Der du von dem Himmel bist by Goethe. Or the Our Father (if you are religious, you already know the translation and it has everyday words like father and bread).

[@CurtisCT]

@@cedriceric9730 Definitely "Der Erlkönig". This poem has everything - history, folklore, pronunciation and grammatical challenges, plus it's a great crowd-pleaser at parties. Nothing surprises and pleases German-speakers more than a foreigner suddenly bursting out with "Wer reitet so spät, durch Nacht und Wind? Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind." at a party. They absolutely LOVE it! 😇

[@joegoss30]

Most Americans know the tune to "Stille Nacht." That would be a good one to sing.

[@svmistydawn9938]

Challenge for Ben: A video conference with Feli’s friends in Germany, und nur Deutsch sprechen! To Feli, I really like the app but wish it had placement or testing functionality, A1, A2, etc.

[@meetkleo8412]

Great suggestion on the placement testing - we are looking into this! Thank you for that!

[@kc8pgrwx]

Subscription? I know this is a good learning method, but some of us can't afford it. The DW App isn't as good, but it's totally free.

[@freezerburnpunk2]

Tips for Ben: Find music you like in German. One song that has worked great for me to learn basic word opposites is 'Frau & Mann' by Lindemann. Watch German TV shows or movies. I also talk to my cats in German. They don't know when I mess up. I also recently bought a cook book in German, and I'm going to attempt to make something out of it, but you don't have one, you could also look up German restaurant menus and translate them. I feel like learning food is fairly essential. Also, when you learn a phrase in German that the sentence is structured different than in English, repeat it word for word in English with the German grammar, so you'll quickly pick up on where words get put in the sentence.

[@kelticsage]

Tell Ben to try the german Dark tv series with subtitles, I learned a lot from that. Hell, most of my english was from watching tv and attempting to read Zelda text back in the day. Languages catch on fast if it's learnt through something you're interested in

[@AmericasGotGermans]

Good idea! I also think watching TV with subtitles in your language can really help to improve fast.

[@salbuda6957]

English not english. Proper nouns are always capitalized. 😉

[@ilonasmukke5715]

sehr gute Idee, ich lerne viel aus englisch sprachigen Vlogs , wenn es kompliziert wird dann mache ich auch die Untertitel Übersetzerfunktion an :-)

[@kmariebrinkmann]

My German husband and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary and I've been trying to learn our whole relationship, AND we live in Munich, but I still can't speak very well! Reading is better, comprehension is okay, but speaking spontaneously is just so hard! And the dative is just the end of me! But it's all worth it for love. Good luck Ben, from one Ohioan (Toledo) to another :) Something I've always done to keep myself in "German mode" is to write the grocery lists in German. It's easy, not intimidating, and it keeps you thinking about the language.

[@AmericasGotGermans]

I think as soon as you stop worrying about making mistakes, you will realize that you can actually speak better than you might think😉 At least that was how I made much progress in learning English. Even if the grammer is not always perfect, people still understand what you are saying and you will get more comfortable each time you try it. Maybe you could try your own challenge: speak 10 days only in German with your husband 😁

[@kmariebrinkmann]

@@AmericasGotGermans we have some things that we say only in German - simple sentences like “Ich bin müde” and “Willst du Pfirsich oder Mango Tee?” or “Kannst du mir Wasser bringen?” But we learned quite quickly that marital bliss sometimes depends on not struggling to communicate all the time 😉

[@GaryJames864]

@@AmericasGotGermans Strange a week of German only in their home was just what I had in mind, both for helping Ben cheat and catch up, if he almost but not quite there on week 4. Or a consequence if falls short of his goal. Either way, win-win.

[@AmericasGotGermans]

@@GaryJames864 I like that 😁👌

[@FreezyAbitKT7A]

Subjunctive case is even more fun. You get a whole new set of verbs. eg...Had I known it was your birthday, I would have baked a cake. or Might I ask you a question?

[@Speireata4]

My greatest recommendation for learning any language: Combine it with activities. Words and phrases do stick much better in the brain when you can connect them to real life. Do cooking together in German to learn the kitchen utensils and foods and numbers. Do hiking together to learn directions and colours and plants and stuff. Go shopping together to learn clothes, numbers, colours, patterns and so on.

[@HearTbeat_999]

You guys are so great together. Very enjoyable.

[@ProfMarioGandra]

This is my idea for the challenge: I've been to Dresden last October and visited some Castles in the surroundings of the city. Germany has a lot of beautiful castles. So I suggest the challenge to be him saying the name of 20 to 30 German castles (a good variety of names, exploring diverse pronunciations). O rmaybe some sentences with the castles names.

[@t.a.yeah.]

Oh, that would have been cool. :D

[@alexander_kopainski]

Learning your partners mother tongue is actually such a beautiful thing. In my german-italian relationship, I'm learning italian for over 1,5 years now with an online tutor. You can really tell that when you speak the mother tongue of your loved ones, you can see that it reaches them on a whole different level. I think it's great how invested Ben is!

[@CurtisCT]

I would recommend learning German by watching German TV and reading German grammar books. I once met a guy from Iraq who spoke perfect English. When I asked if he learned English in school, he said no. He spent a year in a refugee camp where the only TV available showed English-language programming. After watching several hours of TV a day, he was slowly able to start speaking English. He also speaks Farsi (Iranian/Persian), which he learned from his girlfriend. She speaks no English or Arabic, so he started picking up a few words in Farsi whenever she would speak. Now he can carry on a fluent conversation in Farsi. I learned German, first by reading the same grammar books over and over again, since if you don't know the cases, it's basically impossible to speak German. After I'd memorized all the different cases, then I cautiously started speaking a few words with native speakers. In the evenings I would practice any new words I learnt that day as well as their pronunciation in front of a mirror. At nights I would read online German newspapers out loud to myself. And I swear, after one year of doing this I was able to speak German fluently, and I'm told, accent free. Pretty amazing, huh?

[@xequation]

Have Ben and yourself watch a German Movie or Show such as "Pipi Longstocking' or ''Winnetou & Old Shatterhand'. He then has to try and explain what happened and how much he understood. I married a German girl and this greatly helped me learn Deutsch (and was fun too) 😀

[@rogerd777]

For someone who has only been living in the US for only 6 years (I have been watching your videos for probably 3-4 years), I am impressed at how little of an accent you have when you speak English. If I didn't know you and ran into you I might assume you were a native speaker or perhaps an immigrant who came to the US at a much earlier age.

[@GaryJames864]

Feli sounds a lot like friends I had at age 10 (also same age), who had one parent who spoke German almost exclusively, especially at home, and who had spent roughly half their life in Germany, but whose father was American and spoke very little German, they had been educated in US DoD schools where instruction was in English, but German was offered at all grade levels. I didn't/don't understand spoken German, but there English had only a slight hint of an accent and I was lead to believe that their German was comparable., if not better. It's much easier to grow up bilingual than to start learning as an adult.

[@lemasander4932]

I always find it easier to learn the language by listening to its music or watching tv shows. It’s especially helpful in the beginning, to take a tv show/ series, which you know in your own language already and change it to the new language. Then you know what they’re talking about and can focus more on the new words/language

[@kristianbjrnjensen5388]

How do you, as a private person, change the language spoken in a tv-show out for an other? The translation applications are not all that trustworthy..

[@lemasander4932]

@@kristianbjrnjensen5388 I guess it only works if you stream the videos, not in tv. And not all streaming platforms offer other languages, and sometimes only for some shows. I guess you could use a vpn to pretend you’re in the other country. I’ve never done that, but Feli should be able to explain

[@kristianbjrnjensen5388]

@@lemasander4932 That were my thoughts. I have not tried a vpn either. There ARE some tv-series I would like to see, which are not available in Denmark, so a vpn could be a solution for THAT case at least ( if it cannot give me language learning experience with other languages than the original spoken)..

[@stephaniea.7527]

Ohhh, how exciting! As an American with a German partner, I know the struggle of learning this language haha. Best of luck, Ben 😉 a punishment idea could be 24 hours of Feli speaking only auf Deutsch!

[@t.a.yeah.]

This would have been fun. :D

[@matt_aviz]

It's cool that Been is doing this, and on camera warts and all! I'm not really fluent in any language other than my native English, although know enough to "get into trouble" in several because imho, immersion is key. For instance, my in-laws are Polish so when we visit Poland my conversational skill increases exponentially in a matter of weeks. Otoh, going back to when I was a teenager and an older brother was stationed in Germany several times and used his four years of high school German to improve his fluency, I had interest in German too. One method he frequently used with me was fun phrases and mnemonics that stick to this day, e.g. "morgen morgen nie heute, sagen alle faulen Leute"

[@rogerone7387]

First off, brother you don't know what you have with you. Your a very lucky boyfriend, your girlfriend Feli is a very smart girl. She has everything a guy would want in a girl. Honest, pretty, and she loves her family. Best of all she's not a American girl, she has a great German cultural upbringing and that is worth the price of gold. Be happy both of you.

[@taramoonshadow363]

I like the challenge of naming all the colors in German! Also, counting to 100 in German, is a good one!

[@MusicFanKim]

OMG, Feli!! You weren't kidding when you said Kleo is a game changer! I just signed up about ten minutes ago after doing the free "ich bin" trial exercise at the beginning! It's exactly what I've been needing as a brand new student: super affordable at $10 a month, and more importantly, learning pronunciation with immediate, real time affirmation or correction from native speakers. With real life tutors I depend on their schedules to get the help I need but now I have an entire team of tutors that literally follow me wherever I go! (I live alone and don't know any native speakers in real life....yet). I don't understand the computer technology that makes Kleo work but I'm incredibly blessed that it does! Vielen Dank an Sie und das Kleo-Team! (I used Google Translator for that 😎😁😁)

[@bestnarryever]

I think that my main tip at the stage you’re in, which is when you start getting to know the basics and find out that there are many many rules haha is to be curious and ask WHY My first language is actually Portuguese, which in terms of grammar has the more verb conjugations and the same issues with entonation as German does, so just ask why and know WHY it is said and done like that Because German has these hacks to find out new words and verb conjugations just by applying the rule you already know from another word, and that helped me a lot! Also: CHILDREN’S BOOKS, GAMES, CONTENT IN GENERAL! Works like a charm

[@rickycoker5830]

no joke feli, you sound so much happier with a significant other by your side...and for some reason that makes me happy

[@clintarmstrong4397]

Love you working with Ben on learning German!

[@DreamingRealist]

I think Ben is doing everything right. Repetition is key, so focusing on learning a few times a day for like 20 minutes or so will help a lot. I am currently doing the same with italien. As a challenge he might sing a long a German song. As far as I know he likes that kind of music.

[@monicabarnett9231]

I was an English speaking nanny for an Italian toddler for about 6 months... I reinforced a lot of the Italian I already knew and learned a TON of new vocabulary by watching cartoons with her in Italian. She was pretty stubborn and didn't like watching in English..!

[@jamesacoffey9006]

Do I say the challenge should a scavenger hunt. He Must follow, and clues to retrieve items and bring them to finish line - very amazing race. You could even station people along that he needs to ask questions and understand their answers send him all over Cincinnati. Certainly many categories Vocabulary can be covered grammar ask questions etc. plus I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I would to Say that I have never seen any of these kinds of products that I thought were at all worthwhile this one I’m intrigued enough to check it out myself. Good on you for being involved with this product. Also a shout to Easy German and other languages cover in the “easy” series. I also like watching Bares für Rares. Es macht mir Spaß.

[@meetkleo8412]

Super cool idea!😍

[@sarafinam6686]

Eine Schnitzeljagd! This comment must be waaaay more up!

[@bestnarryever]

It’s so funny to watch this video being a foreigner who studies German and can relate to your bf 6 years ago 😂 now I’m like “but it’s so easy!!!” “START SHES SAYING CAN WE START” good luck on your journey Ben! ✨

[@NatureandSpirit111]

Dude is trying though! Learning new languages is hard for some of us.

[@annihilator153]

Ben gotta step it up! Grüße aus ny! You got this! 🇺🇸🇩🇪🤘

[@guntherrobbert4406]

Well done Ben. The way you can pronounce the "ü" is for an American really exceptional. Congratulations!

[@TheCoffeeFiend]

Not exactly a challende, but probably fun. Have Ben watch a movie he does not yet know in German. Afterwards ask him what happened and what it was about (and record that). Then have him watch the same movie in English and record him while doing so for a classic "reaction" bit edit.

[@mollymillar3040]

Love the effort he's putting forth!

[@jazzyvswrld]

I love this idea and concept. Cant wait for the app to be available for Android! Im currently in a long distance relationship with a German guy, and have been for 11 months now, and im only just now really trying to learn German because im supposed to fly to Germany as soon as possible to meet his family, probably near the end of the summer. So, in order to be able to sorta understand and conversate with his parents, brother, and grandma, Im trying to learn as much as I possibly can. I have 0 ideas for goals and challenges, honestly I need to come up with some for myself, but I hope all goes well. Good luck to you on your journey, Ben!!

[@meetkleo8412]

Working hard to release the Android in BETA as soon as we can! Would love to get your feedback on the app - as you get ready for your big trip! 😍

[@jazzyvswrld]

@@meetkleo8412 Thats great. Excited for the release! I would love to be able to test it out, and give feedback as I go along.

[@pendragon2012]

Ah the things we do for love, eh, Ben? ;) Great video and the app is really cool, Feli!

[@joshgates294]

I love this idea!!! I’m sooo excited to see how Ben does!! 💕 Good luck! 😆

[@natashaw401]

love the smiles laughs since adding Ben in the videos ur life great seeing u so happy Feli

[@donaldduck2621]

Griass ench. Teach him the classical Oachkatzlschwoaf. Greetings from Salzburg, Austria. 🤣👍

[@pierreabbat6157]

Nah, don't get him confused with Oachkatzlschwoaf and Eekkattenstert! It's hard enough confusing Eichhörnchen with Einhörnchen.

[@effulgENTPossibilities]

I love this video. Thanks, Feli

[@Baccatube79]

My challenge for Ben: German tongue twisters! "Hinterm dichten Fichtendickicht picken dicke Finken tüchtig." "Griechische Eichhörnchen tauschen tschechische Streichholzschächtelchen." "Süße Typen tippen Tüten" My Tip for Ben is: German is way closer to Shakespearean/King James Bible English than he might yet have realized. Both in regards to word order and outdated verb forms. So: he might want to re-read the Bard... all the "Thou speak'st aright"s may come in handy now for developing a German phrase.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

Cool idea for the app to have these immersive videos! Of course the acting is very on-the-nose... but it's slow, simple and very personal. 👌👌👌

[@patmurphy389]

I enjoy listening to Bilderbuch. Thank you for the video Feli & Ben, good luck with your learning german!

[@AmandaDarcell]

Very intriguing! I have had Spanish lessons in high school, been to a Spanish speaking country, as a hygienist in public health, about 70% of my patients were Spanish at one time so I learned a lot of phrases about dental health (once, I was sleep deprived and my toddler was crying at night, and I asked him if his teeth hurt and where it hurts in Spanish by accident) BUT, even with all of that, I have lost a lot of what I had learned because life gets busy. My oldest child is taking Spanish next year, and I would love to learn a bit along side him. Might look into this! Thanks for sharing, Feli. (and also, since I live in Cincy too, if I ever run into you in public I can now say hi and what my name is in German, or at least try, lol)

[@21_f_aus]

Wish that app was on Android, I would totally download it now.. glad to know it is coming to Android...

[@ashleyray9261]

I don't know if you can cook, but if you can could you show us some different German foods, dishes, & meals that you like!

[@timeformore]

I’m trying out the app and I love seeing you in it! It does feel more natural like speaking directly with someone. I like it!

[@19WTR89]

Das ist ja mal richtig nice mit der app und auch das du dabei bist😊 Feier ich 😊 Lass es dir/ euch gut gehen und weiterhin ganz viel erfolg bei allem was du machst!

[@TomChin_MS]

Sehr spannende challenge 😁 Hau rein, Ben!

[@UriahStuff]

Downloaded Kleo today. I love it!

[@fawnjenkins7266]

Tip? Whwn you are a littlenfurther along, have Feli speak German with you! Set aside a time to only speak German together, or a place where you only speak German, and go there often. Submersion is the best way to learn a language. Kleo looks to be the next best thing!

[@taramoonshadow363]

This is GREAT! I LOVE it!!

[@m-a-l-3000]

Dein Freund ist ja mal einfach MEGA sympathisch. Ich würde sagen "guten Fang gemacht". Und ich finde es total cool, dass er Deutsch lernen will. Viel Glück euch beiden und Erfolg für die Deutsch-lern-challenge.

[@BrokeToBlessed]

Trying Kleo out now I love it!

[@greganthony4426]

I'm brushing up on my Spanish lately and if I had someone to speak it with everyday it would be awesome. Best of luck you two!

[@meganluck4352]

Woo hoo! way to go Ben!! Sounds like you are getting better and before you know it, you will be carrying on long discussions with Feli and her family over dinners!

[@johndurham6172]

This was adorable. It's a nice break from all the Will Smith and Johnny Depp videos.

[@FelifromGermany]

Hahaha happy we could help

[@shubinternet]

My wife's last name is Geyer. Her paternal ancestors came over in the 1850s, so she doesn't speak German. But if she did, I would like to think that I'm the kind of guy who would be willing to learn German for her.

[@melindar.fischer5106]

I don't remember the exact name of the TV program, but Ben could watch the daily Deutsche Welle news for kids (I think it's 15 minutes long) and tell Feli the summary of the news broadcast. Feli would be able to determine how much of the news he understood. I guess this isn't a challenge with a goal, but it could help Ben learn vocabulary and also keep up with current events (auf Deutsch).

[@Roreytko]

Maybe an idea for you! Naming things in the room and getting points for each object and then get different rewards when you accomplish a sertain score

[@AmericasGotGermans]

Can't wait to see / hear his progress 😁👍 I can also recommend to watch movies with English subtitles. My Kids learned English with Novakid before we moved to Boston. They have a great online program and you can also pick a native teacher. Is was also quiet affordable compared to other programs.

[@joebaker9861]

OK, I'm going to officially take credit for this video. I suggested that you document Ben learning German. I don't know if you even saw it, but this is awesome!!!

[@michaeljacobson7825]

The language app shown in this video looks and sounds great. Thank you 👍

[@TomuBaka]

Love the video and definetely the app, it's awesome. Ben should try to sing one of Rämmstein songs!

[@californiahiker9616]

Ben, I’m trying to learn French. I had some basics in high school, but I’m finding real French sounds very different from what I learned in school. I tend to listen to an online KZbin French teacher, comme une francaise. Sometimes I listen while gardening, or hiking. It’s best if you immerse yourself for just a bit every day. I also watch French TV series or movies with English subtitles. Best experience… talk to Feli and her family! Viel Glück und alles Gute! Ihr beide paßt so gut zusammen! ❤️

[@kc8pgrwx]

Feli, I downloaded the Kleo app from Google. I must say that I love it. I have been learning German off and on from January 2022 (just recently started putting a lot more time into learning it.) After one hour or less using the app, I already have finished two sections and was nearly perfect. Thanks to you and Kleo for the help. - Kaci

[@shinjiikari2729]

He Guys I am from Germany and I have to say that's your german-basics are pretty good. Learning a new language is always heavy. German is definitely not the easiest language in Europe but you have a very good teacher! :) So don't give up and enjoy!

[@tsgtfoster]

As a Korean language student from way back, as I recall within the first 90 days, as Feli suggested, in German, Ben should be able not only to count to 100, but all the days of the week, and all the months of the year...

[@oliviakrause3336]

Omg, I'm obsessed with that app. Looks like this German will refresh her Spanish and finally learn Italian. Best language learning app ever.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

It's very nice to see you have a conversation. Even better than presentation-Feli, who just talks straight to the camera.

[@DanielHebell]

I don't follow all of your vids. Just checking in every now and then. But I am 100% going to check out the challenge vid(s)!

[@sithlordkaeyl21]

I like to write down the things I’ve learned, but especially the words/phrases I’ve had trouble with, since it forces me to concentrate on my mistakes. It really helped me in my EMT class, and when I took German back in high school.

[@steveth1000]

I think it's really nice Ben is learning Deutsch. My daughter lived with her Austrian boyfriend here in Australia for 3 years, and was never interested in learning much. She didn't want to learn unless they got married, which they didn't end up doing. To be fair though, she was studying a nursing degree, and didn't have the time. His parents ended up learning English so they could speak to her instead.

[@donnybusenbark5670]

"There has to be punishment.." Lol so German .

[@Eastbridge2100]

Hey boyfriend. The eighties called. They want their earring back.

[@comprehensibleGERMANi]

That App seems really interesting. As a german teacher myself who is trying to make teaching/learning more natural, I will probably check it out.

[@spacecraftcarrier4135]

Lmao, we definitely need more videos of poor Ben trying to speak German and Feli laughing at him in the process!

[@johnsy4306]

That is a big ass TV!! Tell me Ben has a nice gaming console too. :) I've been using Duolingo to learn German. I will definitely look into Kleo

[@adameury60]

Go Ben! I'm still not fluent by any means, but during my off-and-on-again German studies since college, I've always liked listening to German music and watching German movies and TV series. One series I recently stumbled upon online is called Nico's Weg from Deutsche Welle's KZbin channel. Listening comprehension has always been the hardest part for me, but I suppose it just takes a lot of immersion over a significant length of time.

[@dng2000]

I'm learning German too so I'll root for Ben to be successful in learning German too. :)

[@tidalwave707]

One tip for Ben when it comes to pronunciation. The German “S” at the start of the words is the English “Z”. The German “W” is the English “V” and the sound that’s made in “ich, sprechen und Chemie“ (the German ch hissing sound) is actually almost exactly like when English speakers say “humid”. As for the German “R”, that was super hard for me to learn so you may be on your own for that mate. Anyways hello from someone who comes from NZ who also has a German girlfriend and who has also learnt German as a second language. Good luck mate! Du kannst es schaffen! Obwohl ich mich mit dir nie getroffen habe, werde ich immer noch „du“ sagen. Hoffentlich ist das nicht zu schlimm 😐 viel Spaß!

[@georgephillips3625]

Hi guys. I see you're doing well. Good salesmanship on your app!

[@LythaWausW]

There's a KZbin channel called Easy German and the lady has a gift for speaking clearly and slowly and has English subtitltes for everything she says. And since it's KZbin you can slow her down even more if you like.

[@mikehinkle5761]

Nice! I'll check out Kleo! 👍

[@meetkleo8412]

Can’t wait to hear how it goes!

[@LucionFrostBurn]

I love the look of the app! If I may suggest languages to add for the future, I'd like to see some lesser spoken languages like Gaelic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh, etc.) in the app too! I only know a few words of Irish Gaelic, but I love how it sounds and having native speakers of the language would be amazing, not to mention it could give the languages themselves a great leg up. Can't wait to dig into this app.

[@alexj9603]

I second this. I've been seeing so many ads for language learning apps/programs lately, but they all focus on the "big" languages. Still looking for something to work on my Finnish.

[@meetkleo8412]

We love this! Do you have any creators or teachers you especially like in these languages?

[@LucionFrostBurn]

@@meetkleo8412 The man behind the Learn Irish channel is fun and still active. There's also Benny Lewis, the Irish polyglot.

[@ninapetersen3436]

@@meetkleo8412 for Finnish for sure aleksihimself ^^

[@mickeystrek]

We need that for Android so much!! Looks so great! Will be so fun to watch, too! Thanks so much for sharing his German learning journey!

[@meetkleo8412]

Testing the Android as we speak! Hope to have a BETA version for you to test out soon!

[@jimturpin]

Lucky boyfriend! What a wonderful way to learn German, one of my grandkids is learning French at school, but learning German on his own since they don't teach it there, but I think it is great to learn a second, or third language. I have tried many times to learn another language, but just don't have the knack, darn it, probably because I am not exposed to it all the time.

[@joebaker9861]

My biggest piece of advice would be to eventually learn to think in German. When I was living in Germany, I realized that I didn't have to think of what I want to say in English, translate it in my head to German, then attempt to say it in German. In all fairness, I completely stopped speaking in English. I eventually even started dreaming in German. Interestingly enough, in my dreams, my German friends would speak in German, while I was struggling speaking German while awake. I realized that if I could dream about my German friends speaking their own language, then the knowledge was in my head, I just wasn't trusting myself to speak it while awake. That's when I stopped being afraid of making mistakes and just gave it my best. Trust yourself and don't be afraid to say something wrong. Sure, it might be embarrassing and everybody might even laugh. Just let it roll off your back like water off a duck. Good Luck!!!

[@Karl_Ranseier]

my proposal for challenge, Ben has read out a recipe for a (traditonal) german meal, and you both cook it in the video

[@DJDoena]

I always sucked at English, both at school and later at the university for the mandatory courses as well. What helped me was the invention f the DVD and being able to watch English movies and shows with subtitles. Try to start out with the stuff where the actors speak very clearly and don't use heavy accents. Also I found it more helpful to use the English instead of the German subtitles so even when I didn't understand a word, I at least knew how it was spelled. So for Ben I'd suggest some German crime procedural that is available on Netflix where subtitles are available and the visual context gives enough clues. As for the actual learning my one hint is always to learn the article with the noun because otherwise you'll never be able to reliably guess the correct article. Der Kiefer and die Kiefer are two completely different things and no one knows why door is feminine but window is neuter.

[@jairorubenmendoibarra5142]

Having a German girlfriend is the best way to learn language, it's like I'd be asking all day whenever she pronounces German words, I've mastered English because I've talked to American people really often, actually, I had an American boyfriend (I was already fluent but I practiced my English so much more and with love it's so enjoyable).

[@RosaJD]

Nice, ich bin gespannt wie es weitergeht.

[@jamesmcadory1322]

I know Kleo is the main resource you’re using and is personal to you, but as a supplementary resource I would recommend Seedlang from the Easy German team it’s been super fun and helpful. Also, the thing that has probably caused the most problems in my German learning is not memorizing the gender for each word as I learned the word which was fine at first but became nightmarish when grammatical cases were introduced😂

[@richard--s]

Yes, the gender for each word is necessary and the easiest way would be to learn it right away with the word. Der Tisch, der Teller, der Löffel, die Gabel, das Auto, die Leiter, das Haus, ... Sun and moon are "easy", because they are swapped: Die Sonne, der Mond. He, the sun; she, the moon ;-) Surprising, but then easy to remember ;-)

[@inerdt]

My challenge for Ben is to make up his own zusammengesetztes Wort (compound word) in German.

[@GaryJames864]

Sounds too easy.

[@LythaWausW]

And eventually he'll make one up that isn't already a real word *lol*

[@ivankostamo9698]

For songs, I always like starting with a good folk song or the national anthem: the latter being essential at times!

[@alfredosanson2119]

Hi Felicia guten Tag! Thank you for this great video of Ben attempting to learn German and my suggestion for the challenge would be to have him learn questions and answers at a coffee shop like answering things like "what would you like to eat ?, Do you want your hamburger with fries or with potato puree? Oh sorry sir the food is cold let me warm it up for you" things like that would help me imagine being in a German coffee shop thank you Schuss (did I write that well?)

[@xrogerxrabbitx]

You should also speak to him alot in German. That should help him learn quicker as well.

[@kinglars2280]

Viel Spass beim Lernen ! Home Improvement - sagte Tim Taylor schon...