Category Archives: Germany

Parents as Teachers

Posted on August 25, 2017 by maryannniemczura

As a German language educator of more than forty years of experience, I knew the intrinsic value of beginning language learning at an early age. Since most US schools do not begin foreign languages with children as early as two … Continue reading →

Posted in American and German children, Fulbright to Germany, German, German and English share ssame linguistic DNA, German language, German songs, Germany, language teachers, parenting, schools in Germany, teachers, teaching German, video conferences between US & German schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Better Late Than Never!

Posted on January 13, 2017 by maryannniemczura

Mildly amused but not surprised, I read the translation of my English to German sentence for wearing braces on my teeth. Google  translate offered me a funny example for  “She wore braces on her teeth.”  It seemed pretty straight-forward to me, … Continue reading →

Posted in dental braces, German, Germany, orthodontist | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Through the Eyes of Children

Posted on December 23, 2016 by maryannniemczura

Through the Eyes of Children Our son’s first grade class made several class field trips during our Fulbright year in Kösingen, Germany, home to Oscar Mayer.  It was not unusual for them to walk one mile or more while gathering … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Traditions, customs in Germany, family love, family stories, Fulbright year, Germany, through the eyes of children, tracks | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Walk a Mile in my Birks

Posted on August 15, 2015 by maryannniemczura

There is an ongoing joke in my family because I have worn Birkenstock sandals since my university days in Heidelberg, Germany. The joke goes that I am the only one my family knows who wears them year-round including during our … Continue reading →

Posted in Berlin, Birkenstock sandals, clothing styles, colleges, comfort versus style, Europe, Fulbrght, Germany, global society, Heidelberg, schools, students, Upstate NY | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Appreciating a Different Pace of Life

Posted on August 1, 2015 by maryannniemczura

My first trip to Germany was on a turboprop plane with Icelandic Airlines. Our layover to refuel was in Reykjavik, Iceland. The noise of the engines remained in my ears for a couple of days after I landed in Germany. … Continue reading →

Posted in customs, Fasching, food for the soul, Gemuetlichkeit, Germany, Heidelberg, Oktoberfest, pace of life, restaurants, traditions, University of Colorado at Boulder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Andere Länder, andere Sitten!

Posted on June 27, 2015 by maryannniemczura

During my first Fulbright year teaching in Neresheim, my support teacher, Heidi, had a pool in her yard. We arrived in Germany on a hot July day and all the neighborhood kids asked Heidi if they could go into her … Continue reading →

Posted in American and German children, challenges, cultural differences, cultures, customs, Fulbright year, Germany, sauna, swimming pools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fond Memories of Germany

Posted on March 21, 2015 by maryannniemczura

After completing another two-hour video conference with the Kreisgymnasium Hochschwarzwald located in the Black Forest region of Germany in Titisee-Neustadt, I recall numerous fond memories of my time in Germany both as a student and later twice as a Fulbright … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Forest area, family, friends, fulbright experience, Germany, Koesingen, Neresheim, Oscar Mayer, Schweindorf, Titisee-Neustadt, villages | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Childhood Freedom

Posted on March 14, 2015 by maryannniemczura

Recent media accounts of a couple in Maryland prompted me to write this week about the freedom and pleasure of childhood play. I was fortunate to start my early childhood years in rural Massachusetts in and around the Springfield, Palmer … Continue reading →

Posted in a stranger, childhood play, children, family, family stories, Fulbright Teacher, Germany, life lessons, life skills, Maryland parents, Massachusetts, Musings, Parents, rural America, school, schools in Germany, Sturbridge, Upstate New York | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Learning German Changed My Life

Posted on March 7, 2015 by maryannniemczura

What do you consider most important in your life? Looking back, was there a single turning point in your life which made you who you are today? Probably, like most of us, life’s most eventful moments come in a series … Continue reading →

Posted in children, college education, customs in Germany, education, family, family stories, Foreign Language Learning, Free German University Study for American students, Fulbright Teacher Exchange, German culture, German language, Germany, global citizens, languages, life lessons, Parents, schools in Germany, Teacher, University of Colorado at Boulder, vocational education in Germany, world languages | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Free German University Study for American Students

Posted on February 21, 2015 by maryannniemczura

It’s that time of the year in our American school district for 6th graders and their parents to make decisions regarding which world language to study. I would like to offer reasons to study German. The emphasis these days is … Continue reading →

Posted in 6th grade registration for world languages, About the book, Colorado, education, Foreign Language Learning, Free German University Study for American students, Fulbright Teacher Exchange, Germany, languages, Massachusetts, parents, preparing world leaders, school, schools in Germany, Teaching, Teaching in Germany | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment