Learning German through hip-hop with DW's new series
July 23, 2013
Starting in July, learning German will sound like this: Ich brauche kein Spieglein an der Wand. Ich weiß, du bist die Schönste im ganzen Land. Du verdrehst mir den Kopf, raubst meinen Verstand. Du bist spektakulär! (I don't need a mirror on the wall. I know you're the fairest of them all. You turn my head, you steal my mind. You're amazing!)
Available at www.dw.de/bandtagebuch, the new video series - titled "Bandtagebuch mit EINSHOCH6" - takes German learners on a year-long journey through Germany. In 53 episodes, Munich-based band EINSHOCH6 pays visits to events such as the Oktoberfest and the Cologne Carnival and places such as the Berlin Wall. Viewers accompany the band during rehearsals, cookie-baking sessions and even a bargain hunt at a flea market.
Additionally, there is a new song to download every month and rap along to. These songs have been especially written for DW and come with karaoke versions, allowing users to test their own hip-hop talents. The goal is to get young people interested in the German language and provide a glimpse into daily life in Germany.
According to André Moeller, head of language courses at DW, the new series is fully in line with the trend towards increased use of music in language teaching, "because music makes it easier to learn vocabulary, grammatical structures and pronunciation. It also has the power to inspire and motivate. Learning is simply more fun with music."
DW's language courses have received multiple awards. As a new teaching format, "Bandtagebuch" will be presented for the first time at the Internationale Deutschlehrertagung (IDT), running from July 29 to August 3 at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. EINSHOCH6 will perform at the event.
DW's multimedia site for German learners receives around six million clicks every month, while its "DW - Learn German" Facebook page has over 200,000 fans. Promoting the German language is part of Deutsche Welle's mission.
EINSHOCH6 combines rap vocals with classical instruments and various types of drums. Since 2004, the band has given over 250 concerts in Germany and abroad and has been honored with numerous prizes. This includes an Austrian newcomer-band prize and the title of Most Promising Act of the Year from Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
A new "Bandtagebuch" episode with EINSHOCH6 will be available each Tuesday, starting July 23.
Members of the press are welcome to request a free copy of the series soundtrack on CD. Contact: Shirin Kasraeian, [email protected] or
André Moeller, [email protected].
Upcoming concerts in Bolzano, Italy:
July 31, 2013, 9 p.m., Parkhotel Laurin (Via Laurino 4, Bolzano)
August 1, 2013, 5 p.m., Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Ground floor in front of the Aula Magna)
August 1, 2013, 9 p.m., Restaurant/Bar Nadamas (Piazza delle Erbe 44, Bolzano)