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Learn German with the Music of David Hasselhoff uses songs David Hasselhoff has sung in Germany to study German vocabulary, grammar, and verb conjugation.
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Learn German with the Music of David Hasselhoff uses songs David Hasselhoff has sung in Germany to study German vocabulary, grammar, and verb conjugation.
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Fast Facts
- 1989: Named "Most Popular and Best Selling Artist of the Year" in Germany
- 1993: Wir Zwei Allein a Top 10 single
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- by Sara K.
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Introduction: David Hasselhoff and German Songs
- David Hasselhoff is an extremely popular performer in Germany. Now you can use his German musical performances to improve your listening comprehension and language skills!
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Activity 3: Speaking
- Listen to the song one more time.
- Now, play the song again, but this time try to sing along with the chorus.
- For a more advanced exercise, try singing all the words, not just the chorus.
- If you need help, here are the lyrics.
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Song 2: David Hasselhoff sings Stille Nacht
- Stille Nacht is the German version of Silent Night, a well-known Christmas carol.
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Activity 1: Verb conjugation
- Listen to the song.
- Now try conjugating verbs in the first stanza:
- Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
- Alles _____(schlafen); einsam _____(wachen)
- Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
- Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
- _____(Schlafen) in himmlischer Ruh!
- _____(Schlafen) in himmlischer Ruh!
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Activity 2: Translation
- Although the words to Stille Nacht as very similar to Silent Night, the translation is not word-for-word.
- Listen to the song again.
- The German lyrics for the second verse are:
- Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
- Hirten erst kundgemacht
- Durch der Engel Halleluja,
- Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
- Christ, der Retter ist da!
- Christ, der Retter ist da!
- Compare these lyrics to the English version:
- Silent night, holy night,
- Shepherds quake at the sight.
- Glories stream from heaven afar,
- Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
- Christ the Savior is born
- Christ the Savior is born
- Some key differences:
- "Kundmachen" means "to announce"
- "Engel" means "angel"
- "Da" means "here"
- For a complete literal translation of the lyrics, click here.
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Activity 3: Speaking
- Begin the song once more.
- Try singing along with David Hasselhoff.
- If you need more help, use these lyrics.
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Song 3: David Hasselhoff sings Wir zwei allein
- Enjoy this duet between David Hasselhoff and young Gwen Obertuck. The song shows the loss a father and daughter feel for her mother, but also their reliance on each other.
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Activity 1: Listening comprehension
- Spoken (and sung) German can vary from the German learned in textbooks. Sounds are elided and informal usages are common.
- Listen to the song: can you hear any informal usages?
- For example, "Heute Nacht" becomes "Heut' Nacht"
- The chorus's second line, "Hey was glaubst du, was sie grad macht?" begins with "Hey." This interjection is not important enough to re-order the sentence, so the verb is now the third word in, leaving its usual second-place position.
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Activity 4: Speaking
- Play the song again.
- Sing along with the chorus. Or, if you're up for the challenge, sing along to the whole song!
- If you're stuck, check out the song lyrics.
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Resources for Learn German with the Music of David Hasselhoff | Add a Link
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YouTube: ''Du''
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LyricsDepot.com: David Hasselhoff - WIR ZWEI ALLEIN HEUT' NACHT Lyrics
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Lyrics007.com: Du Lyrics
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YouTube: ''Stille Nacht''
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YouTube: ''Wir zwei allein''
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About.com: Stille Nacht - Silent Night - Lyrics in German and English
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About.com: Silent Night - Lyrics in German and English (literal)
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IMDb: David Hasselhoff Biography
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Notable Names Database: David Hasselhoff
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YouTube: ''Du''