My First Kindle: Learning German Through Stories

Berlin Adventures and a Shiny New Gadget

Okay, so I’ve been in Berlin for six months now, and honestly, it’s been a whirlwind. The language is so hard, obviously, but I’m getting there. I’m trying to immerse myself, and that means reading – lots and lots of reading. I still really prefer a paper book, you know? The smell, the feel of the pages…it’s something special. But then I saw Alice talking about a Kindle, and I started to think about it.

“Hallo! Hast du schon mal überlegt, dir einen Kindle zu kaufen?”

It all started with that conversation with Alice. “Hallo! Hast du schon mal überlegt, dir einen Kindle zu kaufen?” she asked me. (Hello! Have you ever thought about buying a Kindle?) I said, “Eigentlich schon, aber ich weiß nicht so recht. Ich lese immer noch lieber ein echtes Buch.” (Actually, yes, but I don’t really know. I still prefer reading a real book.) We were sitting in a little café near the Mauerpark, drinking Kaffee and trying to decipher the barista’s orders – “Ein Espresso, bitte!” It was chaos, but good chaos.

Alice had just bought the Paperwhite with 16 GB, and she was raving about it. “Oh, wirklich? Ich habe da was gesehen… Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) – Unserer schnellster Kindle überhaupt, mit neuem 7″ glare-free Display und Wochen Akkulaufzeit – Mit Werbung – Schwarz.” (Oh, really? I saw something… Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) – Our fastest Kindle ever, with a new 7″ glare-free display and weeks battery life – With Ads – Black.) “Was hältst du davon?” (What do you think of it?)

I looked it up on Amazon – the link she sent me was: Read More It looked pretty cool – the display was supposed to be good for your eyes, and the battery life sounded amazing.

Trying it Out – It’s Actually Pretty Brilliant!

I finally caved and bought one. I got the version mit Werbung (with ads), because it was cheaper, which was a good thing, right? The first time I opened it, I almost cried! It was so easy to set up. Then I started reading Der kleine Prinz (The Little Prince).

“Ja, ich habe ihn schon ausprobiert und ich bin total begeistert!” (Yes, I have tried it out and I am totally delighted!) I told Alice. “Das Display ist wirklich toll, auch bei hellem Licht.” (The display is really great, even in bright light.) I was reading in the U-Bahn (the subway) – it was fantastic! And “Und die Akkulaufzeit ist erstaunlich – ich lade ihn nur alle zwei Wochen!” (And the battery life is astonishing – I only charge it every two weeks!) It’s a total game-changer.

Small Hiccups and Helpful Corrections

Of course, there were a few little things. I accidentally pressed the wrong buttons and the screen went black – Mist! (Oops!). Alice patiently showed me how to navigate it, and she said, “Aber die Werbung stört dich nicht? Eigentlich nicht so sehr, wenn man es sich angewöhnt.” (But the ads don’t bother you? Actually, not so much if you get used to it.) She’s right, it’s not that bad. Plus, it’s significantly cheaper than the ad-free versions.

Mein Tipp (My Tip) – Learn a Little German First

I think it’s a brilliant tool for learning German. I’m using it to read simple stories and I’m slowly starting to understand more. I’m even looking up words I don’t know. “Schau mal hier:” (Look here:) Read More

I’ve got the Kindle set up to read in German, and I am practising. I’m buying more books in German now too. “Ja, ich habe mir die Seite auch angesehen. Der Preis ist wirklich gut! Ich denke, ich habe eine super Wahl getroffen.” (Yes, I looked at the page too. The price is really good! I think I’ve made a great choice).

“Vielleicht sollte ich mir auch mal einen anschaffen.” (Maybe I should buy one for myself too.) I really love it. “Ich liebe es ja, Bücher zu lesen. Unbedingt! Du wirst es nicht bereuen!” (I love reading books. Definitely! You won’t regret it!).

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go read a bit more of Der kleine Prinz. Bis bald! (See you soon!)