(Almost) Wordless Wednesday October 23, 2024
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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday October 16, 2024
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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday January 3, 2024
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Announcing the Moravian Archives’ 2024 German Script Course August 2, 2023
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, German culture, Tools.add a comment
Note from Jill: I took this in June 2023, and it was great. I arrived not even recognizing the text as being German and was sightreading it at the end of the two week course. I now have a skill that machine translation can’t touch, because most Germans can’t even read old German script! Register quickly. It will sell out fast. Space is limited to 15 students.
Register today for a two week intensive course studying, practicing and reading old German handwriting.
June 3, 2024 – June 14, 2024
The Moravian Archives is offering its well-known and successful German Script Course for the 55th year next Summer.
This is the only course of its kind in the country. The course is taught by Dr. Paul Peucker and Thomas McCullough, MA, MLIS, experts and experienced instructors in reading and writing German script.
Register Now
*registration is limited to 15 students*
Additional registrants will be placed on a waitlist
COURSE FEES & GRANT OPPORTUNITY
COURSE FEES
The fee for the script course is $1,300 and includes the following instructional materials:
- Color reproductions of German texts
- Handouts
- Writing pads
- Binder for storing instructional material
- Quills
- Textbook: Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents by Roger P. Minert (2nd ed., Woods Cross, Utah 2013)
- Coffee, tea, and snacks during breaks
Accommodations are not included in the cost of the course. Please see below or visit our website for more information.
GRANT AVAILABLE
Two slots are reserved for graduate students at a rate of 50% of the regular course fee. Grants are available to students who are not fully employed and who do not qualify for reimbursement of the course fee. Grant applicants must be registered for the course and have made the deposit payment.
Please visit our website for more information about this exciting opportunity.
COURSE INFORMATION
STUDY METHOD
Class begins each day at 9:00 am and runs until 12:30 pm, and is divided up into two sessions.
The morning sessions are devoted to writing the individual letters. During the late morning sessions texts are read within the group with everyone taking turns deciphering the texts.
There are no organized classes during the afternoons. This time is devoted to preparing for the next day’s lessons; most students choose to do their ‘homework’ in groups. Thus, the course combines classroom learning, group study and individual preparation. The preparation time in the afternoon will take about four hours. It is not recommended to plan other activities during the course.
PREREQUISITES
In order to successfully follow the course, a good reading ability of modern German is needed; two years of college German or the equivalent has proven to be a minimum. Conversational German ability is not required and prior knowledge of German script is not necessary. All instruction is conducted in English, but we advise students to have access to a quality German-English dictionary.
HOUSING
DORMITORY HOUSING (SOUTH SIDE BETHLEHEM)
Housing is available at Lehigh University’s apartment-style dormitories (location to be announced later). Lehigh University is located on the south side of Bethlehem, about 1.7 miles away from the Moravian Archives. Script students may walk, drive/carpool, or take a ride share to come to class each day.
HOUSING AT THE HOTEL BETHLEHEM (NORTH SIDE BETHLEHEM)
If students are interested in staying in Historic Downtown Bethlehem, standard hotel rooms are available at the Hotel Bethlehem. The hotel is located 0.8 miles away from the archives.
Breakfast/meals and parking are available on premise for additional fees. Click here for more information about the Hotel Bethlehem.
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There are also various other hotels, Airbnbs, and guest houses in the Bethlehem area.
Please note that the registration for housing is separate from registration for the course.
TESTIMONIALS
Our 2023 Script course graduates are using their new skills in unique ways! Check out how students have utilized what they learned during the course!
KNOW SOMEONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED?
Feel free to share information about the 2024 German Script course with anyone you think would be interested!
Link to our website is available here.
Still, have questions? Learn more by visiting our website
Moravian Archives | 41 W. Locust St., Bethlehem, PA 18018
Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by info@moravianchurcharchives.org
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday March 9, 2022
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, German culture.add a comment
Shoes missing from German town May 13, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in German culture.add a comment
Since I occasionally like commenting on German culture, this story on NPR this morning is just so bizarre that I had to share it with you all. I have never heard of an animal stealing shoes, but there you have it… So think twice the next time you take your shoes off on the porch. They may not be there when you get back.
Übersetz das doch mal kurz March 12, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Fun stuff, German culture, Translation.1 comment so far
The German radio channel WDR3 featured a commentary yesterday about the work of translators that you German-speaking readers might enjoy hearing (warning: it’s in German). The title is Übersetz das doch mal kurz (Can you translate this quickly for me?). The speaker talks about how people expect translators to work quickly and compares translation and dental work, which I think is a good comparison. After all, no one expects a dentist to quickly fill a cavity at a low rate – and people expect dentists to know what they are doing because they have had the training. Enjoy!
And, thanks to Roland Grefer, here is a link to the MP3 in case you want to save it.
On the swabish railway – EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger February 4, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, German culture.2 comments
Several of my German colleagues alerted me to this rather humorous piece in the Frankfurter Rundschau entitled “Well done, Günther: On the swabish railway.” Günther Oettinger is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU). He was appointed as an EU Commissioner in the European Commission on October 24, 2009. He recently received a lot of criticism and ridicule when he announced that English would be the working language of the Commission – and then held an atrociously articulated speech in English that no one could understand. The joke in the article above is that he needs ghostwriters and that those ghostwriters also do a terrible job with English. The links below the article to other “speeches” are just as enjoyable. Enjoy!
McDonald’s coming soon to Checkpoint Charlie January 13, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in German culture, Random musings.2 comments
Expatica is reporting today that McDonald’s is planning on building a restaurant in Berlin at Checkpoint Charlie, “completing the landmark’s 20-year transformation from Cold War front line to money-making tourist hotspot.” Checkpoint Charlie was the main border crossing for foreigners between West and East Berlin. I myself had the privilege of crossing through it, although my very first border crossing was at Friedrichstraße. For the love of all that is holy and good, I think building a McDonald’s at the historic location is a TERRIBLE idea. McDonald’s symbolizes capitalism, and I understand what they are trying to do, but Checkpoint Charlie is more than just a tribute to capitalism. I would be interested to hear what some of you Berlin residents think about this idea.
As Expatica explains:
The 120-seater restaurant will be opposite the Mauermuseum dedicated to the Berlin Wall that used to divide the city, and hopes to be selling its burgers, fries and other products from mid-2010, a spokeswoman said.
The 600-square-metre (6,500-square-feet) restaurant, on the site of where Soviet and US tanks famously faced off in 1961, is a “top location,” the Bild daily cited the American fast food giant as saying.
My memories of Checkpoint Charlie have absolutely nothing to do with McDonald’s. I hope the German authorities deny the request!
How not to flirt in German January 11, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, German culture.3 comments
ALTA Translation’s blog has a fun blog post this morning on How NOT to flirt in German. Although to be perfectly honest the lines don’t work in English either. If someone used them on me I would groan and roll my eyes and excuse myself. 🙂 But it’s a fun read for an otherwise blah Monday morning.
Musings from an overworked translator 