Café in Berlin

Great way to learn

Find the book online so you can follow along. The vocabulary words are bolded in the dialogue. Their definitions are included at the end of each chapter. I recommend adding them to a vocabulary list like the one found in dict.cc to quiz you. Viel Glück!

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

So nice!

For a beginner it's so nice to be able to follow along! Seriously exciting :) highly recommended, great narration and pace!

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Hoping for more from the same author

What did you love best about Learn German With Stories: Café in Berlin ? 10 Short Stories for Beginners?

The narration matches the text in the ebook (also available in paperback). Each chapter is short, entertaining, and easy for a beginner. Mr. Klein is listed as the narrator, so you're hearing a native speaker read German. There are helpful (and non-instrusive) sound effects to accompany parts of the text. For instance, you might hear a crowd cheering when the text is about soccer. It never drowns out the narration. The narration is read very slowly, not at normal speed. This is helpful, but it would be even more helpful if the Audible book contained two parts, with the second part containing the narration read at normal speed.

What other book might you compare Learn German With Stories: Café in Berlin ? 10 Short Stories for Beginners to and why?

I don't think there is anything quite like this book or this series. They are very professionally done and the prices are extremely reasonable. You can listen while you're reading, or you can listen without the printed text, to test your listening comprehension.

Which character – as performed by André Klein – was your favorite?

He reads with enough expression to make it interesting, but not over-the-top, which would interfere with the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, it's not intended for that.

Any additional comments?

I've read and re-read the ebook versions of Mr. Klein's books, and the Audible version is a worthwhile addition. I would like it if the narration were read a second time at a much faster speed. This would only add about 20-30 minutes to the audiobook and it would not be necessary to include the sound effects, so it shouldn't be hard to do. I am looking forward to Audible versions of Mr. Klein's other books.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Great material for beginners and refreshers

I've been refreshing my rusty German hearing understanding and found this to be of great help. I would recommend it to advanced beginners who have a grasp of basic vocab already.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very Fun Way to Learn German

I liked everything about these stories, which were about “real life” pratfalls of a young Italian man living on a tight budget in Berlin. The plot lines were simple but clever and mixed familiar words with new
vocabulary. And the audio performance was so clear: every word enunciated to perfection. The sound effects added to the experience. Overall, a
fantastic German learning tool.

The best way to learn German and supplement classes!

Cute stories and easy to follow as a beginner. Lots of new vocabulary to learn just because the new words are used in a context which makes its easy to understand and follow.

I would have liked it to be longer.

thats what she said. Reviews requires at least fifteen words, so here I am, writing them.
The book was enjoyable, I will probably hear it again when I can understand the whole story and not just a few words and sentences.

clear reading

the content seemed good and more true to real life scenarios but the reading was too slow with heavy pauses and overenunciated. a more natural reading approach would have helped!

Serves Its Purpose Well

Would you listen to Café in Berlin (Learn German with Stories 1 - 10 Short Stories for Beginners) again? Why?

I would definitely listen to this again; the story is not bad, but more than that it is actually meant for that strange area between beginner and intermediate learner of German, where you don't have a firm grasp on the language, but you are beyond learning how to ask for a pretzel or beer at a restaurant.

It might not be a joy to listen to if you are a native German speaker, because the cadence of the storytelling is jolted and slow. However, it is a great pace for anyone new to listening to German and limited speaking experience. The slow cadence and clearly spaced words allow time for the novice listener (and that is certainly me) to register each word, and recall its meaning, so that he can listen to each sentence at a pace that allows him to use what he knows and understand what is happening, rather than being hurried along and left without any idea about what is happening in the story. By the end of the book, you feel accomplished, because you have gotten through the whole book without any visual clues to assist you.

very helpful, but must know basics

if you've taken intro to german, this will be a great aid. not for complete beginners.