Level 2: Recognizing the Most Important Vocabulary in the Old German Script

Loads of fun:

I love Reading the Old German Handwriting class! I am very much a "hands on learner" and also need visuals, so being able to do this on my own time and feeling the security of going back to reinforce what I have learned has been really great. I love the matching and flashcard games. They really reinforce the presentation; and they are loads of fun! There are a number of samples that have been very helpful; especially with Katherine vocalizing and pointing out the letters. I also like the helpful hints. All of these things combined have made this a great learning experience for me. - Sandy J.

Moves my research along faster:

My eyes used to glaze over when I looked at the old German handwriting on parish and civil records, on postcards and letters.

NO MORE! After working through 75% of the course, I find myself pushing back at that glaze, starting to sight-read the handwritten words, or at least recognizing/transcribing individual letters/words written in those less-than-perfect handwriting styles, to actually reveal a word. Now I don't have to wait days and weeks for those vital records translations to learn what is in them, which moves my research along faster. - Don R.

My world has expanded:

I recently completed the handwriting teachable German online course after experiencing difficulty with the Kurrentschrift when looking at family letters. I have searched for the ones with the least messy handwriting and am slowly tackling them one by one just like a detective. Katherine does a wonderful job in the course with explaining the common pitfalls and strategies to discover the words using many useful techniques. It really is like learning a second alphabet so be patient with yourself and try each exercise in the program. I have not mastered reading every word in my family letters because individual writers have their own styles, however I am close to 90%.

I plan to revisit the course every few months which is an excellent feature of the program to review and practice, practice, practice! We all know the old adage-How does one get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice practice....I am able to decipher more of the letters from the late 1800’s to 1930 or so, and my world has expanded to understand the daily lives of my relatives, their hopes, and fears. It allows me to stand tall knowing where my roots come from. Thanks to Katherine Schober for creating this amazing online class for learning the Kurrentshrift along with her accompanying book. - Christianne R., Mission Viejo, CA

She shared her whole toolbox with us:

First of all, I was excited to find an in-depth online course for translation of old German documents. I found the course challenging and comprehensive. I appreciate Katherine’s Powerpoints with the careful and measured instruction and explanations appropriate for even the least experienced students. With the games, challenging practice documents, plus tips and links to online assistive sites, it felt like she shared her whole toolbox with us. This includes some of the more tricky workings of the German language, like word order and alternate spellings. The vocabulary lists of BMD, occupations, causes of death, include some not found in other sources. Having studied the language in the past, viewed webinars and practiced the handwriting, I’ve had some success with translation. I have also been left with pages of German words (not all BMD documents) for which this course has provided context, enabling me to better understand my documents and to more skillfully transcribe them into English. - Josephine L.