Kaffee 2

Based on the outstanding popularity of the previous post's topic, I decided to write a follow-up. First, let me show my gratitude to all who shared ideas for creating a lesson about Viennese Kaffeehäuser. Second, let me pass those suggestions on to you.

From R. in Illinois: a video in German from the Deutsche Welle series "Euromaxx" available through YouTube. The language is at a more advanced level, but I think that since it is only 4 minutes long and very contextualized with imagery, you could use it for beginners with the right kind of comprehension questions or simply as authentic material for interest.

From K. in Minnesota: an article from the magazine Spiegel Online called "Die Bohne der Erkenntnis." It is pretty long to use in toto, but I think that sections of it would work in my classroom. I especially liked the introduction section, which, in my opinion, gives a very GERMAN perspective on the coffee experience, which I think I could use to contrast with the Austrian point-of-view of coffee consumption. I also really liked the historical bits and current statistics, which I think you could easily use with students at all levels. Wait, I think I'm envisioning a math/German lesson...

From G. in Iowa: a promotional video in English from Viking Cruises about Café Demel. It's a little shiny and makes my wallet cringe, but at the same time it shows the luxurious angle of the Kaffeehaus, especially all those cakes and sweets, which take my breath away.

From my own Internet trolling: some quotes from German-speakers about coffee. I love words and quips and poems (and apparently the word "and") in the classroom, because they provide authentic language at an accessible amount for beginning language learners.

„Kaffee dehydriert den Körper nicht. Ich wäre sonst schon Staub.“ - Franz Kafka
(Coffee does not dehydrate the body. I would already be dust.)

„Für mich ist es am schönsten im Kaffeehaus. Man ist nicht zu Haus und doch nicht an der frischen Luft.“ - Peter Altenberg
(For me, it is nicest in a coffeehouse. You're not at home, nor out in the fresh air.)

I have to say I disagree with Herr Altenberg. When I visited the Café Sperl on several occasions while in Vienna, I enjoyed sitting outside the café the most. Granted, it was July.

I'm still looking for Kaffeehaus ideas. Keep sending them my way!

My POV, Vienna 2013