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CHRISTMAS

German Advent word of the day: Das Schlittschuhlaufen

This mouthful of a winter word is a favourite Christmas market activity.

Published: 14 December 2019 05:00 CET

German Advent word of the day: Das Schlittschuhlaufen

Photo: Depositphotos

Das Schlittschuhlaufen

What does it mean?

Let’s start by breaking down this mouthful of a winter word. Der Schlitten is a sleigh or sled, or colloquially, a cool ride. Der Schuh means “the shoe,” and Das Laufen is “the walking or running” from the verb laufen.

So, Das Schlittschuhlaufen conjures up images of sleigh-shaped shoes running. Does that bring any fun winter activity to mind?

That’s right: Das Schlittschuhlaufen means “the ice-skating.” Das Eiskunstlaufen or Das Figurlaufen are ways to say “figure skating,” that Olympic sport many of us know and love.

Children ice skating in Wolfsburg. Photo: DPA.

Where does it come from?

Historians believe that using ice skates as a means of transportation began around 1000 BC in Scandinavia with various animal bones used as blades.

The Dutch also heavily relied on skates as a means of transit through the Netherland’s many canals and improved the technology with metal blades.

Over time, the technology of the skates has advanced even more, and the practical means of transit has transformed into an international sport and pastime.

Do people in Germany enjoy it?

Some advanced Schlittschuhlaufen taking place in Düsseldorf. Photo: DPA.

While there are skating clubs across Germany, ice-skating is particularly idyllic as part of a Christmas market. In Heidelberg, visitors can skate around an Eisbahn (ice rink) at the foot of the castle.

Watching joyful children and adults go round and round in circles on the ice rink while Christmas music plays in the background is a lovely addition to any Weihnachtsmarkt! The best part? A steaming mug of Heisse Schokolade (hot cocoa) waiting outside the rink.

Example Sentences

Mama, dürfen wir bitte Schlittschuhlaufen gehen?

Mama, may we please go ice-skating?

Schlittschuhlaufen macht am meisten Spaß, wenn festliche Musik gespielt wird.

Ice-skating is the most fun when festive music is played.

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'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue.

Trust the (school) system.

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion.

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages.

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill.

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home.

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important.

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself.

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking.

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule.

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf.

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture.

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1.

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble.

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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