What are some resources for speeding up learning of advanced German mathematics-vocabulary?
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5You could add your current skill level in German to your question, so that's easier to recommend something matching your level. Please edit your question. Also add what you've tried so far, like math textbooks, wikipedia pages, or such, and what you liked or did not like about them.– RobertCommented Mar 22, 2018 at 3:00
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3This is also about the math skill required. Are you at Eigenvalues already?– JankaCommented Mar 22, 2018 at 3:06
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You could watch German online learning content (e.g. on one of the popular video channels) and take notes of the terms used there.– Christian GeiselmannCommented Mar 22, 2018 at 12:30
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2TBH just buy a German math book on any topic you want to learn and look up words if you don't get what they are saying. It is actually pretty easy in any direction, you can even read french math books with just basic knowledge.– RoyPJCommented Mar 22, 2018 at 13:42
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1Watching university-level lectures on YouTube is a great way, and probably one of the most natural ways since that's how one would learn it as a native speaker.– xishCommented Mar 29, 2018 at 0:56
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4 Answers
I learned quite quickly by browsing through this book: https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783322943804
Viel Erfolg!
See this Anki deck, which contains German-English mathematical terms from James & James's Mathematics Dictionary (5th ed.) and this 1,925 word pair one.
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This is the same as recommending to read an German-English dictionary when you want to learn German vocabulary and read it. People don't do this, and those who do are likely to fail, since this is a dull activity. Instead, taking a book about a topic you are apassionate about is helpful.– c.p.Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 16:54
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@c.p. Yes, "context-free" memorization is not sufficient, but it is necessary; cf. the Anki documentation: "If you are a language learner, you may be tempted to download a long list of words and their translations, but this won’t teach you a language any more than memorizing scientific equations will teach you astrophysics. To learn properly, you need textbooks, teachers, or exposure to real-world sentences.
Do not learn if you do not understand. --SuperMemo"– GeremiaCommented Mar 26, 2020 at 18:40 -
I don't know what Anki is. Seems to be specialized in flashcards, thus I do think their opinion about memorizing is biased. On the other hand, I speak as a mathematician who had to learn German and mathematics. And my advice is to do both at once, otherwise the way is hard(er).– c.p.Commented Mar 26, 2020 at 18:58
A formal approach would be to start with the internet documentation for common core-standards and curricula (Rahmenlehrpläne) as implemented in a particular city or state in Germany, e.g., Berlin. Chrome will automatically prompt you to translate the page I've linked to. Table 1 of that page organizes these standards by subject/grade-level. From there, you need only look for key terms and translate.
A quick reference approach would be to Google translate a particular term and to Wiki its translation in the target language, i.e. German, and then to repeat with neighboring words in the target article until the context becomes clear.
Above you confirmed that you are addressing graduate level mathematics. In this case, my recommendation is to get hold of one or two well-written textbooks on core topics. Here are some examples:
- Ben Schweizer: Partielle Differentialgleichungen
- Folkmar Bornemann: Numerische lineare Algebra
- Christian Hesse: Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie.
In this way, you will pick up the vocabulary much faster than with any word lists or dictionaries, and you will get a realistic feeling for mathematical writing in German.
answered Mar 28, 2018 at 7:55
