“I came home and told my family how wonderful it was. I was afraid that we were going to be lectured for two hours. I feel like we learned a lot by singing and acting like 5-year-olds.”– Jackson Realty broker Lisa Heyer
Some North Georgians are now singing their way to what they hope will be a familiarity with German. Along the way they hope to learn just enough of the language so when Volkswagen and other German companies arrive in the area, they’ll be able to provide a proper welcome.
Instructor Karen Claypool uses children’s rhymes in the class teaching the basics in an easy way and encourages participants to speak without inhibitions.
“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake; you have to make at least 10,000 mistakes so you might as well make them now” she said.
Through a series of interactive songs, approximately 25 people from the business and civic areas began learning German last week in Ringgold, Ga. The one-month class offered by the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce held Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. is one way the Chamber is preparing for Volkswagen’s emergence locally, officials said.