Go like Silk
Read like Silk
in German
Flow through texts
with the ease of silk.
Go like Silk
Table of contents
- What Read like Silk?
- Who is it for?
- What will I learn?
- What will change for me?
- How is it organised?
- What do we actually do?
- Where is it?
- What does it cost?
- How can I register?
What is Read like Silk in German?
Do you need to read and understand written texts in German but find yourself shying away from them? This can happen for a number of different reasons. It can make us pass over or misunderstand important information or miss opportunities, appointments or deadlines. Not understanding written texts can be annoying and even have legal consequences.
What can we do about this? Reading is like talking – to understand what someone has written, we need to engage with them and at the same time be aware of what we want. When we Read like Silk, we no longer feel uneasy about reading texts in German and learn to trust in our ability to understand them.
In our workshop Read like Silk in German, we work with authentic German professional and bureaucratic texts typical for Austria. We use different activities and exercises to analyse and understand them. In this way, you will learn to read German documents efficiently and deal with them as necessary.
Together, we ask questions such as:
- How can I efficiently read and understand texts written in German?
- How can I know what a German text expects and wants from me?
- What additional information do I need?
- How can I react appropriately to messages expressed indirectly in German written communication?
- How can I engage confidently and successfully with written communication coming from superiors, colleagues, business partners and clients in German?
- How can I overcome my problems with reading German texts at work and in other important situations?
One answer is our concept of Relational Reading : Reading is a relational process. All texts have been written by people with specific wishes, expectations and assumptions. When we read, we want to find out what someone wants to tell us. At the same time, we bring our own wishes, expectations and assumptions to the words we read. The words are not just marks on a page; they affect our thoughts, feelings and actions.
Silk glides smoothly even over rough patches. When we approach reading as a relational process, we can flow through texts like silk.
Who is it for?
Read like Silk in German is for everyone who already has a good knowledge of German (level B1 or higher) and wants to manage written communication in German confidently:
- Do you want to read written documents competently and know what to do with the information they give you?
- Do you worry about understanding written documents from official bodies and companies, regardless of your language level?
- Do you want to understand and navigate the domain of Austrian bureaucracy and professional written communication more efficiently?
- Do you want to feel more confident with written communication such as job ads, e-mails, reports, minutes etc. as part of internal and external corporate communication?
- Do you want to learn how to manage problems in written communication with public institutions, superiors, clients etc.?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then Read like Silk in German is right for you. The workshop will give you the know-how you need and the tools to put it into practice.
What will I learn?
You will:
- learn to trust your reading and comprehension skills and feel empowered when you read German texts.
- become familiar with the typical expressions, abbreviations and grammatical forms (e.g., nominalisations and passive constructions) used in Austrian and other German official documents.
- develop reading strategies based on what you already know in order to identify the main messages in German texts and to react as needed.
- recognise implicit and explicit expectations and instructions in German written communication.
- no longer feel stressed or under pressure when you read texts in German.
What will change?
When you’ve learned how to Read like Silk:
- You will no longer worry about understanding what you read. You will know that you will be able to make sense of it.
- Official documents will no longer seem confusing or overwhelming. You will have the tools to analyse what they are about.
- You will no longer trip over unexpected words and phrases. You will be able to apply practical reading and comprehension strategies.
- You will not regard written communication as a struggle. You will read fluently and with confidence.
How is it organised?
Read like Silk runs for five (consecutive) half-days, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, including coffee breaks.
The workshop is held by both Michèle and Michael with 6 to 10 participants. Upon completion of the workshop, you will receive a certificate on paper confirming your successful participation.
What do we actually do?
The programme for the 5 half-day workshop consists of the following:
- Day 1: Introduction; basic text analysis, identifying and categorising textual structures, explaining and paraphrasing complex expressions common in German official written communication
- Day 2: Relational Reading: Analysing and understanding official instructions based on authentic text excerpts; What am I being asked to do? By whom? By when? On what grounds? etc.; discussing and using typical abbreviations in official texts
- Day 3: Letters in German: dealing with stress; how to ask the right questions and obtain necessary information; practicing comprehension strategies with authentic German texts
- Day 4: Understanding and completing forms. What exactly is being asked? What information should I provide? In which way? How can I present the facts in a way that suits my purpose? Which documents do I need to attach? How do I need to submit the form?
- Day 5: Analysis of different types of texts using diagonal reading: recognising text structure and information flow; compiling checklists for text analysis; practicing writing texts in the style of Austrian bureaucracy. Discussing your individual questions and concerns.
Where is it?
For Read like Silk, we invite you to our office in Vienna, Austria.
Nussdorfer Strasse 20/12
1090 Vienna
You can reach us via the lines 5, 33, 37, 38 and 40A (stop “Nußdorfer Straße / Alserbachstraße”). The train station Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof (lines R40, REX41, REX4, S40 and D) is about 7 minutes (on foot) away. There are several parking garages within a walking distance of 10 minutes.
If you would like us to bring Read like Silk directly to your company or organisation, please get in touch. At present, we do not offer online coaching.
What does it costs?
Price for 5-half-day workshop per person: €1,620 – 1.350€ plus 20 % VAT (€270)
The price includes:
- your own piece of silk in a Go like Silk box so you can continue to practice flowing at home
- Read like Silk checklists for efficient reading strategies as a handy guide and reminder
- “How to Go like Silk” folder with summary and further reading recommendations
- coffee, tea and non-alcoholic drinks when the workshop is held at our office
- your certificate upon completion of the workshop
We offer a reduced rate of €840 – €700 plus 20 % VAT (€140) for students, people doing their military service or Zivildienst as well as others on a reduced income.
We would like to offer our services to everyone who wants to learn more about Kindness Communication. If our regular prices exceed your financial resources, please get in touch with us. We wish to find a solution that works for us and for you.
How can I register?
We offer Read like Silk on request for you, your company or organisation. If you would like to arrange individual dates, please get in touch.
Please note our terms and conditions for participating and our information on accessibility.
To be fluent means to flow.
Go like Silk