By Stuart Parkes
Emeritus Professor of German
Aka Parkes K.S. (no.6368)
Extract
“My aim has solely been to write down my recollections of learning German whilst at school. I am certainly not suggesting that such an experience would be possible or sensible sixty years later. Dr Krips’s personality and presence, which fitted in with his big frame, made learning the fundamentals of learning German fun.
From the beginning, Dr Krips loomed larger than the textbook. He was an Austrian by birth, who had left at the time of the 1938 Anschluss. By training, he was a lawyer, his doctorate being in the area of jurisprudence. Despite or perhaps because of this unconventional background, his methods were equally unconventional.
They reflected his love of music, which was perhaps not surprising since his brother was the conductor Josef Krips. What he offered us was what might be termed rhythmic grammar. Using the window pole as a kind of drumstick and the much-indented floor as the drum, he beat out a rhythm to which we chanted ‘ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist’ etc.
When it came to the declension of nouns, especially masculine and neuter ones, he assumed his brother’s profession and conducted us through, for example, ‘der Mann, den Mann…’. The highlight was the dative plural form (den Männern) when he held out his hand and moved it slowly from left to right to make us continue the ‘n’ ending for several seconds until he abruptly raised his index finger. There was little excuse for anyone to omit this ‘n’ subsequently, as the declension concert was unforgettable …”
“From the beginning, Dr Krips loomed larger than the textbook. He was an Austrian by birth, who had left at the time of the 1938 Anschluss. By training, he was a lawyer, his doctorate being in the area of jurisprudence.
Despite or perhaps because of this unconventional background, his methods were equally unconventional.”
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