Search Engines & Strategies
Finding what you are looking for on the Internet can be a challenge. Given the abundance of information, it is helpful to have some guidance for making one’s search more efficient. Google is by far the most popular search engine and does not require any further explanation. I have researched different types of search engines and described their features with an introductory paragraph comparing them by using the same keywords. Since my website is supposed to help German learners I have included search engines from German speaking countries as well. I used two words for my sample search: “Fredericksburg”, the home town of Mary Washington University in Virginia, and “Fastnacht”, the German Mardi Gras.
Web search engines can be divided into three basic categories:
1. General search engines
2. Multi-threaded search engines
3. Categorical search engines
At the bottom of the page I have listed strategies for teachers and students of German that I have found useful when seaking to find material for language learning, history and cultural subjects of German-speaking countries.
Web search engines can be divided into three basic categories:
1. General search engines
2. Multi-threaded search engines
3. Categorical search engines
At the bottom of the page I have listed strategies for teachers and students of German that I have found useful when seaking to find material for language learning, history and cultural subjects of German-speaking countries.
1. General Search Engines
Quite an array of search engines is available, some of which are better than others. The best known is undoubtedly Google, others are AlltheWeb, Bing, Euroseek, Excite, HotBot, Kanoodle, Northern Light, WebCrawler et al. General search engines crawl the web like spiders and cache the information. The above list is far from inclusive since there are dozens of general search websites. I have used and analyzed the following:
Alta Vista
Yahoo!
GermanyCrawler
Alta Vista
Yahoo!
GermanyCrawler
2. Multi-threaded Search Engines
Multi-threaded and meta-search tools send direct your search to multiple Internet search engines.
This convenient interface can save time and prevent having to go through pages of the same results for different search engines, since the results are more relevant and comprehensive.
Examples of multi-threaded search engines are Highway 61, MetaCrawler and Metor.
Examples of meta-search tools are Dogpile and AskJeeves.
To get some experience with multi-threaded search engines I have tried MetaCrawler.
This convenient interface can save time and prevent having to go through pages of the same results for different search engines, since the results are more relevant and comprehensive.
Examples of multi-threaded search engines are Highway 61, MetaCrawler and Metor.
Examples of meta-search tools are Dogpile and AskJeeves.
To get some experience with multi-threaded search engines I have tried MetaCrawler.
3. Categorical Search Engines
Categorical search engines are specific to a category as the name stipulates. These search engines are very useful when one knows exactly what type of media or other general are of interest one is looking for. For German learners it is important to know that most German cities have a website with all pertinent information about transportation, maps, white and yellow pages, sightseeing, restaurants, news, cultural events, real estate, job market, weather and traffic. The default address is www.(nameof city).de. If the city name includes an Umlaut (ä, ö, ü), ae, oe and ue can be used instead. The eszet (ß) can be substituted by ss. Austrian cities follow the same pattern with the ending “.at”, Swiss cities have the ending “.ch”.
Example Hamburg, Germany: www.hamburg.de
Example Innsbruck, Austria: www.innsbruck.at
Example Zürich, Switzerland: www.zuerich.ch
I have tried the following categorical search engines to get a better understanding:
YouTube
SwissInfo.ch
Example Hamburg, Germany: www.hamburg.de
Example Innsbruck, Austria: www.innsbruck.at
Example Zürich, Switzerland: www.zuerich.ch
I have tried the following categorical search engines to get a better understanding:
YouTube
SwissInfo.ch
Strategies
Being a fanatic Googler, I have to say that google will continue to be my first choice when searching for material to supplement my German class. While it is true that multi-threaded search engines will provide main websites in a more efficient fashion, I would like to maintain that looking for a good exercise to practice the German subjunctive or finding an internet project exercise for Austria are not exactly mainstream queries. The best material for creative lesson plans can be found on some obscure web page created by a dedicated teacher in a forgotten corner of the world far from big name institutions. Google will still find them, although they might be on page 98. One just needs to be patient. If you are just looking for mainstream material from reputable places that might not be truly inspiring, but certainly adequate in a standard way, then definitely use multi-threaded search engines.
Categorical search engines bring wonderful results when you want to assemble a specific project that either requires specific media or a specific topic. In foreign language instruction and learning it is always beneficial to have a good idea of geography and history. Use that information to find the nearest bigger city and don't forget to have a look at local websites.
It is still best to create your own projects and materials if you are stuck with a book that does not live up to your standards. Whatever you create on your own is yours and you do not have to worry about copy rights.
Categorical search engines bring wonderful results when you want to assemble a specific project that either requires specific media or a specific topic. In foreign language instruction and learning it is always beneficial to have a good idea of geography and history. Use that information to find the nearest bigger city and don't forget to have a look at local websites.
It is still best to create your own projects and materials if you are stuck with a book that does not live up to your standards. Whatever you create on your own is yours and you do not have to worry about copy rights.
Web Resources
Here you can find web resources.
© 2011 Bea Pody