German is considered to be one of the most difficult and complicated languages to learn. Even the famous Oscar Wilde said that life is too short to learn this language. Is that because it has cases and suffixes, so all the English enthusiasts fell over themselves to criticize it, or is it because German doesn’t have as much of a melody to it as, say, Italian, so it doesn’t fit in with the “beautiful” languages? I couldn’t say, but one thing I can say for sure it that absolutely everybody can learn it.
I’m not here to lecture you that discipline is king or that you must study every day, because I kind of assume that you already understand that.
I want to give you practical advice on how you can genuinely master what you need, whether you’re taking a course or learning independently.
- Speak and don’t stress about mistakes
Easy to say, hard to do. I know. 🙂 Now you’re probably thinking, “Well, how am I going to do that, Slađana? Am I supposed to publicly embarrass myself at work or in front of that one unpleasant coworker who can’t wait to correct me?” If you’re not brave enough to take this advice immediately, you could try the HelloTalk app, which is designed for you to teach someone a language you know, while someone else teaches you a language you want, exclusively through conversation. The app is designed so you can record voice messages and correct sentences, and other than that it looks like a regular chat app. Once you feel a little braver, hurry to try it in person. And why am I telling you not to stress about mistakes? You’ll learn grammar through practice, but you can only learn a language by speaking it. I bet you don’t even speak your first language perfectly. Why would you strive for perfection in a foreign language?
- Don’t rely on a textbook as your only source for learning
My students love it most when they see what sort of exercises I assign them for homework. Those will certainly never be workbook or textbook exercises, and not because I have anything in particular against them, but just because I believe that the way to learn actual spoken language is through everyday life situations. I often send them videos to watch and discuss, or a text from a newspaper to analyze. We live in a time where YouTube is widely available and social networks are everywhere, so why not use it? Follow some pages, but not just the language-learning ones. For example, if you like makeup, look up some popular makeup artists in Germany and follow them on Instagram or YouTube. That’s how you’ll pick up everyday language, and you’ll perceive it as fun rather than learning.
- Work on your vocabulary
As important as grammar is, vocabulary is what makes the final result. German has a lot of words, and to master all of them you have to immerse yourself in the language. If you live in Germany, it’s important to make friends who speak German as a first language, and participate in as many different activities as you can where you’ll have a chance to speak. If you haven’t moved yet, then try to surround yourself with the language as much as possible. Start by switching your phone settings to German, then follow some content on social networks, watch videos in German and set aside 15 minutes every day to learn a few useful words. I’m sure you can learn a lot independently just by doing this. And if you decide to use these methods combined with a course and a skilled mentor, real success is guaranteed. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
