Last summer I started learning German. I had this great opportunity at work, to sign up for language courses with the company's financial support. It was mainstream languages we were talking about (so, don't think about Chinese and Japanese, at least not yet :P ), but still, guess what. Of the entire offer, I chose the most difficult one: German. Why this choice? Because, as you know, I like a challenge, and because German is a language that is a little bit too difficult to learn by yourself through a self-taught course. Been there, done that, didn't last. :)
Two days ago I had my final exam, and I passed. Although I may not miss waking up at 6 every Tuesday morning, I will miss the course, because it was fun. What were my conclusions, and what advice would I give you if you were ever to embark on studying the language of Goethe?
1. Get used to the idea that it's not easy. Some myths I had heard in the past it that if you are a fluent English speaker, it would be easy to learn or understand German as well, or that it has straightforward and predictable rules. First of all, the resemblance with English is almost unperceivable, apart from some grammar rules. And those rules, well, they may be rather straightforward, but, again, they bear no resemblance to other languages.
2. All nouns are written with a capital letter, not only names. It may take a while to get used to it.
3. Reading rules are quite easy. Although you don't read as you write, there are quite a few letters and small groups of letters which are read in particular ways, and which are taught from the beginning. Do your best to remember them.
4. Be prepared for lots of composed words, which take ages to read and write, and the tongue twists that come with them. Or maybe that gets sorted out with a good supply of Jagermeister!
5. Be also prepared for words which, although in most European languages sound similar, in German they sound completely different. And sometimes even harsh. Did you know that surprise/sorpresa/surpriza in German is Uberraschung? And yes, your chocolate egg is a Kinder Uberraschung! :P
6. What almost killed me is the word order in sentences. Sometimes you feel like you play puzzle with words, and there are specific places in the sentence for each word, which must be respected, and afterwards you re-arrange all the words.
7. Prepositions are also a bit tricky, and change according to context, like time vs. place, or positioning of the object. My favourite one is 'zwischen' (between). Sounds funky! :)
8. Start by reading easy texts, and see how much you understand. Or watch movies when you have the chance, so that you hear the spoken language.
9. Ask your teacher, wherever possible, to tell you about German/Austrian culture and traditions. Or you can search for information yourself, and eventually ask about it in class. It gives heart and personality to the language, and it makes the course more interesting.
10. I saved the most important part for the end. I was told that, when it comes to German, you have to like it, otherwise you won't manage. It's true. And in order to like it, go there prepared to have fun, and be curious and playful. Don't look at it like it is that-burden-of-a-difficult-language, but simply something new to learn, and which in the end you might actually enjoy.
Am I encouraging you to study German? Yes - not only if you need it for work or school, but if you simply want to set your brain in motion. No - if you believe you're not good with languages, or if you give up when it gets tough. You may make it sound sweet like Romy Schneider in 'Sissi', or cold and calculated like Angela Merkel's political speech, or you may just want to sing Rammstein at the karaoke - but I promise it is worth it. :)
