| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Is possible to learn German properly? How much time does it require? Thread poster: Livia Formisani
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| Not necessarily the case | Jun 5, 2008 |
aceavila - Noni wrote:
One problem I do foresee is conversing with your boyfriend though - I maintain that people tend to stick to the language the relationship first started out in and that it's very tricky to change (well, that's the excuse my husband gives for not learning more than five words of English...).
when I first met my partner he spoke excellent English and I spoke no Italian, so obviously we communicated in English. When I moved to Rome, he stopped speaking to me in English - right from when he picked me up from the airport! 9 years later, we almost always speak in Italian - it feels odd to speak English with him now.
It's true that it makes a difference living in Italy, but in Livia's case the fact that neither she nor her boyfriend are native speakers of the language they currently communicate in will be a strong incentive to switch to one or other of their native tongues. It'll also make it easier for her to pick up her boyfriend's language, as others have pointed out.
So good luck, Livia!
[Edited at 2008-06-05 15:39]
| | | | | Don't try to be perfect, recognize the difficulty and value each little step | Jun 5, 2008 |
In addition to the several good practical advices others offered, I would like to stress the importance of attitude and motivation.
Some people are not able to learn foreign languages (especially as adults) because they are very conscious about what others may think of them when they use the language.
Children usually don't have the same kind of social inhibition, I think part of their success is that. They don't care whether they said it right, if as a result they got the co... See more In addition to the several good practical advices others offered, I would like to stress the importance of attitude and motivation.
Some people are not able to learn foreign languages (especially as adults) because they are very conscious about what others may think of them when they use the language.
Children usually don't have the same kind of social inhibition, I think part of their success is that. They don't care whether they said it right, if as a result they got the cookie they tried to ask for...
Grownups may be afraid of being laughed at, or finding themselves in awkward, embarrassing situations. Learning a language (or anything for that matter) requires a certain level of humility (and no doubt, could involve some humiliation). People give up learning because they start out with too high expectations and lose interest/motivation when they cannot accomplish that.
My suggestion to you is this:
- Accept that it will be difficult, and expect frustrations. When they come, you will be able to endure it with a calm mind - OK, this is what I expected, now what is next? Keep up your sense of humor.
- Appreciate all the little steps you take - there is no accomplishment that is too small. Take pride in yourself when you asked for directions on the street in German and got people to help you. Enjoy understanding more and more of the news headlines. (Think about the millions of people who are not able to do that.)
- Keep up your motivation (in your case, take good care of your boyfriend, so he would take care of you)
- Do not set unrealistic goals (or don't even set goals, if they put extra pressure on you)
- Do not give up!
Good luck
Katalin
[Edited at 2008-06-05 15:45] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Hinds 
United States
Local time: 11:50
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Having the right dictionary is critical.
In this case your dictionary comes equipped with two legs (and more); that's the best kind, so you should do well.
| | | | Karin Maack
Germany
Local time: 19:50
English to German
| Katalin is right | Jun 5, 2008 |
Especially don't expect to be able to read and understand the original language of German philosophers so soon. Most Germans (probably all those who haven't studied philosophy) find it also very difficult or don't understand it at all.
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Stephen Gobin
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:50
German to English
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| Ich sehe keinen Anlass Angst zu haben | Jun 5, 2008 |
I don't see any reason why you should feel apprehensive. After all, you say that you've studied English and French, enjoy languages, have lived in Brussels and now have a German partner. All good signs that indicate to me that it won't be a problem. And if you do translation/interpreting like the majority of people on proz.com, foreign languages are nothing less than your stock in trade and I would assume come fairly easily to you. Why should it be any different for German??
Of cour... See more I don't see any reason why you should feel apprehensive. After all, you say that you've studied English and French, enjoy languages, have lived in Brussels and now have a German partner. All good signs that indicate to me that it won't be a problem. And if you do translation/interpreting like the majority of people on proz.com, foreign languages are nothing less than your stock in trade and I would assume come fairly easily to you. Why should it be any different for German??
Of course, once you're in Germany you'll start picking it up if only to be able to interact with people on a daily basis and to have a life outside your home. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Livia Formisani
Luxembourg
Local time: 19:50
English to Italian
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TOPIC STARTER
...Once I asked to my boyfriend to explain "Erkenntnis" to me.
It took 45 minutes of questions and answers
Thanks a lot for the very good suggestions...Also true, being humble is the best way. I will.
[Edited at 2008-06-05 18:09]
| | | | Livia Formisani
Luxembourg
Local time: 19:50
English to Italian
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TOPIC STARTER | I studied the other two languages for almost ten years each... | Jun 5, 2008 |
Stephen Gobin wrote:
I don't see any reason why you should feel apprehensive. After all, you say that you've studied English and French, enjoy languages, have lived in Brussels and now have a German partner. All good signs that indicate to me that it won't be a problem. And if you do translation/interpreting like the majority of people on proz.com, foreign languages are nothing less than your stock in trade and I would assume come fairly easily to you. Why should it be any different for German??
True, but I studied English since I was 5 (although Italian school is not full of mothertongue teachers...) and French since I was 10...Starting at 25 again it's not the same
But yes, just a little bit of anxiety since I really believe that this is important for the two of us...I am going to read the thread of the multilingual families anyway
| | | | | US American learns German. So can you. | Jun 5, 2008 |
Look, I'm a US American, and a former engineer too, and I've learned German well enough to pass the Goethe Institute's Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung with decent marks. If I can do it, so can you.
Judging from your posts, your English is quite good. I've found German and English to be close linguistic relatives. My German girlfriend tells me that English is just German spoken with a mouthful of potatoes. Your command of English will definitely smooth your way into German.
... See more Look, I'm a US American, and a former engineer too, and I've learned German well enough to pass the Goethe Institute's Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung with decent marks. If I can do it, so can you.
Judging from your posts, your English is quite good. I've found German and English to be close linguistic relatives. My German girlfriend tells me that English is just German spoken with a mouthful of potatoes. Your command of English will definitely smooth your way into German.
Signing up at the local Volkshochschule, as Michelle suggests, is a good idea. All of the instructors I've had at Düsseldorf's VHS have been top notch. I'm sure that applies elsewhere too. You could also try the ASG Bidlungsforum. It's a VHS look-alike run by the Catholic Church; it offers similar value.
I've given up worrying about stepping in Fettnäpfchen. I'm sure that I commit some howlers now and then, but the Germans never laugh or become upset. Most of them know what it's like to try to communicate in someone else's language and this makes them uncommonly tolerant of mistakes. ▲ Collapse
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David Rumsey
Canada
Local time: 10:50
Member (2004)
Swedish to English
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| Consistency is a blessing... | Jun 5, 2008 |
I was one of those 2 kids in German class who started learning the language years ago. I also studied French, Russian, Latin and Swedish. After living in Germany and Sweden I work as a translator in those languages. The best thing about German:
1 - What you see if what you get. You pronounce everything exactly as it appears (contrast with French, Swedish or English).
2- German is systematic and consistent. The rules may be complex, but they are consistent. There are... See more I was one of those 2 kids in German class who started learning the language years ago. I also studied French, Russian, Latin and Swedish. After living in Germany and Sweden I work as a translator in those languages. The best thing about German:
1 - What you see if what you get. You pronounce everything exactly as it appears (contrast with French, Swedish or English).
2- German is systematic and consistent. The rules may be complex, but they are consistent. There are very few "exceptions" to the rule (in contrast with French and English).
3 - Once you master German, the road to Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish is much easier!
Viel Glück! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 10:50
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
First of all - you will do great.
A warning regarding pronunciation: Germany is the country of regional dialects (due to it's history - the various kingdoms spoke different kinds of German. It's fascinating.) Pretty much every German person speaks a regional dialect as well as "high German (Hochdeutsch)". In public and at the workplace, "Hochdeutsch" must be used at all times, never the regional dialect. How you speak at home or among friends, is up to you.
Please make... See more First of all - you will do great.
A warning regarding pronunciation: Germany is the country of regional dialects (due to it's history - the various kingdoms spoke different kinds of German. It's fascinating.) Pretty much every German person speaks a regional dialect as well as "high German (Hochdeutsch)". In public and at the workplace, "Hochdeutsch" must be used at all times, never the regional dialect. How you speak at home or among friends, is up to you.
Please make sure that you pronounce your German the way the newscasters on TV or radio do.
Speaking a regional dialect has nothing to do with lack of education as long as you are able to distinguish between dialect and high German. Not being able to speak "Hochdeutsch" however will smash any career. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My experience with German | Jun 6, 2008 |
It's great you want to learn German! It's a wonderful language:)
I started learning it 13 years ago. After 3 months when all I could say was "Ich spreche kein Deutsch. Bitte Englisch sprechen", I decided to go to Germany for one week on a student exchange program and I fell in love with the language. My advice to you - learn the rules for German spelling, and watch a lot of TV with a pen and a notebook. This is what I did 13 years ago. At first all I understood was "ja" and "nein";) Soon ... See more It's great you want to learn German! It's a wonderful language:)
I started learning it 13 years ago. After 3 months when all I could say was "Ich spreche kein Deutsch. Bitte Englisch sprechen", I decided to go to Germany for one week on a student exchange program and I fell in love with the language. My advice to you - learn the rules for German spelling, and watch a lot of TV with a pen and a notebook. This is what I did 13 years ago. At first all I understood was "ja" and "nein";) Soon I started to watch the original German soap operas (I recommend "Unter uns" RTL2, daily at 5:30 pm), followed by "Verbotene Liebe" (ARD, 6pm) or "Marienhof" 6:30pm, ARD) and write down entire phrases the way I heard them - since I knew the spelling rules, I usually got the words correctly and then checked them in the dictionary. This way I learnt what to say in practically all situations and soap operas are really an excellent source of knowledge;) This method proved very successful, and when my German friend (from the student exchange program) came to visit me 3 months later, I was able to communicate with her in German rather than in English. Obviously that was back in high school when I had a lot of time to watch soap operas but it really works, provided you are strongly motivated and systematic - half an hour TV every day:) Good luck with your German! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Germans are more tolerant than you think | Jun 6, 2008 |
Although you will stumble over grammatical issues over and over again, after having made the same mistake 20 times, you will get over it and finally gain fluency. And you will hardly find any German who will laugh at your attempts to learn our language. I had the same experience with Polish - which they claim is a complicated language as well. And after all - Italian has its grammatical pitfalls as well, so don't let yourself be put off by the cliché of a difficult language.
Anna's... See more Although you will stumble over grammatical issues over and over again, after having made the same mistake 20 times, you will get over it and finally gain fluency. And you will hardly find any German who will laugh at your attempts to learn our language. I had the same experience with Polish - which they claim is a complicated language as well. And after all - Italian has its grammatical pitfalls as well, so don't let yourself be put off by the cliché of a difficult language.
Anna's TV advice is a good one, too, and with all the free to air German channels on satellite, the choice is merely unlimited.
Within a couple of months, you should be doing fine! ▲ Collapse
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Livia Formisani
Luxembourg
Local time: 19:50
English to Italian
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TOPIC STARTER | To Nicole Schnell | Jun 6, 2008 |
First thanks a lot for the kind words as thanks again to all of you!
For the rest...:D Yes I think there will be no problem since my boyfriend is from Berlin and I am going to Munich
I bet he will stress me a lot about learning Hochdeutsch...Imagine what would happen if I talk to him with a Bayern accent...I just can't do that ... See more
| | | | Ioana Isai (X)
Austria
German to Romanian
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| German, German...but what about Italian? | Jun 29, 2008 |
I've just stumbled upon this topic and I find it great!
Dear Livializ,
it's wonderful that you want to learn German and I hope that your partner is not the only reason for doing this ... I am sure that once you will be living in Germany and "forced" to use the language, you will be surprised to see how fast you will be advancing... at lest that is what happened to me. And take it from someone who is someti... See more I've just stumbled upon this topic and I find it great!
Dear Livializ,
it's wonderful that you want to learn German and I hope that your partner is not the only reason for doing this... I am sure that once you will be living in Germany and "forced" to use the language, you will be surprised to see how fast you will be advancing... at lest that is what happened to me. And take it from someone who is sometimes still having trouble with the German article, it takes practice and...patience. And don't be afraid to tell the ones around you to correct your mistakes, it's very useful (you may find it annoying at first, but you'll get used to it).
And just another tip: thumbs up for your decision to learn German, but how about teaching your boyfriend a little Italian? quid pro quo... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Livia Formisani
Luxembourg
Local time: 19:50
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Hello Everybody!
So far I moved to Munich, now it´s almost two weeks that I am here, and my German is going better and better!
Boy, was so tough at the very beginning but now, since I had to look for a job and had to survive alone without asking for my boyfriend´s help anytime, is going better and better!
Now I understand newspaper´s headlines and almost everything at the supermarket (although habits are really different than in Italy: this was harder to get ... See more
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