How hard is it to learn German?

[pishhead]

I've been to Germany a lot over the past two years. The older generation speak little English, I've tried learning it as I think my girlfriend would eventually like to move back but I find it a real struggle.

 

[pishhead]

Also I think it goes to show how poor/lazy we are with regards to learning a second language. Something that will only change when our schooling system decides how beneficial having a second language can be.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

a gynecologist who scarcely spoke a word of it.

I'm sure there is a joke in there somewhere about lip movement.

I've just start teaching myself Spanish. The only lessons I had were two weeks of Spanish school in South America. I want to learn German eventually.

Are there any good books/DVDs out there for multiple languages?

 

[mune ni kamome]

Don't tell him Pike

 

[piersa]

Watch top secret, you will be fluent in no time

 

[Algernon]

German is spoken exactly as it is written. Easy if you know the sounds that letters and the combinations of letters make.

 

[Boris Yeltsin]

Do the Germans have a word for "fluffy"?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It took me four years of study to get an 'O' level in French. Two years for German.

 

[tinycowboy]

If you do go ahead and try to learn, make sure you do a course that is mainly or completely oral - don't sit at home with a grammar book. Learning a language as an adult is harder because of our inhibitions about pronunciation. Someone who can make themselves understood by being able to speak a bit and understand when people answer (ie people who by a mainly oral/aural method) can get by much better than people who can construct a grammatically-perfect sentence very very slowly and then struggle to understand the answer (people who learn out of books). Once you get started, you'll find many words are similar as English is a Germanic language. German people are generally willing to give credit to someone who makes an effort to speak their language - like most people. Good luck!

 

[GreersElbow]

Nicht sehr, Deutsche ist nur sehr langweilig.

 

[BensGrandad]

Most service men who served in the army or RAF in Germany in the 60s learnt it quite quickly to actually speak it and be understood without all of the grammar etc.

 

[scotjem]

If you're off to Bavaria, its not Hoch Deutsch you want.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raZdUvrOahU

 

[tinycowboy]

Nicht sehr, Deutsche ist nur sehr langweilig.

Needs work, GE, needs work...

 

[GreersElbow]

Needs work, GE, needs work...

It has been 5 years since I left Hove Park. I never wanted to learn German, I wanted Spanish as it was sexy. That's my excuse.

 

[tinycowboy]

It has been 5 years since I left Hove Park. I never wanted to learn German, I wanted Spanish as it was sexy. That's my excuse.

Spanish does sound nicer. But what's your excuse for being an accountant?

 

[Stat Brother]

It took me four years of study to get an 'O' level in French. Two years for German.

Is it not the case that knowing 2 similar languages to a high standard, would make learning a third similar language 'easier'.

Do you think learning Russian would have taken half the time of French.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Isn't that because they aren't German? Usually Turks/Poles/Ukrainian etc.

No, it's because they're Germans who do not, generally, speak English. My point is that a lot of the 'Germans all speak English' attitude is perpetuated by foreigners who do not fully step out of the tourist zone i.e. the centres of big cities. Granted many of them do, and to an amazing level and most of the places I go there is a high level of English to be found but I do not have to go very far and the level drops away rapidly.

Also, remember that a lot of East Germans learnt Russian as their second language.

 

[soistes]

I lived in Berlin for a few years in the 90s, and made the effort to learn German. It was an effort, but definitely worth it. I agree with Herr Tubthumper that it certainly isn't the case that all Germans can or will speak English -- most of my German colleagues did, in a professional environment, but if you wanted to deal with everyday life in shops, bars etc, let alone deal with officialdom (tax forms, the health service, getting your car fixed etc) you need to learn the language. It took me about 6 months to get to a reasonable level of fluency, going to regular evening classes (Deutsch fuer Auslaender: German for foreigners) at a Volkshochschule (a kind of adult education college), which were very cheap and very good. I also had to insist that colleagues spoke to me in German (even though it was painful for them at first, given that they spoke good English). Having said that, although I can now understand pretty much everything that's said to me, and can converse well in reasonably idiomatic German, writing correct German is a completely different kettle of fish and sometimes I still struggle with that.

As a Brit, you also get a huge amount of credit/respect for having made the effort to learn the language (this is true elsewhere as well, of course, but I found that Germans really seemed to appreciate it).

 

[madinthehead]

I have been living in Germany now for almost 10 years... It is a definitely a tough language and the grammar is a lot tougher than French.. I completely underestimated it.. I came here with virtually no German, but managed after a year and a half to get a job in IT doing roll outs and telephone support for the whole of Germany, that 6 month contract sorted me out completely.. Having to think on my feet, I just winged the grammar and concentrated on trying to get my message across.. Not one of my colleagues spoke any English..
Now as I said almost 10 years here, I still don't particularly look forward to writing in German, but can speak it completely fluently..
If you are not going to be out here for a long period of time, forget the grammar, just learn words you need.. If there are phrases you regularly need, carry a notebook with you, write them in English, get help translating the phrases and when bored flick through the book.
I watched a load of German who wants to be a millionaire and bought a footy management game in German, helps learning without feeling like its a chore.. Good luck!

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

isn't it just like english but a bit more angry?