What is the practical way of learning German language?

December 14th, 2009 | by admin |

As of now I am trying my best to learn German language. But it seems that the school where I am enrolled to (here in Switzerland) is not quite so good and practical for me. The teacher do not speak the language I know – most of the time she draw something on the board that could help us understand what she says (it is like we are back in stone age or whatever age was it when people draw something to communicate to each other). Any way I find the strategy to be so unpractical it take us more than half an hour to understand a simple sintence. Most of the learning I have about German language as of now I learn it by reading books which I bought at the books store.
I want to learn German fast and easy. There might be a book which you can recommend. Thank you.

Sounds like your school’s method is immersion / the Berlitz method. The idea is that you’ll learn through context as babies do. It is frustrating at first but give it some time if you can — it really is a great way to learn.

Of course I am sure you are allowed to study on your own as well :-) and it is good you’re taking the initiative. If you’d like another way of supporting your learning, buy an easy book or a magazine in a subject you like a lot along with a dictionary German -> your native language, and go for it. Comic strips can be fun, or fashion magazines (stick to the descriptions of the models at first … you are female?).
When I was in Germany as a teenager, the book "Wir Kinder von Bahnhof Zoo" by Christiana F. had just come out. It is a haunting autobiography of a girl who became addicted to heroin when she was 12. I started reading it when I was able to understand people around me a bit (mostly teenagers), so because the book is written in "teenager language", I was able to understand it and read it quite quickly. I think it helped my German a lot, I got a better feel for the language, improved my vocabulary, moved a lot of terms from "passive" to "active knowledge" …
Don’t be afraid to browse the other sections of the bookstore, the children’s and teenager’s books, if you can understand the gist of the back cover and it sounds interesting, take it ‘home’ and try reading it. You may surprise yourself how well it will go.

Otherwise — IMHO, learning a language is fast and easy only if you are very talented or you already know a language that is very similar, like Dutch. Hang in there … if you’re in Switzerland in an immersion course, the start will be slow but soon the day will come when you’ll get a ‘feel’ for the language — something I think a book just can’t teach you.

Viel Glück

PS I presume you are in Zurich and not on Lake Geneva…

  1. 3 Responses to “What is the practical way of learning German language?”

  2. By ningerbil2000 on Dec 14, 2009 | Reply

    I don’t know about fast and easy, but:

    Keep getting the German-language books, if that works for you (and it seems to).

    Are there any German clubs at your school? Sometimes that helps. If not, could you start an out-of-class study session with some of your classmates?

    I like the multitude of CD-R0m programs and language CDs/tapes available. This helps get the language and dialect in your ear and is a multimedia way to practice (especially with the CD Rom programs). I like WorldTalk, and I’ve heard Rosetta Stone is excellent.

    Movies and cartoons — I know a lot of international students and those who are ESL have said they learned a lot of their English watching cartoons and movies. Are there any German-speaking films or shows you could watch? Or any that offer German-speaking translations, or even subbed in German?
    References :

  3. By Liz on Dec 14, 2009 | Reply

    Sounds like your school’s method is immersion / the Berlitz method. The idea is that you’ll learn through context as babies do. It is frustrating at first but give it some time if you can — it really is a great way to learn.

    Of course I am sure you are allowed to study on your own as well :-) and it is good you’re taking the initiative. If you’d like another way of supporting your learning, buy an easy book or a magazine in a subject you like a lot along with a dictionary German -> your native language, and go for it. Comic strips can be fun, or fashion magazines (stick to the descriptions of the models at first … you are female?).
    When I was in Germany as a teenager, the book "Wir Kinder von Bahnhof Zoo" by Christiana F. had just come out. It is a haunting autobiography of a girl who became addicted to heroin when she was 12. I started reading it when I was able to understand people around me a bit (mostly teenagers), so because the book is written in "teenager language", I was able to understand it and read it quite quickly. I think it helped my German a lot, I got a better feel for the language, improved my vocabulary, moved a lot of terms from "passive" to "active knowledge" …
    Don’t be afraid to browse the other sections of the bookstore, the children’s and teenager’s books, if you can understand the gist of the back cover and it sounds interesting, take it ‘home’ and try reading it. You may surprise yourself how well it will go.

    Otherwise — IMHO, learning a language is fast and easy only if you are very talented or you already know a language that is very similar, like Dutch. Hang in there … if you’re in Switzerland in an immersion course, the start will be slow but soon the day will come when you’ll get a ‘feel’ for the language — something I think a book just can’t teach you.

    Viel Glück

    PS I presume you are in Zurich and not on Lake Geneva…
    References :
    I was an exchange student in Germany

  4. By IamYashasfan on Dec 14, 2009 | Reply

    1.keep reading and listening german
    2.swiss and germany arent so far away. when u have holidays, why dont u just visit here? u will be pushed to speak it here because no people will like to speak english or other with u
    3.for the books, berliner platz 1-3 (standard here as i am learning for integration course) or themen neu 1-3
    both with CD so u will hear and write so much
    4.sometime if u find a german newspaper there, just cut an interesting news for u and try to see the vocabs that u didnt know so far. it works for me<!
    References :

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