8 tips for learning German

Think that you are not perfect. Do you remember when you learned to ride a bike? Did you drive perfectly from the first time you sat in the saddle? Well, in the same way when you learn a new language, you will have to make mistakes and for this reason, you should not be ashamed, much less give up.

You have to have a reason to learn

Before embarking on the adventure of thinking about what type of materials you should acquire to start your studies and the method you are going to use, it is preferable to take a step back until you find and understand the reason why you want to speak German

Try to have fun studying

You must remember at all times that language is above all oral communication, since the written alphabet of any language, in this case, German, is only a collection of symbols that are used to represent the sounds of the language, and you should not expect that be able, at least for a long time, to pick up on all the nuances of sound and intonation.

For this reason you should from the beginning try to develop a “good ear” for German. An easy and fun way to do this is by listening to music and watching German movies.

Overcome problems from the start

When learning a foreign language, it is common for listening skills to develop faster than speaking skills, leaving the student in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand but unable to respond. A good way to overcome this problem is to talk to yourself as much as possible . Because no one else is around, you won’t be overwhelmed by the inhibition that so often overwhelms the beginning language learner.

Organize your home like a mini Germany

At first, it is not necessary to live or visit Germany to face the German language. Fortunately, there are several ways to create an ideal environment to immerse yourself in the German language within your own home.

For example:

• A good idea is to make your computer multilingual and better yet, for its result is to turn it into a German-only system.

Use flashcards

One of the best tips we can give you is to create and use flashcards. Make cards that are small enough to carry easily with you, and write English on one side and German on the other. Make sure you always have some cards with you. This way, you can capture “lost or leisure” time (queuing, riding the bus, waiting for class to start, etc.) and turn it into productive study time. Even if you only have a couple of minutes, you can use it to study some flashcards.

Do not be discouraged

Of course, it is almost impossible that progress in learning any subject, let alone languages, does not describe a straight line . Therefore, you should not expect to make the same progress, day after day, week after week. It is likely that sometimes you have difficulties, and it seems that you do not progress. You should not be discouraged by this, as it is normal to reach plateaus in your learning progress. If you find yourself “stuck,” try spending time going back and reviewing things that you already know well. This often helps you prepare to move to the next level.

It is very important to practice with natives

To advance your German studies in the fastest way, try to speak from the first day you start learning German. This approach of speaking from day one is the fastest and most effective way to learn German, especially if you speak to native German speakers.

Lastly, focus on the easy parts of the German

Many people think that German is a really difficult language to learn. I don’t buy that point of view.

In fact, German has many things going for it that make it considerably easier than many other languages. When learning German, the trick is to focus on those parts of German that are easy to learn. On top of that, you can find tricks to help you get around the parts that are perceived to be more difficult.

Conclusions

Learning German, or any other language requires a long period of sustained exposure to German. You haven’t learned your first language in a few months, so don’t think a second will come faster. Even a baby listens a lot before speaking. Don’t be discouraged if the pace seems slow. And use all the resources at your disposal to read, listen, write and speak:

• Find your reason to learn German.
• Immerse yourself in the German language by creating a Mini-Germany in your home.
• Make smart use of linguistic tricks.
• Use conversation jacks to sound fluent and save time.
• Speak from day one, especially with native speakers.
• Realize that German is much easier than you think.