Apr 16 2009
The Awful German Language–Learning a Foreign Language
Yesterday, I shared some advice on using your travel experiences to advance your career. One of those tips was to learn a foreign language: “Samir Prakash Sahoo [a graduate student] believes languages are the ultimate key to international success.”
Learning languages is tough for many people, though. There are a lot of words, new grammar structures, idioms, and in some cases different alphabets to learn and adults often don’t have the time or the patience it takes to truly apply themselves and learn a new language. It’s tough work!
German is the language that I’ve been learning on and off my whole life. I haven’t been as successful (or as dedicated) as I should have been, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one that’s struggled with the German language.
Mark Twain, a master of words, also struggled with German—in fact, he called devoted a whole section to “The Awful German Language” in his book A Tramp Abroad.
Can anyone else identify with this feeling about German (or any other foreign language)?
“Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp. One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way; and when at last he thinks he has captured a rule which offers firm ground to take a rest on amid the general rage and turmoil of the ten parts of speech, he turns over the page and reads, “Let the pupil make careful note of the following EXCEPTIONS.”
Know that you’re not the only one struggling! There are plenty of tips out there for learning a foreign language quickly, but some that I’ve heard and agree with include:
- Learn with someone else. Language is about talking, after all.
- Start with childrens’ books.
- Watch familiar movies and TV shows in the foreign language.
Related Posts
Living as an American in Germany: World Blog Surf Day
A Lesson in Global Dining Etiquette
