How hard is it to learn German?

[theboybilly]

I really want to visit Germany. I can get by in France with my school French but would like to make a better fist of the native tongue on a longer stay in Bavaria Trouble is, it just looks so difficult. A lot of French is so easy to translate, but German seems to be so complicated. I was just thinking there might be a couple of small keys that unlock the whole language to a beginner

 

[KingstonSeagull]

I would say it was probably one of the easiest languages to learn...

 

[Gwylan]

German is much easier to pronounce than French, that's the good news. There's a tortuous grammar, that's the bad.

If you've done Latin and are used to accustives, datives and genitives, it's a lot easier.

I started from scratch in 1983 and through a mixture of evening classes, a residential course and a small bit of private tuition, I was fluent within six years so it's not that difficult

 

[SeagullSongs]

German really isn't that bad, once the structure has clicked then it makes a lot of sense. I learnt some using Michel Thomas' language tapes a few years ago, but I've forgotten most of it now

 

[KingstonSeagull]

Also it is not prerequisite to learn German to visit Germany, they don't have a test upon entry.. that and most Germans speak very good English...

 

[Man of Harveys]

Es its doch ganz einfach.

Learn as much vocab as you can, not all those weird grammar rules about the dative or accusative and all that crap. That falls into place naturally later.

 

[theboybilly]

I know what your saying KS but I find you get a much better response if you at least give the local language a go. The Dutch amaze me at how any speak English

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I really want to visit Germany. I can get by in France with my school French but would like to make a better fist of the native tongue on a longer stay in Bavaria Trouble is, it just looks so difficult. A lot of French is so easy to translate, but German seems to be so complicated. I was just thinking there might be a couple of small keys that unlock the whole language to a beginner

I did a bit and liked it. I find the compound words really funny. I know it sounds like quite a "harsh" language, but I like it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Also it is not prerequisite to learn German to visit Germany, they don't have a test upon entry.. that and most Germans speak very good English...

This is debatable. A lot do. But equally a lot do not.

How easy is it? Ask me in two years.

 

[Gwylan]

...most Germans speak very good English...

Simply not true. Lots of young people do and they will in tourist places but there are large numbers who don't speak any.

I had a few German friends who spoke English and occasionally went to stay with friends of theirs: not a single one of them spoke English. Not even educated Germans are guaranteed to speak English: I stayed in the house of a gynecologist who scarcely spoke a word of it. In fact, when my non-German-speaking mate joined us, he switched to Latin!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Simply not true. Lots of young people do and they will in tourist places but there are large numbers who don't speak any.

I had a few German friends who spoke English and occasionally went to stay with friends of theirs: not a single one of them spoke English. Not even educated Germans are guaranteed to speak English: I stayed in the house of a gynecologist who scarcely spoke a word of it. In fact, when my non-German-speaking mate joined us, he switched to Latin!

True. Even in the touristy places the minute you step into a supermarket few staff, if any, will speak English from my experience.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I did a bit and liked it. I find the compound words really funny. I know it sounds like quite a "harsh" language, but I like it.

Some of the translations are excellent and make perfect sense. Why make a new word when you can stick a load of old ones together? Gloves are hand shoes. Their word for helicopter is upward screw. Slugs are nude snailes.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

Simply not true. Lots of young people do and they will in tourist places but there are large numbers who don't speak any.

I had a few German friends who spoke English and occasionally went to stay with friends of theirs: not a single one of them spoke English. Not even educated Germans are guaranteed to speak English: I stayed in the house of a gynecologist who scarcely spoke a word of it. In fact, when my non-German-speaking mate joined us, he switched to Latin!

I went to a tiny town in the Saarland on a training camp and everyone spoke a very good standard of English

 

[nwgull]

It's always good to learn a bit of local lingo even if the locals speak decent English just to show a bit of respect. German vocab isn't too bad. Grammar can be a bit tricky until you get used to it; e.g. verb goes to end of sentence in the past tense.

 

[RandyWanger]

I was working in St Johann, Austria for a month. I went with no German language skills, by the time I left I knew enough to be polite, asking for things, ordering food and drinks etc. A little goes a long way. If you plough in with "sprechen sie Englisch?" you wont be very popular. If you try and they know you're struggling, they'll talk in English, most people I met speak English and love talking to English people to improve their own language skills.
Good luck

 

[Wellesley]

When I went to Germany, I noticed even little kids of 4 or 5 were talking German, so it can't be that hard.

 

[SI 4 BHA]

True. Even in the touristy places the minute you step into a supermarket few staff, if any, will speak English from my experience.

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

It is good to have a few local words but in all my visits to Germany, at least half a dozen, I have never really had to speak any German. In fact, if I try, the person I'm speaking to usually replies in English! Stick to speaking to people under about 40, and you won't need any German.

The Germans are really great, I remember I was in Koln during the World Cup in 2006 at the fan zone, and met a group of locals who said that as I was a guest in their city, the drinks were on them all night!

 

[Mackenzie]

Its a great language (and country). I think its easier than French to learn. Go for it.

 

[essbee]

Wellesley,

That is the funniest post of today for me.

 

[Stat Brother]

You should be able to do it quite schnell.