Learn German in Germany
SINCE people covered under the European Union are mandated to acquire a second language during their basic and college education, it is recommended to take up German. The language is used by 100 million people all over the world and is treated as a second language by 20 million more. When 20 million people are trying hard to learn German, that’s something to ponder. German is used in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Denmark, Belgium and parts of Switzerland, France, Hungary and Poland. German is popularly taught in most German colleges not only as a requirement for their students but also as a second language course for foreigners. What better place to study German then in Germany itself where the language has originated back when the country was ruled by warring tribes as far back as the tenth century. Please be aware too that German has three distinctive dialects – standard German, Swiss German and Austrian German. So if you’ve already acquired standard German as a second language, don’t pass off as a Swiss German if you’re in Switzerland. Otherwise, you’ll sound ridiculous.
A typical German course lasts up to 48 weeks. So this course is really not intended for tourists intending to visit Germany just for a week. This program is for people who are sent by their employers to study German here in Germany so they can use the language they’ve acquired while negotiating with their employers’ stakeholders who are German speakers. A typical day at the language school begins with a session from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. After lunch and some siesta time, the students will converge for some sports activities at the school. In short, German is not the only thing taught in language schools here. To make the sessions not monotonous, extracurricular activities are included. Psychological studies have shown that students can’t have conducive learning in a lecture-induced environment. A typical German course is focused on grammar training, oral and written skills and use of multimedia in the presentation of the lessons. Multimedia is particularly important in emphasizing pronunciation, accent and twang of various German terms. You will also be working with a language partner. A language partner is a native German speaker who will assist in evaluating your learning process. In return, he or she will also want to learn your native language as well. For example, if you are a Chinese student, then your language partner may want to acquire Mandarin as a second language too from you.
When you are studying German in Germany, you don’t need to worry on where to board because boarding fee is already part of the tuition. There are dormitories already pre-earmarked by the language school once you’re enrolled there. Of course, you will share a room with other students and that’s where the excitement begins. Your fellow students will invite you to jam with them after language sessions of the day are over. This is where you will find out about the real Germany – not from the point of view of the tourists but from the point of view of the Germans themselves. Don’t wander around tourist spots but in public places where real Germans frequent. Try to catch their loud conversations if you can understand. If you can understand the dialogue perfectly, then you may be fluent in the German language already.