Wishing to land a good job in Germany? Their native language might be a hurdle for you. Germany is one of the countries which prefers its native language and offers opportunities to those who have a good hand in it. So, learning German becomes the last option in that scenario.
Reaching a good level of proficiency in the language needs dedication, time, and effort. In this tech-oriented era, there are several ways one can attain knowledge- online, offline, using applications, real-life experiences, free or paid. To accelerate the process, you can use not only one but many options. In this blog, you will see the best and easy ways to start learning the language (yeah, mastering it needs a lot of backbreaking work).
Forms of German
The standardised version of the German language- Hochdeutsch, or High German. It is the spoken and the official form of German that is taught in schools. Moreover, people speak Swiss German that is called Schweizerdeutsch but use Hochdeutsch to study and read. To learn German, might take around 750 classroom hours or 30 weeks. With consistent practice, one can get a good hold over it in two years.
Tip- To be called a fluent German speaker, you need to know 10,000+ words.
How To Learn the German Language?
There are some easy steps to get yourself into a totally different language.
- Knowing the Alphabet
It is the first step to set up a strong foundation for learning a new language. When it is a foreign language, you have to be very clear with the vowels and consonants and how they are pronounced.
- Learning Important and Easy Words
For both speaking and comprehending what others are saying, expanding vocabulary is significant. Get a strong grip on the words and then learn how to form the phrases.
- Basic Grammar: Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
It is the third step in the process that will take you to an advanced level. Learning German online is made easy with a plethora of websites, applications, tutors, and more. Learning how words and phrases can be formed in different tenses and point of time is what reading, speaking, and comprehending is all about. You will learn conjugations, linguistic cases, and contexts in which they behave.
- Sentence Formation
Yes, the steps are mainly similar to those that we have followed to learn any other foreign language. Like if English is also not your first language, then also you might have gone through the same series of steps.
So, in this step, you will learn the sentences that are very basic and limited in the expression of mood and tense. The mood here means conjunctive and subjunctive. As a result of your practice, the sentences will take the form of more complex ones.
Take a look at some basic German phrases-
- Please: Bitte
- Thank you or thank you very much: Dankeschön or Vielen Dank
- You’re welcome: Bitteschön (or, actually, just Bitte)
- How are you? Wie geht’s?
- I’m fine, thanks: Mir geht’s gut, danke
- And maybe not so basic: I love you: Ich Liebe Dich
- Befriending with German Speakers
This can be an additional step here. You can talk to native speakers to know how they pronounce certain words and what expressions they use while speaking. Socialising with German speakers frequently will give you an atmosphere where you can flourish more easily. It is an excellent way to practice because it can also guide you and correct you through your mistakes. You can contact Online German teachers and resources who have been doing the same for many years and find help from them.
- German Songs
Reaching this step might take you a few months. But try watching some German clips and videos with subtitles in English and start learning the basics. For example, how to greet anyone or how to ask for water or an address in German. It will help you in keeping engaged with authentic German audio as well as text too. Moreover, if you wish to pace up your online German learning process, then watch weather and news reports in the language, yeah this can be a daunting thing to do in the beginning, but it can be made a part of the process.
In a crux
Nothing is easy, consistency and right motivation always help to learn or achieve what we desire for. It’s been said, “The more you know the lesser you know”. Therefore, If learning German is in your bucket list for better opportunities, take that first step.