We all have our reasons why we want to learn a particular language. It could be just for fun or a hobby, it could be for the purpose of traveling abroad to study or work for a big company or it could be to impress your friends and family. Whichever reason it is, you’re still going to learn the same language, go through the same class and achieve the same end goal or result. For those of you that don’t know this yet, the German language is divided into levels. It’s just like a game. It gets harder each time you move to the next level, but you’ll also get better.
There are many other writeups like this on the internet, about learning the German language easily, and this is just one of them. But the only problem now is that they all come from the same source, and are based on facts that they think will help anyone, which doesn’t. We will share short stories from people who were once in your position and how they were able to overcome it. So basically, you’ll be able to learn from real people, instead on depending on random facts that were made just to make a website look good. So, here are some of the tips that can help you pass the German language test with ease. It’s literally staring at you right in the face:
1. Make German an everyday routine:
This may sound common and is often at the top of the google search, but it is widely underestimated by most people. Learning German is like building a business from the ground up. If your foundation is faulty, then as the business progresses, there will be many problems in the long run. David, an Engineering student from the UK , had faced a similar problem on his path. He had neglected the basics, and wanted to skip through all the steps. But when he got to Germany, he then realized what he had done wrong, because living in Germany now felt like a nightmare. “The complex grammar, gendered nouns, and long compound words were overwhelming” He said. So, how did he overcome this challenge? “I enrolled in an intensive language course and started practicing daily. Listening to German podcasts during my commute and reading German newspapers helped me immerse myself in the language. And when the breakthrough came, I started thinking in German instead of translating from English. Now, I can
comfortably communicate with my Colleagues and we understand technical documents in German”. Now, I know many of you may be thinking “But he moved to Germany and it would have been easy for him to learn it with other Germans”. True, but, if you look closely, you’ll take note of what our friend David was doing here. When he woke up in the morning everyday, He listened to German Podcasts. Each time he went to work, he would pick up German newspapers and begin to read, even though he didn’t understand them quite well yet. But gradually, he got used to it, and now, he doesn’t even need a dictionary for translation anymore. You have the power to shape the way you think and it’s possible to make speaking German a lifestyle instead of just something that you’re being forced to learn in order to get a good Job or go to a good University outside of your Country. So, the question now is: How do you make speaking German language your everyday routine?
2. Watch German content with Subtitles:
Studies have shown that “watching German content or movies with subtitles can significantly aid in language learning. It improves their listening skills and vocabulary recognition more than those who didn’t use subtitles”. The integration of visual, audio and textual elements, creates stronger memory traces, making it easier to recall and understand new words. Want proof of this? Alex, a graduate from the USA says “I always wanted to learn German, but I found it very difficult at first, especially the pronunciation and the grammar rules. I took a course, but still felt
like I wasn’t improving much. Then, I decided to try different methods, like using learning apps and watching German movies with subtitles and speaking with native speakers online. These diverse methods made learning more fun and effective. Gradually my skill improved, and I passed the B2 exam”. When you watch a movie, It invokes emotions ranging from inspiration to sadness, from happiness to anger. Now imagine yourself watching a Netflix movie with German subtitles and there are just a sequence of events in the movie. I bet you, by the end of that movie, you may not remember all of the German languages that you read, but, the various emotions that the movie takes you through makes you understand German a little. Now imagine, repeating this same trick for every movie you watch. It then becomes like a lifestyle and then the lifestyle turns to actions. So, basically, that’s the exact trick that our friend Alex did here.
3. Go out of your way to speak German with people:
There is a saying that goes: “What you do and who you hang out with, is who you become”. I know now you’re like: ‘Yeah! big deal. I hear that all the time from motivational speakers, AND MY LIFE HASN’T CHANGED ONE BIT’. And that’s a good answer though. Because, not everything that a motivational speaker says is 100% legit or can be applied 100% to the real world. But, in this case, I’ll give it to them. There’s an ounce of truth in this. What do I mean? It’s easy! There is power in joining a community where you all share the same goal. A university graduate from Nigeria, who planned to work in Germany needed to write the B2 exam for him to actually apply for work there. But he found the German language tough. “I often got frustrated because I couldn’t express myself clearly,” He said. “So, I joined a local German language program in my area. Interacting with other learners helped me overcome my fears and improved my skills. We practiced speaking in different scenarios which made me more comfortable using
German in real life situations. Now, I can confidently say that I am proficient in German”. So, what are you waiting for? Watching German movies alone won’t help you with the speaking aspect. People want to feel confident when they speak a particular language, whether it’s French, German, Chinese or any other language. And the best way to do this is to interact with people more, which means joining a program , enrolling in a class or even joining an Online Community. We have a physical and online Community of like-minded people who are currently learning the German language. So, if you wish to join, send an email to: germanprivateclass@gmail.com or contact us via WhatsApp: +234 7089002534. So, join a community of like-minded individuals now, and increase your confidence in the language.
4. Learn new words that affects your everyday life:
You heard me right! What’s the point of learning a new word if you’re just going to forget it anyways. The best way to learn the German language faster is to learn new words that affect your everyday life. It could be Sleeping, waking up, jogging, taking a shower, having breakfast, driving to work, meeting traffic on the way, arriving at work late, chatting with your colleagues, getting back home late or early, taking a shower, watching TV and then going to sleep. Or if you’re a student, it’s waking up, taking a shower, going to school late or early, coming back home late or early, eating dinner, then going to bed. And then the same cycle repeats itself over and over again. Then gradually, you can add new activities to your life which leads you to explore new words. By doing this, you’re creating a lifestyle or a routine that you can’t do without. Maria, a nurse, who had just graduated from university, understood this later on in her Journey. She had struggled with German language, particularly the complex grammar and vocabulary. “When I first moved to Berlin, I was overwhelmed by the language barrier. And because of this, I knew I wasn’t yet ready to take any German exam, because I felt lost in conversations, “she said. “Then, I decided to focus on learning words and phrases that I use everyday. I started with the basics, like ‘Einkaufen’ (shopping), ‘Kochen’ (Cooking) and ‘Arbeit’ (work). This practical approach made a huge difference. Slowly, I began to understand and communicate better in my daily interactions. Learning German words that directly impacted my life not only increased my skills, but boosted my confidence.” So, you see, Unnecessary big words are the type of things that can confuse you and make you think that learning the language is hard. Because, even when you’re taking the speaking test, the examiners will ask you questions on major topics, and they fully expect you to use relatable words that you know and understand fully well. If you’re going to Germany for work, you’ll need to understand and know vocabulary words in your field.
Tunde Ahmed, an IT professional, was thinking the same thing, that is, moving to Germany for work, due to the way the Country was. “Working in IT in a new country where you don’t speak the language fluently is challenging. I wished I had stayed back in Nigeria to at least learn the language first” He said. “I had trouble understanding technical meetings and documentation. So, I focused on learning technical German words related to my field like
‘Programmierung'(programming), ‘Netzwerk'(network) and ‘Datenscicherheit'(data security). This approach paid off. I became more efficient at work and started contributing more in meetings. Understanding regular Vocabulary significantly changed my life.” Now, don’t let all this overwhelm you, if you’re really passionate about learning German language and passing the exams, you have to make up your mind to sneak it into your lifestyle. If you want to find out more about the right vocabularies to use in your field, we have a full guide on our website. So you can just check it out.
5. Dude, you’ve got the Internet, use it!:
Like seriously! Many of us have heard this so many times. There are blog websites and articles all over the Internet, but not all are straight forward. But nevertheless, finding the right one will help you grow significantly. Here’s Sarah’s story, of how she used the internet as a weapon to pass her own exam. “Grammar was my nemesis when learning German. I often got stuck with sentence structure and verb conjugations. The Internet was a lifesaver; I found grammar-focused blogs and websites, which provided clear explanations and practice exercises. Additionally, joining online study groups where we discussed common difficulties and solutions helped me overcome these hurdles.” So, you see, the Internet has so much more benefits, If you use it to your advantage. Like we said before, there is power in joining a community of like-minded people. We also have other helpful blogs like this on our website, that were created to help people like Sarah on their journey. So, if you have any more questions about this, you can send us an email: germanprivateclass@gmail.com or ask via WhatsApp: +234 708 900 2534. These are stories of people like you, who had faced a few challenges on their journey. So if they could overcome it, why can’t you?
GOOD LUCK!
