The German language was the first language that I learnt other than English and one that I really enjoy speaking. It can seem very difficult to teach yourself a new language at first, especially if you didn't learn a language during your school years. In this article I will discuss how I managed to become a fluent German speaker, and you can also do so quickly.



I began learning German when I was in my teens, and although many people will also learn a language during their school years, many will not. Don't let this put you off however as it's very easy to learn a new language no matter how young or old you are. This is providing that you take the advice of someone who's managed to learn the German language and stear clear of some of the poor language guides that clutter the bookshelves.

I began learning German in the same way that many people do, by reading books. The problem that I certainly had (and I think many others do to) was that it is far more difficult to learn a language from reading a book than it is to learn interactively. I'll come onto what I mean by that a bit later.

The German language is particularly nice to learn and isn't as difficult as some other languages. The main area that many of my friends have had difficulty with whilst learning German is the sentence structure. This is common when trying to learn many other languages but it is easy to understand if you learn from a resource that is logical and clearly explained. Unfortunately many resources and guides are not.

Whatever your reason for wanting to learn German I definitely recommend going ahead and doing it. It is a really nice language to speak and comes in very useful if you ever travel to Germany. I happen to travel to the country a couple of times each year so it is particularly useful for me, but even if you just want to learn a new language German is a good choice.

When you begin to learn you may be tempted to visit your local bookstore and purchase a "Learn German Language" book. The way that I made fast progression in German speaking though was using a resource that is available online. Rather than having to read through page after page of German phrases and sentence examples, this resource provides learning material in the form of interactive audio lessons, grammar lessons, and software that not only makes learning more enjoyable, but also helps you to remember what you've been taught much better. You will find that learning this way is a much more beneficial way of learning German without getting confused, and you will learn much faster.

Another 7 Great Ways To Learn German

Watch German Television via satellite or computer. I know you tend to get distracted by the pictures rather than listening to the sound, but it's still a good way to start and see stories not covered by your local TV company. Listen to German radio, it all sounds a bit strange at first, but just let it wash over you until you get tuned into the language.

Have German theme days at home during the week, and no this doesn't mean oompah bands and leder hosen are compulsory. Speak as much German as possible, do a German crossword which can be found online. Check out all the leaflets you brought back from your last trip to Germany. Even read the label on the back of that box of biscuits you bought.

Use fridge magnets to make up words and phrases. There are some German alphabet magnetic words and phrases on the market at the moment to help you. See who can make up the longest sentence (that makes sense of course.)

Buy a German newspaper everyday, you'll get some strange looks at your local Starbucks but so what. Just pray a German family doesn't sit down beside you, actually come to think of it that would be a great way to see how your conversational German is coming along.

If you're off on holiday to Germany, speak the language at every opportunity. Yes I know the Germans, especially the young people, love to speak English, it can be frustrating for you, but remember they're trying something different as well. so praise them, gently help them if they don't quite get it right.

They'll do the same for you believe me! I remember a couple of years ago telling a French couple who had invited us into their home that the pleasure was all THEIRS rather than ours (got my notres mixed up with my votres) We had a good laugh about it and another round of drinks to toast my little indiscretion.

Visit supermarkets and DIY stores, pick up every leaflet they have, collect estate agents papers, free newspapers, business cards, tourist brochures. They all have pictures on them with the German name beside them of course. This will help build up your vocabulary and help identify the strange things in jars on the supermarket shelves.

And finally never turn down an invitation to visit the Germans at home. Even if you can only say wunderlich or herrlich, it's not to be missed. Mentally exhausting as you try desperately to understand what's going on, but the experience is worth its weight in gold.