“Lerne mal Deutsch Digga!!”

Written By Ifeoluwa Lawal

“Never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German.” -  Mark Twain

Germany is a country with a very strong culture and strong identity and rightly so!. There are a lot of great things about Germany. That being said, the culture can be very hard to integrate into. I grew up in Canada… I’m a Canadian who moved to Germany and the Germany culture really differs from the Canadian culture. German people are very lovely but that can also be distant and cold. one thing that helps break the ice is making an effort to speak German. Below are some effective German language tips for expats.

Interested in how to learn German fast as a foreigner in Germany? Keep reading!

  1. Duolingo and Other Language Apps

I know what you’re thinking… “I already knew that”. If that’s the case, let me just reiterate it. Duolingo is a great tool to use but the key is using it correctly. If you decide to use Duolingo, one thing you have to remember is that you don’t have to use it to learn the language. After all, you’ll be in Germany. I used Duolingo to learn the basics of German and then used those basics to engage in conversation. Think of it like a car rolling down a hill. Once you get past the edge of the hill, the car will roll by itself and pick up speed. You won’t learn the whole language using Duolingo but it’s a great way to start.

2. SPEAK GERMAN

As great as Duolingo is, using duolingo alone is not enough to learn German. The importance of speaking German to improve fluency cannot be overstated. A lot of times, there’s a tendency to want to stay within your comfort zone. Most Germans speak English well so surviving in Germany without German fluency is relatively easy but you have to fight against it. Maybe you think you have to know a certain amount before you speak but if you keep that perspective, you’ll never start. You don’t have to know everything. Use what you have and fill in the blanks. One thing I know is that German people appreciate the effort and they’ll consistently correct you if they see you’re willing. When I first came to Germany, I lived in a small village with 2500 people. I had no wifi in my apartment but I did have a roomate. Over the next threee months, my German improved drastically because I had no choice. If I needed something done, I had to learn German. If I had questions to ask, I did a quick google translate and asked the questions. In no time, I was conversational in German. If you’re struggling overcoming fear of speaking German as a foreigner, one thing that helped me was practicing with myself. If I was on a walk or listening to music, I’d practice saying the things I wanted to say in German with the little German I knew. This also teaches your brain to improvise. Sometimes, If you don’t have the exact words to say what you want to say, you’ll find a different way of saying the same things without those missing words.

3. Make German Friends

I think as foreigners, it’s very easy to want to stay within our comfort zones and that’s completely understandable. We may move across the world but we only interact with people just like us because they create a safe space for us. That can be your undoing. I know of people who have lived in Germany for 10+ years and they still don’t speak a lick of German. That’s because they’ve surrounded themselves with “their own” people and have never been compelled to learn German. I’m not saying you shouldn’t find a group of people that make you feel comfortable around but you can also make some German friends. There are many benefits of socializing with Germans to learn German and to integrate into the culture. You can join a local sports team, join a club, go to board game cafe’s or different meet up events, join a local Church…whatever works for you. Having German friends will add another dimension to your German learning process. Even if you have no motivation to do so, remember that you’re joining clubs to improve German language skills. Once you break that barrier, I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how many great German people you’ll get to meet.

4. Take Language Classes

For me, taking language classes is a tricky one. There are pros and cons of German classes. I think German classes are very helpful but the question is when to start German language courses as a foreigner. To be honest, I didn’t start taking language courses till I had to. I needed my B1 and B2.2 certificates for University. By the time I started taking German language courses, I was already very proficient in German. Language courses are a great way to learn German but you need to know your learning style and what’s best for you. For me, it was better to wait till I had a solid understanding of German before I took language classes. The reason for this is because German is a very grammatically dense language. There are at least 16 ways to say “the” in German. Sometimes, German courses focus on the grammar more than the fluency. In my case, I feel as though that would have scared me from speaking in public because I would’ve focused more on saying things correctly rather than just… speaking. If you choose the method that I did, just know that you will constantly have to learn and possibly break any bad habits you may have developed.

On the other hand though, German courses can help you build good habits that you can carry on in your daily practice of the language.

All in all, it’s important that you figure out what works best for you and apply it to your learning style.

Bonus Tip: Free Resources to Learn German

If you’re looking for FREE GERMAN LESSONS, here are some of the best free German resources for beginners:

Final Thoughts

Learning German as a foreigner living in Germany doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By using language apps like Duolingo to get started, speaking the language daily, making German friends and taking language courses when you’re ready, you can quickly improve your skills and feel more integrated into German society.

No matter which method you choose, the key is to stay consistent, be open to making mistakes and SPEAK GERMAN. Practice regularly, step out of your comfort zone, and soon you'll find yourself communicating confidently in German. LEt us know your experiences with German below.

Ifeoluwa Lawal