The Pomegranate Guide To Learning German
Hallo!
From our research and daily enquiries to our customer service desk, we understand that there are many people in Dubai and across the UAE who are seeking our help to learn German. This is why this week; we shall be covering some simple but effective techniques, ways and strategies which will help you to learn German.
Some of the following advice may sound a little strange and possibly embarrassing when put into action, though we can assure you that they will help and accelerate your learning.
As we have expressed in previous blog posts, learning a new language does require time and determination. Some languages will take longer to learn than others depending on your native language and other languages that you may already speak. Ok, let’s get started.
Make mistakes… as many as you can!
Yes, you heard correctly, make mistakes! It is human nature that we learn more when we make mistakes than when we don’t make them.
Remember learning to ride a bike for the first time? Did you immediately jump on the saddle and pedal for 10km? Unless you were a child cycling prodigy then I highly doubt you did.
You probably, fell off, scraped your knee a few times and had several attempts before you were confident in your new skill.
Learning German is no different (and this applies to other language learning too). Make mistakes and don’t be embarrassed when you do.
Develop an “ear” for German.
Language is primarily an oral communication. A really fun way to help you learn German is to watch German movies and even listen to German music.
If there is a German restaurant that serves traditional German cuisine then pay them a visit, not only will you enjoy the food but they will likely have German waters and waitresses who will be able to converse with you over ordering food and general discussions.
Practice speaking
Ask any of our language experts and Pomegranate Institute and they will tell you that the best way to learn German is to practice speaking it as much as possible.
You can sit in front of a German language book and study it for years, learning all the grammar rules but unless you practice speaking German then you will certainly not be fluent in it.
When practicing, be sure to speak loud as well as at normal volume whilst using your best German accent so that you get used to feeling.
Add labels to your home
Cover your home with labels in German. For example, add a label to the door ‘Tür’, Kettle ‘Kessel’, Fridge ‘Kühlschrank’, and so on.
Seeing and reading these out aloud through the day will help not only with learning to speak German but also helps your reading skills.
Once you feel that you have learnt all the items in your home then remove the labels but continue to name the items out loud when coming in contact with them.
Talk to yourself, you won’t go crazy!
When learning German, your listening skills will develop faster than your speaking skills. You may find yourself in a position where you can understand someone speaking German to you but not being able to respond.
To conquer this challenge then talking out loud to yourself comes highly recommend.
Talk to yourself as much as possible with nobody around you and in your own comfort and space.
Consistency is key
If you have read any of our previous blog posts and tips, then you will have heard the word ‘consistency’ mentioned frequently.
Learning German is no exception. It will take time, patients and consistency.
Dedicate 20-30 minutes per day learning new words and phrases rather than trying to do as much as you can in 2-hour sessions once a week.
Find someone who speaks German
Making friends and surrounding yourself with German speakers is a positive way to not only learn German but also expand your friend network.
Being around others whose native language is German will provide good practice and pronunciation skills.
If you have found any of the above information useful or if it has inspired you to learn German and you wish to pursue learning German further then Pomegranate Institute in Dubai is here to help.
Below are our upcoming German Courses:
German Starter Course – Evening option
11 December 2016 to 12 January 2017
Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday
7-9pm
German Starter Course – Weekend option
17 December 2016 to 18 February 2017
Saturday
9am to 12pm
Contact one of our team by clicking here to find out more on our German Language courses and sessions.
Zu Ihrem Erfolg!
(to your success)
