You’ve been advised that German is a difficult language to learn, or perhaps you just had this sense when you heard a native German speaker speak? Does the ominous word above reinforce your suspicions? No, the notion that learning German is difficult is a fallacy. It takes time and dedication to learn any language. The German language is the same way. All it takes is enough motivation and hard work to achieve your objective. And if you’re not sure where to begin, we’ve put together some pointers in this article to help you learn German online
Benefits You Can Avail If You Learn German Online:
Here are some reasons that help justify learning German for beginners.
- The German economy is one of the greatest economies in our world. If you learn German online, it will be easier for you to find jobs there, and make a good living for yourself.
- German is amongst the most common languages spoken in the world. Even if you don’t work in Germany, your occupation may entail interacting with Germans. Knowing German will give you an advantage over clients.
- Some of the greatest films and filmmakers belong to Germany. If you are a film connoisseur then learning German will open up an entire world of great movies to you.
- German is the planet’s 2nd largest spoken scientific language.
- Many of the most important works of philosophy, poetry, drama, art history, religion, sociology, chemistry, physics, technology, and health in the Western world were published in German and are still being written in German.
However, having mentioned all these points, you may have your motivation for learning German that differs from these reasons. What is important is to find your motivation, as the correct motivation matters when learning German for beginners.
The Time it Takes to Learn German
Studying German can be challenging, particularly if you are a natural speaker of a language that is not in the Indo-European group. However, regardless of what your first language is, and even if German appears difficult at first, don’t give up. No set amount of time can guarantee your success in learning German, but persistence is the most crucial factor. You’re not going to wake up one day and be able to communicate fluently in German.
You’ll see results quickly if you just take one step at a time. Learning a new language takes a varying amount of time depending on a variety of factors such as prior experience and exposure to the language, resilience, effort put into the learning process, motivation, and so on. However, if you practice on a regular basis for at least three to six months, you should be able to hold a daily conversation with a buddy and do tasks such as entering a cafe and ordering in German.
Mastering the Alphabet
The first step when learning German for beginners is to master the alphabet (a principle that holds true for any new language). Start by comparing and contrasting the German and English alphabets. In fact, the comparable vowels and consonants in both languages sound distinct. Understand basic sounds initially, then the words, so you can pronounce them correctly later. Attach importance to letters that have an umlaut (Ä, Ö, Ü), as they modify the way a letter is pronounced altogether. You can do so on the internet, as one can learn German online nowadays.
Simple Words in German
Here are some basic words in the German language that one should know. Even if you don’t master the language, you can use these for simple communication.
- Hallo! — Hello
- Hallo! Wie geht’s?— Hello, how are you doing today?
- Guten Morgen! — Good morning!
- Guten Tag! — Hello and good afternoon!
- Guten Abend! — Good evening!
- Danke sehr! — Thank you sincerely!
- Tschüss! Bis zum nächsten Mal. — Goodbye! See you next time.
- Ich heiße [Name]. — My name is [Name].
- Ich spreche nicht sehr gut Deutsch. — I don’t speak German very well.
Grammar
What makes you think a language is difficult? Isn’t it just a matter of grammar? Grammar is typically a headache for anyone learning a new language, and this is not unique to the German language. However, if you master this section, you’ll be speaking German flawlessly in no time. There are six tenses in German, namely:
- Präsens refers to the Present tense.
- Perfect tenses are the subject of Präteritum.
- Past Perfect is referred to as Plusquamperfekt.
- The Future tense is represented by Futur I.
- Futur II is made up of the Future perfect, as well as the words “will” and “have.”
This relationship isn’t perfect, but it will make things easier for you to learn German grammar if you look at the tenses in this way. They have four cases to deal with (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive). The 16 variants that “the” of English takes on German in different contexts and genders is a tough element about German that many people note frequently. Die (for feminine nouns), der (for masculine nouns), and das (for both genders) are the three noun prepositions in German (for neutral gender). Every time you learn a new word in the German language, you must also learn what preposition goes before it. It may be perplexing at first because a biological gender does not always correspond to its linguistic gender. With exceptions, there are some rules that determine which noun gets which article. There’s no reason to get too worked up over this. Although you must memorise them all mechanically, a large portion of this grammar fundamental will begin to make sense to you soon.
Final Thoughts
Introduction to a new language is never easy. Learning German for beginners can be tough at first, however, one must not get demotivated. As with any other skill or ability, your ability to use German will improve over time. However, you also need to put in effort regularly to ensure this. The exercise does not need to be entirely academic. One can learn German by watching movies, listening to music, reading books, etc. in the language. In case you are working, you need not worry about time, as one can learn German online these days. Even if it does not benefit you economically or socially, you should still go ahead with learning German, as knowing a new language is always a plus point.
