Quote: (12-26-2015 02:55 PM)Merris Wrote:
I started learnign German from the 5th grade, then through highschool to University business German level. Worked in Switzerland and as translator for the Bundersheer during my own military service and nowadays also work in German as the situation requires. If you're interested in specifics, you can PM me since it's a broad subject, but below are my tips:
1) You will never learn to understand or speak the vocal language (referring to Hochdeutsch here, not the separate dialects) unless you hear it. Watch TV-series, especially ones with young people. They will usually speak the "street"-version ofthe language that most people will speak. You'll notice that most young people tend to swallow the suffixes and muble/cut off some prefixes and articles. Dem, den and der sound very similar when spoken quickly. I personally also speak this way. German is a very fluid, quick language with rapid changes in tonality and octaves, so unless you listen to it and practice, you'll be fucking lost. This was my biggest hurdle because most teachers in Finland do not speak German the way Germans speak it.
2) You will need to speak it. Preferably with other Germans. You won't learn proper pronunciation and smooth transitions between words and sentences unless you do.
3) In order to learn vocabulary from a specific field, read articles related to it. Books are also good, but articles contain more up-to-date Wortschatz and have language that's better suited for everyday interactions in general. Since German vocabulary can be fucking hilarious sometimes, this is the best way I've discovered to do this, especially related to business topics. For me, there's just no other way since words with no context are useless and quickly forgotten.
4) After you've read an article, summarize it on paper, in German. It's not a cure-for-all, but summaries help you absorb and process information in German and this will eventually allow you to also have thought processes in German when required. This then helps in creation of new information and conversations.
5) Don't worry about speaking too slow or haltingly at first. "Speed is a lack of useless processes". Once you can smooth over articles, know how to pronounce words properly from reading them and make conversational sentences without repeating phrases contantly, it starts to come more and more naturally since there will be phrases you use more often.
Cheers and good luck. German is really useful in Europe for business and pleasure.
Thanks for the great tips. Btw had a fine time in Helsinki when I was there for 2 days earlier this year. Made a lot of friends in the hotel sauna.