# Learning german in the UK



## DiamondColors007 (Aug 10, 2010)

has anyone ever attended german language classes in the UK and whether there any good ones? How easy is it to learn german for native english language speakers?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You can (and probably should) look into the Goethe Institut, which is the main German language learning organization supported by the German government. They run classes and have an excellent reputation in the language learning field.

As to "how easy" it is to learn German - it depends. Do you have any other foreign language? Generally speaking, learning a second language (second "foreign" language that is) is a bit easier than the first, simply because you kind of accept that languages work differently in many respects.

To some extent, the relationship between English and German should make it somewhat easier for a native English speaker than, say, for someone French or Spanish. Many German words are similar to their English equivalents, plus German picks up and accepts English words more readily than some other languages. OTOH, if it's your first foreign language, it can be tricky catching on to gender and case concepts. Don't get too tied up in the word "endings" - in practical use, most foreigners kind of slur over the endings and get by just fine. Learn them, yes. But you'll find the more you use them (once you get to Germany), the more they start to make sense and come more "naturally" in speech.
Cheers,
Bev


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## DiamondColors007 (Aug 10, 2010)

A friend of mine recommends Duolingo to learn a foreign language as it will introduce you to some basic words and how they get pronounced.


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## Paul Moore (May 14, 2014)

Bevdeforges said:


> You can (and probably should) look into the Goethe Institut, which is the main German language learning organization supported by the German government. They run classes and have an excellent reputation in the language learning field.
> 
> As to "how easy" it is to learn German - it depends. Do you have any other foreign language? Generally speaking, learning a second language (second "foreign" language that is) is a bit easier than the first, simply because you kind of accept that languages work differently in many respects.
> 
> ...



I agree with you on all points, Bev, except for two: 

Saying "it can be tricky catching on to gender and case concepts" is, most definitely, an understatement lol. Unless the learner has a decent knowledge of grammar principles, learning German from scratch, with no prior knowledge of other languages, is quite tough to say the least. 

Also, when you say "you'll find the more you use them [the cases] (once you get to Germany), the more they start to make sense and come more "naturally" in speech" is, possibly, a little over-optimistic. That they will (eventually) come more naturally (or, better to say, 'feel' right) is true; that they will ever make sense is probably pushing it a little (lol) and won't happen for a very long time, if ever (unless, as I said earlier, the learner has a decent knowledge of grammar - notably the case system. Most native English speakers don't usually have this. 

You are right, of course, when you say that "to some extent, the relationship between English and German should make it somewhat easier for a native English speaker than, say, for someone [who is] French or Spanish". Having said that, we mustn't forget that the structure of a German sentence is quite different from an English sentence regarding the location of the subject, verb, place and time. For example, "I was in London yesterday" (subject-verb-place-time) would be "Ich war gestern in London" (subject-verb-time-place) or "Gestern war ich in London" (time-verb-subject-place) in German. As you know, in German you would never say "Ich war in London gestern". This is a very simple example, but it demonstrates the grammatical pitfalls.

DiamondColors: Why do you want to move to Germany (if that's what you want to do)? We know nothing about you. Are you a skilled worker (e.g. a teacher, engineer, IT specialist etc)? Maybe you just want to learn the language for fun. There are a vast number of options in the UK, from council-run evening classes to University classes to private 'one-to-one' classes. Whatever the case, if you choose to learn the language, make sure that the teacher is a native German who has teaching experience and knows the grammar. You're lucky in the sense that if you were to opt for private classes and you were able to find a German who is studying or working in the UK (stick an advert up in your local university), that person will probably, because of their German schooling, have some knowledge of German grammar. 

The best way to learn the language, of course, is to move to Germany and immerse yourself in the language and culture. I did this 37 years ago and had no prior knowledge of the German language ... or any other language, come to that. Over the past four decades, I've lived and worked in several European countries, from the far north to the far south. In fact, I've lived outside the UK for most of the past 38 years. You never known what taking the plunge will bring. Good luck!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

DiamondColors007 said:


> A friend of mine recommends Duolingo to learn a foreign language as it will introduce you to some basic words and how they get pronounced.


There are any number of language learning programs out there - online, downloadable or whatever. To learn from scratch, though, it might be best to have a "live" face-to-face class or teacher. A bit more expensive, but you get better (and more personalized) feedback.

In any event, even after years of language study, when you actually get on site in Germany, you'll probably feel like you have been rendered deaf and dumb. It happens to the best of us. This is where all the grammar in the world won't help you. You just kind of have to get into the middle of it and fight your way through to understanding and being understood.

We all go through it when we first arrive. (I've done so twice - with two different languages.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Classroom instruction will only get you so far, then you need to move there and fling yourself into the deep end. Which is increasingly difficult to do in places like Berlin, where more and more English is being used in public spaces, and where in certain industries like digital many workplaces are effectively English, giving fewer opportunities to practice.


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## Keltenstrasse (Oct 16, 2017)

A year in a German VHS German class will is worth several years learning in another country. You need to be immersed in the language through everyday language, TV and radio. Through the VHS lessons you will be learning alongside others in a similar position, those that need to become fluent to live and work in the country.
Learning any new language can be difficult but at least German is phonetic and once you know the rules pronunciation is straightforward.


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## Paul Moore (May 14, 2014)

For those who don't know, VHS stands for Volkshochschule, an official provider of adult and continuing education that offers a wide range of general, vocational, political and cultural courses, and a lot of language courses.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

OTOH, to sign up for a VHS class, you need to be onsite, which means you have moved to Germany, found a place to live and negotiated a few hurdles, such as registering with the town authorities. A beginning language class or two before you go will give you some basic language skills to help you through the start-up phase. Maybe not "elegantly" but to get the paperwork done - and enough to show the locals in Germany that you are, indeed, trying to speak their language.

But yes, the VHS is a very good idea once you get settled in. Not only for language learning, but for meeting people in the area!
Cheers,
Bev


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## Paul Moore (May 14, 2014)

Bevdeforges said:


> OTOH, to sign up for a VHS class, you need to be onsite, which means you have moved to Germany, found a place to live and negotiated a few hurdles, such as registering with the town authorities. A beginning language class or two before you go will give you some basic language skills to help you through the start-up phase. Maybe not "elegantly" but to get the paperwork done - and enough to show the locals in Germany that you are, indeed, trying to speak their language.
> 
> But yes, the VHS is a very good idea once you get settled in. Not only for language learning, but for meeting people in the area!
> Cheers,
> Bev


As far as I'm aware, Bev, it's not always necessary to have first registered with the town authorities - I presume you mean the Einwohnermeldeamt - to do a course at the VHS. Many VHSs around the country allow people on a German course even if their stay in Germany is very brief - literally a temporary stopover - and they simply want to acquire some knowledge of the language.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I'm not saying that you need to have registered in order to take VHS classes. Just that if you're moving to Germany, it helps to have some basic grounding in the language to get established. As far as I know, the VHS classes start pretty much on a fixed semester basis so you're going to need to do all that installation stuff anyhow.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Paul Moore (May 14, 2014)

As far as I'm aware, Bev, you don't have to do the whole course. If the course isn't full, and if you're just passing through and want to brush up or learn some basics, they'll allow you to join a course after it has already started. 

It goes without saying that it always helps to have some basic grounding in the language, but you have to start somewhere and most people who simply up and move to Germany (as I did back in 1979) don't know a single word in German (most schools in the UK don't offer German classes. I think it's similar in the US). 

I've never taken a VHS course. I taught myself German by being in the country. But I have, on a number of occasions, and in a number of locations, been invited to teach English at the VHS. I declined on all occasions as (in those days) you had to wait until the end of the course to get paid, and that was no good for me. Maybe it's different these days. The last time I was invited was in 2009. 

By "installation stuff", I presume you mean registration. As I mentioned in my previous post, it's not necessary to register with the town authorities if you're only passing through (on vacation, say) and want to join a course to brush up, or learn the basics, for a short period.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Let's not get ridiculous here - but by "installation stuff" I include things like figuring out where you're going to stay, asking simple directions, where the shops are and where to buy what you need to by, the local brands, etc. 

I actually took a French class at the VHS in Freiburg when I decided that I was going to be moving to France - but I had studied French years earlier in school back in the US and was looking mainly for some review before I got thrown in at the deep end. Yes, it's a good, inexpensive source of classes on all sorts of things, not just languages. But I think different VHS may have their own "requirements" and policies regarding class sizes, registration and whatever else.

For someone contemplating a move to Germany, there are many online and do-it-yourself sources for picking up a bit of the basics. Or there is always the Goethe Institute, which is definitely worth considering if you have the time to take one of their beginner classes before you move. But as with any language, no matter how much grammar you know, you will never actually learn to speak and understand until you're in the midst of it. You just don't need to wait until you get there to do a bit of preparation and at least learn a few words and phrases.
Cheers,
Bev


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