If there is one foreign language you should learn, it should probably be German without any doubt. It is a European language, and it is one of the most widely spoken languages at that. Knowing German at a communicative level at least will open up new vistas for you career wise, especially in European countries such as Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland etc).
Learning German isn’t very easy, all said and done. However, the good news is that it isn’t as difficult as it is sometimes made out to be. It involves, like any other language, a completely new vocabulary set (the set of words recognized within the language) and may-be-familiar-may-be-unfamiliar grammar rules, but it is also a lot of fun to learn German, especially if you have the enthusiasm to learn it. This article aims to give you some tips as to how to learn German the easy way.
You can begin by starting to enjoy German culture. It is not only diverse, it is rich as well. There are so many nuances to it, that once you begin enjoying the culture of the place, the language will come as a natural progression and you will find yourself wanting to learn German. You can see movies (initially with subtitles), read translated books, watch plays etc.
If it is possible, you should try to spend some time at least in a country or place where German is spoken widely. The amount of time you spend in such a place depends on a number of factors such as your ability to provide time to the cause, financial and other constraints.
However, if you are indeed going in for this option, try to make sure you spend as much time as possible in the region where the language is spoken.
You can also try learning the language with friends, especially those who are at the same level of learning as you are. That way you won’t see others speaking and understanding the language better than you and get worried about it.
At the same, this will also help you to learn with people you are comfortable with, and, as we know, studying in a group is sometimes more effective than studying alone.
Finally, learn ‘on the job’. That is not to say you have to pick up a job somewhere that requires you to speak German. It simply means you should begin using small phrases at first and big constructs later on in your daily communication so that you implement what you are learning of the language. This way you will not only have constant practice, you will also be able to gain confidence.