learn to speak German

I’m working on this again. After almost a year in Germany, I haven’t improved spontaneously in the way I’d hoped. I can read – I particularly like reading teenage girl thriller novels, who knew? – but I can still barely speak.

So I just started a course at the Volkshochschule around the corner. It’s four weeks of four hours, four days a week. I’m intending to work at night to make up for taking such a large chunk out of my work day. Yesterday I was sick though, so I barely made it to class.

It’s pretty good. The class is not that big (maybe twenty?) and at the price – only €110! – I would be happy with bad. It’s a little bit slow – I was placed in A1.2 just to show how little I’ve progressed – but I guess I’ll learn without trying too hard, and unfortunately there’s no quick way to progress.

I just had a telephone call all in German (about my internet connection). I had to give my birthdate, customer number, address, etc. Just like the things I’ve practised in class, but it made me so nervous. My heartrate’s still elevated.

I’ve been reading children’s stories, and writing down the words I don’t know – which is most of them :) – and their meanings from the dictionary. One book I have came with a CD so I can listen to the stories too.

Then later I go to the website “Quizlet.org” and make myself a list out of the words and test myself on them until I know them. I think it’s working!

I was watching TV last night and I could distinguish some of the words. It’s an improvement…