Learning German

Wie fühlst du dich, wenn du Deutsch sprichst? 

Wie ist es, die Sprache hier in Deutschland zu lernen?

(What is it like to learn German in country?)

For this blog entry, students were asked to respond to the above questions in either German or in English. Here are the responses from the German 1103 class.

Julia Dagg

When I speak German, I often feel very good but also very confused and insecure. I feel like I know very little or only a small set of questions and answers and if the context of the conversation moves past that then I feel very small and unknowledgeable. It is very difficult for me to form complex sentences with good grammar on the spot quickly, I say a lot of um’s and uh’s before the word or word order comes to me. This is sometimes discouraging to me, but I love the challenge of trying to improve myself. I love that I’ve had the opportunity to learn German in Germany! It’s the best possible place to learn, among native speakers and getting constant practice. I just wish I was able to stay here maybe a month longer, because I feel that my German would be very good by then! My feelings about when I’m speaking German are complicated. I feel roughly like I’m a toddler and I’ve just been told to drive a bus from Columbus to Cleveland and not crash.

Alayna Bruney

Wenn ich Deutsch spreche, fühle ich mich oft gehemmt. Ich mag Deutsch, aber es ist sehr schwer und ich habe noch viel zu lernen. Manchmal frage ich mich, warum ich Deutsch lernen will, weil es so kompliziert ist. Oft werde ich mit mir frustriert, aber dann erinnere ich mich, dass ich nur für ein Jahr Deutsch gelernt habe. Ich wünsche, dass ich jetzt perfektes Deutsch sprechen könnte, aber ich weiß, dass ich in der Zukunft werde. Jeden Tag kann ich immer mehr in Gespräch verstehen, aber zu sprechen ist für mich problematisch. Ich spreche sehr langsam, weil ich an alles denken muss. Eine andere Sprache zu lernen ist superbeschwerlich, deshalb muss ich jeden Tag lernen und üben. Ich bin glücklich, dass ich Deutsch lerne, und dass ich nach Deutschland gekommen bin. Ich habe viel bis jetzt gelernt und ich hoffe, dass ich in den nächsten vier Wochen noch mehr lernen werde.

Ben McDonough

My experience studying German while actually here in Germany has been a positive one thus far. The most beneficial aspect of learning German here, for me, has been the near constant immersion in the language. At Ohio State, I would often only focus on my German when in class or while studying for tests. So in other words, not super frequently. Here in Germany, I don’t really get the option to just leave German at the door when class is over. I have to take it with me and really use it just to get around the city. While some of the more technical aspects of the language are still difficult for me, the flow and feel of German and my working knowledge of the vocab are both progressing nicely. Compared to where I was three weeks ago, I’m actually really surprised. Oddly enough, one of the more difficult aspects here is just to get Germans to speak German with you. They somehow catch onto our accents immediately and switch seamlessly to English. I usually just keep trying to speak German with them, but it makes things difficult. Overall, it’s the feel of German that I’m really absorbing right now. I suppose that goes hand in hand with discovering the culture, but it’s still surprising to me. I’m learning faster than I ever did in the States.           

Sarah Leach

Last fall I was enrolled in a linguistics course titled "The Basics of Language for Language Learners". According to the instructor, a person will feel a greater sense of relief or fulfillment when swearing in their native tongue, rather than in a foreign language. In hopes of relieving some of my culture shock, I am taking advantage of this rare opportunity to write in English.

The anxiety I experience is almost overwhelming when I engage in German conversations. My mind races and all vocabulary, grammar, and sometimes the reasons for initiating the conversation are erased from my mind. Sometimes the natives are less than forgiving during my rambling for a cup of coffee or not so coherent questions about the cost of strawberries, but each encounter teaches me a little more about the language.  

That being said, not every moment has been a defeat. My first two days in Europe were spent in Paris, which was a brilliant choice since I do not speak any French. Trying to order food was the most challenging, but after the short stay I boarded a train for Mannheim, Germany. I arrived close to midnight at the Mannheim train station and I was starving. The only thing open was a McDonalds. As I approached the counter it hit me, I know how to order food in this country! "Ich möchte Cheeseburger." It was simple and imperfect, but I was able to communicate. A small, yet important victory that I can reflect back to when having one of those "Bad German Days".

Corbin Schmidt

The amazing thing about learning German is that I have learned more of it in less than a year than I did after 3 years of Spanish in high school. I’ve always wanted to learn German, but my high school had cut it years before I had arrived. Learning German is tougher than Spanish, but my interest compensates. When I attempt to speak German with the locals I get nervous, naturally, and my German comes out pretty bad sometimes. I feel that at the moment I am hitting a wall, maybe the wall, which I must breach before I can take the next step. I truly love the language and wish to become better at it, but it’s disheartening how much I truly don’t know when I interact with Germans.

Tanner Thompson

Learning a language is one of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my life.  It is something that requires a great amount of practice outside of the classroom because it will help reinforce what you learned in class.  My experience learning German has not been easy because the grammar concepts are often hard for me to get a grasp on.  Although I have made my fair share of mistakes speaking German here in Dresden, the people are friendly enough to work with me and appreciate me more for making an effort to speak their language.  I feel good when I speak German after the fact because it gives me real face to face interaction with the locals around here, which is improving my abilties to speak the language.  It also helps to expand my vocabulary because I often learn how to say new things.  Learning German in Germany is better than learning it in Columbus because we have the opportunity to improve our speaking skills with the locals here.

Drew Hill

Trying to learn a new language is not a new experience for me.  I took three years of Spanish in high school and don’t remember more than a few words and how to ask to go to the bathroom.  Learning German is different, however, because it was a choice I made and not a required course.  It is both harder and easier to learn German in Germany.  It is easier because I am able to practice my German outside of class, spending more time on learning new things than I ever did before.  It is harder due to the fact that everyone you meet in public speaks “fast” and expects you to understand them and respond immediately.  It puts you on the spot and forces you to really think about language in a new way.  You take language for granted until you don’t fully understand what to say or how to respond in common, everyday situations.  It is fun, however, and I recommend an experience like this to everyone.

Jessica Hespen

Since we were given the option to write in either German or English and both questions were given in their respective languages then I will answer them accordingly.

What is it like to learn a language?

One could never think something could make you feel both powerful and incapacitated at the same time. That is how I feel when I’m learning German. Before you even go into the place you intend to, you prepare this whole spiel of what you’re going to say in German and how you’re going to respond, and then you get there and they ask you one little question with a word you don’t know, and your brain responds with, “Nope, see ya later alligator.”  Then, you are just left with nodding, “Neins”, and “Ahhhh...ja”. Every day I have at least one of those encounters. I’ve actually started to pursue them, because if it wasn’t for those, then who would I have to practice and get all my bad tries out on. Yes, the people may think you’re crazy and get frustrated, but then I think, would I be considered weird if I were a mute and just nodded and pointed all day? I’ve realized that learning a language is all about confidence and putting yourself out there. Who knew you could order the wrong Brötchen and get something even better.

Wie fühlst du dich, wenn du auf Deutsch sprichst?

Nachdem ich Deutsch spreche, dann fühle ich mich erschöpft. Nicht im Unterricht, aber wenn ich mit anderen Deutschen spreche. Ich fühle meistens hastig und dumm. Aber Wenn ich mich an die Wörter erinnern kann, dann fühle ich mich, dass mein Deutsch sehr stark ist. Zum Beispiel, Hannah, Chelsea, und ich haben uns verlaufen. Ich habe zwei nette Frauen gefragt, wo das Kügelgenhaus liegt. Sie hat gesagt, wo es gelegen hat, und ich habe verstanden. Auch habe ich darauf reagiert. 

Wir haben einen Elefantenbrunnen gefunden, als wir unterwegs waren.

Hannah Shank

Speaking German, for me, has been quite the experience.  After doing well in my classes at OSU, I thought I would do well when I got to Germany.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t been as easy I had thought it would be.  The hardest thing for me has been not to give up when people get frustrated with me or when I can’t come up with the right words to say.  People in Dresden have a thicker accent than what I had been used to and it has taken time to get used to, but that has been getting easier to pick up on as the days go by.  I am still learning so much about the language, and the everyday practice I would get in a class at OSU has been replaced by my everyday interactions.  It’s definitely harder to add new structures and vocab into the language in everyday speech because it takes time, but it’s the only way to improve.  Even though I have been frustrated and at my lows, I know have improved tremendously, and full immersion is by far the best way to learn the language. 

“Wie fühlst du dich wenn du Deutsch sprichst?” Mit dieser Frage beschäftigten sich auch die Studenten aus dem Kurs 2102.

Chelsea Hinshaw

I think that the best place to learn German is Germany itself, because I am surrounded by the language every day. When I speak in English I feel like I can communicate my thoughts and feelings well and my words can flow freely. When I speak in German I feel a struggle to understand what I'm saying as I speak these new words and sentence constructions out loud for everyone to hear. I lack confidence in what I'm saying because I'm afraid I'm saying it wrong. At times it is frustrating. When I first came here, I thought I knew a lot more German. Now, I know I have a long way to go before I become fluent. But sometimes, there are those moments when I can communicate with someone in German – and this is one of the most exciting and rewarding feelings I have ever felt.

Sarah Blakemann

When I speak German I am both nervous and excited. When I first came to Germany I was nervous because my knowledge of German would truly be put to the test. The first time I had to speak German I was nervous because the native speakers talk very fast and I did not know if they would be able to understand me when I spoke the language. At first having to speak German for the majority of the time was extremely awkward. Once I overcame the awkwardness I began to get excited to speak the language. It was fun to test my knowledge and figure out how to say new words and phrases. I still get nervous speaking German when I need to explain something important to someone who does not speak English. For example, I had an eye irritation and I had to explain to a pharmacist, who did not speak English, my problem. However now that I have been in Germany for a little over seven weeks I am mostly excited when I speak German because I can tell that my speaking abilities have improved and I am excited to build upon my knowledge.

Chrislyn Koch

Dr. Spencer said to get used to being embarrassed while here in Dresden because that’s how one truly becomes comfortable with and eventually learns the language. It takes making a fool of oneself to ultimately push oneself to the next level when learning a language. With that said, I often feel uncomfortable and embarrassed while here, communicating with native German speakers. Often when speaking english, certainly during everyday actions such as ordering coffee or while browsing a store, I don’t have to plan what I should say or provide any forethought into what I am going to say as the words just come naturally. In Germany, however, I do because the words, sentence structures, and other grammatical constructions don’t simply flow from my mind and mouth with little forethought. 

I truly enjoy learning German but have found that learning it in America is much more forgiving and a much slower process than learning German in Germany. I find it to be similar to someone who can’t swim well being thrown into the deep-end of a pool, left to either sink or swim. With that said, I like it this way much better. 

Clayton Casper

Wenn ich Deutsch spreche, habe ich manchmal Angst. Es hängt von der Situation ab. Wenn ich ein bisschen planen kann, was ich reden möchte, dann kann ich besser mit Deutschen sprechen. Aber diese Situation passiert selten. Am meisten sprechen die Deutschen zu mir zuerst. Dann wird mein Kopf gefroren und ich vergesse alles von meinem Deutsch. Oft konzentriere ich mich auf ein Wort, das ich nicht kenne. Deshalb kann ich den Rest von dem Satz hören. Aber wenn ich Erfolg mit Unterhaltung habe, fühle ich mich sehr stolz. Ich spreche eigentlich mit Deutschen in ihrer Muttersprache. Es ist ein wahnsinniges Gefühl und das begeistert mich, weiter mehr Deutsch zu lernen.

Hunter Rayfield

As much as I would like to write this in German I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to write it in English. Whenever I speak German, especially here in Germany, I feel great because all the work I’ve put into learning it over the years finally comes to a little fruition. Sometimes when speaking to Germans the complexity of dialects can be a little overwhelming at times. Nevertheless I am simply overjoyed to finally be in Germany learning German. From the time I began learning it in my Foreign Language class I knew that no matter how long it took, one day I wanted to master it. It is alarming the rate at which I learn about the language here in such a short amount of time as compared to long hours spent in the classroom back home. All in all I would not want to be anywhere else in the world doing anything else but this right now.

Allie

Manchmal fühle ich mich selbstsicher, wenn ich Deutsch spreche. Vor ein paar Tagen half ich meinem Mitbewohner, ein Computer-Kabel zu finden durch das durchgängige Sprechen mit dem Mitarbeiter auf Deutsch. Er sagte, er könne nicht viel Englisch sprechen, aber wir arbeiteten zusammen und fanden das richtige Kabel. Andere Male habe ich keine Selbstsicherheit in meine deutschsprachigen Fähigkeiten. Einige Deutsche sprechen so schnell! Wenn ich sie bitte, sich langsamer zu wiederholen, schalten sie nur auf Englisch um! Es geht immer so:

Sie: Asdgjslkgjfd dghdfkjg erhskj?

Ich: Langsam, bitte. Noch einmal?

Sie: Would you like that for here or to go?

Ich: Mitnehmen, bitte.

Sie: Okay that will be five Euros.

Ich: Danke!

Sie: Have a good night!

Die zweite Sache ist, wenn sie meinen amerikanischen / britischen Akzent hören, geben sie mir keine Chance, um Deutsch zu üben. Es ist jedoch schön, Deutsch mit unseren neuen deutschen Freunden zu üben. Sie wiederholen sich in Deutsch mindestens einmal, bevor sie zu Englisch wechseln. Ich denke, dass sie mir helfen, mein Deutsch zu verbessern viel mehr als die täglichen Interaktionen.

 Cameron Mock

When I speak in English, I can convey my thoughts and ideas much more effectively than when I speak in German. This is only due to the fact that my vocabulary and my understanding of the grammar in German is not as good as my English. When speaking German, it is hard to effectively get my point across. When having thoughts and ideas, they are much clearer in English, but my German is quickly becoming more clear in my mind. Speaking German with my new German friends is very fun. They are understanding and patient, and can usually get the gist of what I am trying to say. When speaking to my German friends in English, it is still difficult to get points across sometimes, as it is not their first language and there may be some miscommunications.

Mickey Isakoff

I am very sorry that this is going to be in English and not German.  Being a communication major, I do a lot of reading and speaking for my college classes.  Prior to college, I always had taken high level English and writing courses because it is what I am good at.  When I speak, read or listen to English, I consider myself someone who has a high need for cognition and communication.  The problem I have had with the German language is that I am still very simplistic in my ways of expressing my thoughts because of my limited vocabulary.  I find myself frustrated at times when I speak German because I want to explain things in creative and extensive ways, just as I am used to doing in English, but my skills are not where they need to be.  My best option is to continue to take it one step at a time and avoid future frustration and continue to work to improve.  

Joel Thomas

Speaking German in Germany

Speaking German while in Germany has been a difficult process for me. When speaking with Germans my biggest issue is never with the grammar. My problem stems from my inability to remember vocabulary. I have had to deal with the very unique frustration of not being able to say what I mean, due to my lack of vocabulary. When I speak with Germans I am usually able to dance around the words I don’t know, but sometimes I just end up with a puzzled face looking back at me. Luckily for myself as well as everyone else in this program, a lot of people here have been speaking English a lot longer than we have been trying to learn German. This creates an awkward scenario where I want to try and speak German in order to become a better at it, but the German speaking person just wants what is fastest. 

Kenji Gerhardt

Schrecklich und Wunderbar        

Normalerweise habe ich fast nie Angst. Ich habe keine Angst im Unterricht, keine Angst mit meinen Freunden usw. Trotzdem: wenn ich Deutsch mit Deutschen spreche, dann habe ich Angst und vergesse viel, das ich wissen sollte. Mit Deutsch wird alles viel komplizierter als alles wirklich ist. Naturlich ist es so, dass es schwer ist, etwas zu sagen, wenn sich alles kompliziert anfühlt. Mit diesen Problemen kann ich fast nichts sagen oder erklären. Deshalb bin ich immer nervös, Deutsch mit den Deutschen sprechen. 

Aber danach fühle ich mich immer ganz stolz, dass ich etwas auf Deutsch gesagt habe. Vielleicht ist es schwer und es geht langsam, Deutsch zu sprechen. Trotzdem macht es mir Spaß und ich finde es wichtig, dass ich Deutsch zu sprechen versuche. Damit darf ich mein Deutsch verbessern und vielleicht wird später das Sprechen nicht mehr so schrecklich sein.

Lauren Rust

Having the opportunity to study German in Germany has been challenging. It’s sometimes difficult to make others speak to me in German because people will hear my American accent and immediately switch to English. The most difficult part about German for me is how fast it’s spoken. Germans speak really fast and usually I can pick out some words that I know but then I have to try and go along with the context of the situation in order to fully understand them. Also, it’s difficult when I try to formulate a response in my head and by the time I’ve thought of how to say something in German the conversation has already moved on and it’s too late. Even though it has been challenging, the different experiences that I’ve had speaking German here have really helped to improve my ability to speak and understand German. 

Lauren Williams

I have studied German since my sophomore year of high school, and thought I was quite good at it. A large disappointment for me, however, was the inability to practice the language outside of the classroom. A couple of my family members know tiny bits of Deutsch, but truly becoming fluent was never a possibility for me; that is, until I began this summer in Dresden. Immediately I was bombarded with the language everywhere I turned, and at first I felt extremely overwhelmed and discouraged. Talking with locals is often frustrating because they speak very quickly in a dialect not taught in my classes, and always I have to ask “bitte?” because I can’t quite understand. The overwhelming numbers of helpful people here, however, have really helped my attitude turn around. My roommates and I are in love with the city; its people, its culture, and most of all, its language.

Andrew Burger

I decided to try to learn German this year for a few reasons.  The first was to be able to work in Germany where I am interested in one day living.  The second reason was to communicate with a friend I have back home in our own "secret language."  Now that I am here and I face situations where I am actually forced to speak a foreign language is quite thrilling when I do say what I need to say and when I don't, but the fact that I am here keeps me in the right state of mind.  I want to learn it as soon as I can and I sometimes get upset that I am not able to communicate with the person I want to.  It is really very good encouragement for me.  Either way I am so glad I took the first step and decided to come the country. 

Brad Pohl

Meine ersten zwei Wochen in Dresden waren schwer für mich, um Deutsch sprechen. Jetzt fühle ich, dass mein Deutsch besser ist. Jetzt habe ich mehr Vertrauen. Ich habe kein Angst, wenn Fremde mit mir Deutsch sprechen. Wann ich etwas nicht verstehe, ist es kein Probleme, weil ich lernen muss, Fehler zu machen. Wenn ich gut Deutsch sprechen, bin ich glücklich! Ich glaube, dass ich eine schwere Aufgabe erreichen habe. Ich mag auf Deutsch Gespräche hören, weil sie mir helfen, mehr Deutsch kennenzulernen. Ich hoffe, dass mein Deutsch besser wird in den nächsten Wochen! Wie viel besser wird mein Deutsch werden? Ich weiß nicht, ich hoffe viel besser!

Abigail Leggett

Before I came to Germany, hardly anyone I knew understood German. The little that I did attempt to speak it, nobody knew what I was saying. So when I began to speak it here, these words that used to be like a game to me actually gained meaning and for that reason I find it entertaining and exciting to try to communicate. Everything I think in my head in German sounds way better than when I actually open my mouth to say it. When I try to converse in German, I have to concentrate really hard to understand others, to pronounce my response properly, and to remember the correct article for each noun. Some Germans are impatient with my attempts to speak, but I try not to get discouraged. Between interacting with German friends and workers in daily life and class with Maria, I can already see a lot of improvements in my language abilities and I hope to keep improving. The thought of going home and not being able to use my German makes me really sad and reminds me to make the most of my experiences here.