How To Learn To Speak German Fluently?

Are you planning to visit a German-speaking country

? Working on your German family history? Has your company chosen you for a prize assignment in Germany? Do you even know how to greet someone in German to begin with? If you're reading this, you need to know how to learn to speak German fluently.

But there's good news - learning German isn't nearly as hard as you think! Part of learning any language is cultivating a good ear. Listen carefully to a German speaker. Can you hear the sounds in German that do not resemble the same vowel or consonant in English? "Th" in German is pronounced like an English "T." German speakers always pronounce "G" as a hard sound, whereas in English, it's sometimes pronounced like a soft "J." Features like this make German sound harsh and hard to the English ear. But the more you listen and identify these distinctively German sounds, the easier it will be to learn to speak German fluently, because you're internalizing the sound of the language.

Now I'm going to ask you to do something a bit unusual - watch an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie! Try saying the actor's lines in as close an approximation of his accent as you can muster. No, you're not speaking German yet - but you're getting a feel for the sound of the language. As you learn to speak German fluently, you'll use these sounds to perfect your accent.

Naturally, you won't learn German just from imitating Arnold Schwarzenegger! For that you need some kind of course. You may find you enjoy online learning, which allows you to learn at your own rate. Or, you may prefer taking a formal class or listening to CDs. Whatever method you choose, make sure your program focuses on conversation. Speaking German and reading German aren't the same activity, and it's a lot easier to learn to read the language after you've learned to speak it well. You will learn to speak German fluently only if you speak it and hear it spoken.

One of the challenges you'll face in learning German is its three genders - feminine, masculine, and neuter. English nouns have no gender, so this may be the first time you've encountered them. Der Hund (dog) and der Mantel (coat) are examples of masculine nouns. Feminine nouns include blanket (die Decke) and vacation (die Ferien). Das Haus (house) and das Schwein (pig) are examples of neuter nouns. All three words - "der," "die," or "das" - mean "the," but they show the gender of the noun they accompany. There's no way to predict whether a noun is going to be masculine, feminine, or neuter, so if you want to learn to speak German fluently, always remember to learn the proper article at the same time you learn the noun.

Finally, here is the most important way to learn German fast: find a German friend to talk to! You'll never learn a language thoroughly until you begin to speak it like your own. Find a partner to practice with, and the sky's the limit! Not only will you learn to speak German fluently, but you may make a friend you'll keep for life!

by: Ricco Smith

POST COMMENT

Other Examples of CPVs in the Secondary English Classroom Get A Part Time Role As A College Student Through A Virtual Career Fair Do You Need Extra Money For Your College Classes? What To Do Instead Of Going To College Learning Spanish: The Benefits Of Multilingualism Learn To Keep Baseball Hitting Simple 000-719 test questions 000-530 Exam Answer 000-433 practice exam 000-418 study guide The Art Of Learning English Through Crafts 000-918 exam questions 000-891 practice exam