How to learn German and not go crazy? 

Learning German is a real challenge, and many people fear they will accidentally crash their language, struggling with words like: 


Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (63 letters) - Regulations for the transfer of supervisory responsibilities for the labelling of cattle and beef. 

Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (67 letters) -
Legal word that defines who is responsible for deciding on property issues.


Long words, aren't they? But don't be afraid of them, because the Germans themselves don't use them, and in time, as you get to know the language, even these complicated words won't be a problem for you. 

Kopfkino, which literally means cinema in the mind and describes the ability to imagine a situation in the smallest detail.

Ohrwurm, which literally means a worm in the ear and describes the state in which you like a song so much that it never leaves your mind.


Motivation to learn German can vary. Some people are passionate about languages and learn them because it makes them happy. Others want to start studying the language when they go abroad. There are also those who want to improve their skills so they can earn more. Romanians are also the largest ethnic group in Europe who want to learn German.


Nowadays, when the pace of life is so fast, it's not easy to plan so much free time. It all depends on your daily rhythm, but the length of individual lessons is not as important as their regularity. Above all, it is important to study systematically even 20/30 minutes a day.  


Assuming that you don't have much time to study, it would be useful to associate your learning moments with times when you already have an activity, giving you something that doesn't require much thought. These moments are also called Time Gaps, i.e. moments of time spent on activities such as:

• cleaning 
• time spent on the couch  
• time before bedtime 
• riding public transport or driving a car 
• walking

While doing the above activities, you can: 

• Listen to podcasts. We recommend starting with the Slow German Podcast: have a look here:

https://slowgerman.com/

or here:

www.coffeebreaklanguages.com/coffeebreakgerman

You can also find interesting podcasts by creating an account on Spotify. A lot of the content is available for free, so you can try it out at no cost to you. An example of a podcast for beginners:

https://open.spotify.com/album/40AMRgVopOB1aUHBkneA7P

• Listen to audio books. Look for light books, adapted to your level or ones you have already read in English. You will find it easier to understand their content in German.  
• Follow Instagram accounts with topics related to learning German. We recommend you give these profiles a look:  

https://www.instagram.com/learn.german.fast/  

https://www.instagram.com/dein_sprachcoach/  

• Speak for yourself! Sound weird? Possibly, but it's effective. While cleaning or relaxing, you can have conversations with yourself, and the moment you notice you're missing a word- write it down and look up its meaning in the dictionary.  
• Listen to German radio - this will help you get used to the language and learn the rules of pronunciation and word stress, while strengthening your vocabulary.  
• Watch German TV - the combination of words and pictures will help you learn the basic phrases and most commonly used words more quickly. You will remember them more easily.  
• Use an app to learn German. The most commonly used apps are Duolingo, Babble or Mondly.

What else you can do to learn the language is to look for a native speaker - you can post an ad on classifieds sites or immigrant social media groups. It's worth a try, it would be an excellent supplement to language learning. The native speaker will help you with grammar problems, answer your questions, correct mispronunciations if necessary.

Another very important thing is to set yourself a goal - it is easier if you know why you want to learn the language and where you would like to end up in a while. Notice and enjoy even the smallest progress, this motivates you in the learning process. 

In addition, stimulate yourself to learn - look for situations where you can speak German. It's not easy, especially if you're a shy person, but it's really worth the effort. When you see that you are able to manage on your own in certain situations, such as at work or at the doctor's, you will feel a huge sense of satisfaction, and small improvements will encourage you even more to keep learning. You will no longer be dependent on anyone and will become more independent. Try not to worry about what people will think and say - most people are positive and understanding when it comes to those who want to learn a new language.