German is traditionally regarded as a "hard" language to learn, but the truth is that learning any language poses challenges. Because everyone learns differently, by identifying your individual learning style, you can take a big step toward success at learning German. In the meantime, there are several strategies you can incorporate to expedite the process.
Talk to Yourself
Speak German confidently and clearly to gain confidence speaking the language.
At first, a foreign language sounds strange and even silly. You may feel self-conscious saying the words because they sound different than what you are used to hearing. To become comfortable with German, practice saying words out loud. Practice pronunciation, even if you know only a handful of words or phrases. Say them in front of a mirror to get used to seeing and hearing yourself use the language.
Practice Pronunciation
Listen to correct German pronunciation and repeat words slowly.
American pronunciation standards are not nearly as stringent as German standards. German has letter clusters that require clear, unambiguous pronunciation to be properly understood. Don't skimp on practicing the alphabet and common letter combinations. Although practicing pronunciation might seem elementary, practicing could significantly increase your ability to speak German and be understood.
Learn Nouns and Gender Together
German has three genders: masculine, feminine and gender neutral. Every noun in German has a gender. Furthermore, German has four cases, nominative, dative, accusative and genitive, and gets tricky when it comes to conjugating different forms of "the" according to cases. It's important to learn nouns and gender together to avoid confusion later in the learning process.
Focus on Verbs
Verbs are an important part of any language. In German, verbs function differently than in other languages. Many verbs in German are "separable prefix," verbs that split in two as they're conjugated and move around in the sentence. For example, the verb "einkaufen," to shop, splits into "ein" and a conjugation of "kaufen" when it is the sentence's active verb, resulting in "I shop" or "Ich kaufe ein." Having a solid understanding of the way verbs work could make your German communication more clearly understood.
Use What You Have
No matter how little German you know, use the language as frequently as possible to increase fluency. New learners sometimes want to wait until their speaking is perfect, or until they have reached some arbitrary level of proficiency, before they begin practicing. The sooner you are comfortable with speaking German the faster you'll learn.
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