Is German Hard To Learn For English Speakers
Is German Difficult to Learn? Why German Is Easier Than Y'all Think
I'1000 fed upward with the myth that German language is hard to learn for English speakers.
Learning some other linguistic communication can exist infuriating, particularly equally you find yourself committing grammar rules, pronunciations, and a never-ending list of words to memory.
And certain, that's true of German too. Plus, some German learners become flustered by the absurdly long words, and unusual grammar construction.
However, I've heard endless times as well that Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Finnish, and many other languages are too hard to learn. Still so many polyglots, me included, have disproved this!
I don't believe that any language is harder to learn than another.
Is German harder than French, for example?
In my opinion, information technology all comes downwards to perseverance and passion.
Allow's expect at information technology from another point of view. If yous are a native English speaker, there is a strong run a risk that you took learning the language for granted. You had to learn it, in order to communicate with those around yous, and so y'all did. As a result, you are fluent in a really complicated linguistic communication.
English has many inconsistencies that leave not-native English students scratching their heads in confusion.
German is i example of a language that is in many ways easier to learn than English.
Permit me explain why…
Table of contents
- 1. At that place is a Standardised Form of German to Larn
- 2. The Spelling Rules Are More Structured in High german – And Easier to Larn!
- English language Spelling is Harder than German Spelling
- 3. Germans Are More Likely to Correct You When You lot're Wrong
- four. High german Verbs Aren't Hard—They Tend to Follow Patterns
- Permit'south Look Closely at Verbs: Why German Is Easier Than English
- 5. Information technology is More Complicated to Read and Write High german than to Speak Information technology
- And so How Hard Is Information technology to Larn High german?
1. In that location is a Standardised Form of German to Larn
Related Learning: German Dialects: A Beginner'due south Guide [With Videos]
In 1996, German was officially standardised.
This was done to simplify the language rules. It besides made the spelling of words, in particular, more than compatible and predictable.
The guidelines were revised once again in 2004 and past late 2005, what had get known as the Neue deutsche Rechtschreibung was in place. From and then on, only the new spelling rules were allowed. These rules are at present taught in schools beyond Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
How does this touch you as a German learner?
Although dialects will differ across German speaking towns and countries, every German word has 1 official spelling. No thing where yous are in the world, you should exist able to understand almost German-speakers and they, in return, volition understand you.
On the opposite, in that location is no standardised version of English. These days, American English spelling rules may boss the language in many places. Anyone who has tried to modify their dictionary in Microsoft Give-and-take from U.S. to British English and have information technology stick will be enlightened of this.
English is also confusing, equally many words have different meanings, depending on whether you are learning British or American English.
For example, endeavour talking freely about your pants in Britain and so gauge what kind of reception you lot get!
It is therefore incredibly handy to exist learning a language that has one standardised version, equally German does. Yous don't need to worry so much nearly native speakers not understanding you…
Or accidentally mixing up your outerwear with your underwear!
ii. The Spelling Rules Are More than Structured in High german – And Easier to Learn!
Related Learning: The German language Alphabet – a Complete Guide
The rules for spelling in the German language language are far more rigid than those in English.
The purpose of German spelling is to act as a guideline for how to pronounce words. Once you've learned the standard pronunciation rules, you will be able to say any word correctly in German. As well, when you hear a word spoken, yous'll exist able to write it downward.
There are only a few exceptions to this.
Take for case, the word for "time", which is Zeit. The letter of the alphabet Z is always a 'ts' sound. 'Ei' is a diphthong, pregnant the sound formed is the combination of two vowels into a single syllable. Yous would therefore pronounce the second audio and forget the first – proverb 'eye' rather than 'ah-ee'. In following this specific rule, you would know that 'Zeit' would exist pronounced 'Ts-center-t'.
If the word is spelt with an 'i' before an 'e', then you lot pronounce the 'e'. Liebe ("beloved") is therefore pronounced "lee-buh".
English language Spelling is Harder than German Spelling
English on the other hand, does non tend to strictly follow whatsoever standard rules with regards to spelling or pronunciation. Information technology's such a mess that I fifty-fifty indicate it out in this poem near English.
Fifty-fifty the rules nosotros accept are often broken. Have for example, the well-known adage of "i earlier e, except later c". This can initially exist seen as a helpful mnemonic to use when trying to learn the spelling of certain words, such as "thief" and "deceit".
But what about words such as "forfeit" and "science"? Surely they would have to follow the aforementioned dominion?
Perhaps y'all've made this point, and been told that this rule only applies to words that are pronounced with an 'ee' sound. That'southward fine. We can think that. Yet, you lot will discover there are still exceptions to that rule, such as the words "caffeine" and "weird".
Yous're now in a circumstance where in that location is no choice other than to commit the spelling of these words to retentiveness, or deport around a lexicon at all times.
Any would-exist English speaker could believe that they were making progress in the language, only to take their confidence shattered when a new dominion appeared, completely contradicting what they had previously learned.
Achieving fluency in German language is a question of learning the rules and sticking to them. However in English language, the many exceptions you encounter are only as important as the rules themselves.
3. Germans Are More Likely to Correct You When You lot're Incorrect
Related Learning: Is "Learning from Mistakes" Really a Thing? Here's What the Science Says…
Ane reason I believe German language is an easier linguistic communication to learn than English language has nothing to do with spelling or grammer. Instead, it relates to the characteristics of the people who speak it.
There's a stereotype that Germans are rude. I don't believe this is the right term for it, as I find them to be more honest than anything else.
Germans don't beat near the bush. They are edgeless, upfront and get straight to the point. It is a trait that I found refreshing during my fourth dimension in Berlin, when I was learning the language.
It is safe to assume that at some indicate yous volition observe yourself having a conversation with a native German speaker. Let'southward say that over the course of the discussion, you unintentionally use the word lecken.
What yous meant to say was lächeln, which in English means "smile", just what you lot have actually said translates to "lick". Two words y'all wouldn't want to get mixed upwards, no matter what the context!
A German language would probably be quick to pull y'all up on your mistake. You may feel slightly put off at the fourth dimension. It took me a while to get used to their direct manner of addressing people.
Merely overall, they will be doing y'all a favour, as I daresay the surprise of being corrected will end you from making the same mistake again!
Now imagine being in the same state of affairs, merely flipped: you're learning to speak English language as a second language and talking to a native.
How practice y'all remember they would react?
My guess is they would smile to themselves and let information technology slide. This would not be done out of malice, merely due to cultural differences.
In that location would be nothing personal nearly this. On the contrary, it would probably stalk from a want to not hurt your feelings.
Unfortunately, it'due south the worst thing they could exercise for you in regards to your linguistic communication learning. Having not been made enlightened of your botch, you could discover yourself unknowingly making the aforementioned error in futurity conversations.
4. German Verbs Aren't Hard—They Tend to Follow Patterns
Related Learning: Language Hacking German language: x Hacks to Larn High german Faster
The German language has many more than regular verbs than English language. This means once yous've memorised the verbs, it is fairly piece of cake to guess how to conjugate them.
Conjugation is important as information technology gives the verb a context. The forms vary according to tense, mood, voice, gender, person, aspect, or number.
Verbs in German, both regular and irregular, tend to follow patterns and are therefore easier to conjugate.
An case is kaufen, the verb for "to buy". The stem of the verb (which stays the same) is kauf and you lot would cohabit it depending on what activeness is taking place.
For example, you lot would say ich kaufe for "I purchase" and sie kaufen for "they buy" and then on. This same rule would apply for all regular verbs in the High german language.
With irregular verbs, the difference is that the stem of the word changes when conjugated, depending on what tense you are using at the time.
The alter in the conjugation of irregular verbs by and large applies to the first vowel.
One example is "to drive", which is fahren in the infinitive (base) form and fuhr for "driven" or "drive!" in the imperative (which is a simple by tense) form.
The präteritum (present perfect tense for an event that has happened) grade is Ich bin gefahren for "I take driven".
Some other irregular verb that follows this pattern is lesen ("to read"). This conjugates to las ("read") and ich habe gelesen for "I take read".
There are two other patterns irregular verbs tend to follow. One time learned, they can be grouped together in order to think them more finer. Some examples include: bleiben which means "to stay/remain" (blieb and ich bin geblieben) and heben – "to lift" (hob and ich habe gehoben) which conjugate in the aforementioned fashion.
So do finden, "to find" (fand and ich habe gefunden) and stehen "to stand" (stand and ich habe gestanden).
Allow'southward Look Closely at Verbs: Why German Is Easier Than English language
Linguistic communication learning consists of committing a large number of words to memory, no affair how you await at it. This does become a much less daunting chore when yous utilize your imagination.
Although you will initially accept to memorise High german verbs every bit y'all acquire them, over time you will start to see a blueprint emerge. This is because there are similarities in the mode sure verbs are conjugated.
Yous will be able to group sets of irregular verbs together, which will make them easier to recall.
Unfortunately, conjugating verbs in English language is nowhere near as easy. This is because the language tends to favour irregular verbs, which often don't take a blueprint to follow.
In conjugating regular verbs, you need to add an "ed". "Discover" is a regular verb, then in order to go the past tense, yous would say "discovered".
This seems and is unproblematic… up until you start trying to cohabit those dreaded irregular verbs.
Unlike German, it is not a case of calculation a set up conjugation on the end of a word. This is considering some English language irregular verbs, when conjugated, tend to change entirely.
One case of this is the verb "to drink". The by participle conjugation turns into "drunk", but the simple past conjugation is "drank". You wouldn't, for example, say "I am drank". You would say "I am drunk" – unless perhaps yous were!
(This is another reason why I don't think drinking helps anyone when learning a language.)
As a native speaker, this is probably not something you lot demand to think twice about. On the other manus, if you were learning the linguistic communication, these sorts of inconsistencies tin can cause a lot of confusion.
At that place is no pattern to follow. Once once again y'all would find yourself having to commit a long listing of irregular verbs to retentivity.
It is therefore much harder to make progress in English language than in German, equally these exceptions are hard to apply to what you already know.
v. It is More than Complicated to Read and Write German than to Speak It
Related Learning: How to Speak High german: The Faster Mode to Larn German
It took me half dozen months of living abroad in Kingdom of spain to realise that I was never going to accomplish fluency, unless I stopped speaking English.
As such, I encourage would-be language learners to start speaking their chosen language from solar day i.
German in the written form is generally phrased using the simple past tense. On the contrary, when y'all speak, you lot generally only utilize present perfect tense, such as "I have bought, I take eaten".
And so if you lot are looking to communicate, you only demand to learn 1 set of verbs.
If the tables were turned and y'all were learning to speak English language, you would have to memorise multiple sets of verbs before y'all could even think of beginning to communicate.
This puts beginners at an advantage, as in one case yous have learned the present perfect tense for verbs, you tin can begin conversing in High german.
You will be well on the way to achieving fluency in this item linguistic communication!
And then How Hard Is It to Learn German?
There are many explanations for why High german is a much easier language to learn than English. There is no reason why anyone wanting to larn this language couldn't achieve fluency.
All you need is a piddling persistence!
Now, yous might be wondering… How long does information technology take to acquire German, and then?
You can become conversationally fluent in German in iii months. All information technology takes is the correct method and the resources that adapt your learning way the most.
If yous're interested in reading in farther details about the methods I used to learn how to speak German in simply a few months, cheque out my language learning guide Why German is Easy.
I can also help you observe the all-time resources on the web for your German mission. I fabricated a list of my favourite German language learning tools to go you started. There are more resources posts on the Fi3M blog too, such as these 44 free online german linguistic communication lessons and resource.
Source: https://www.fluentin3months.com/german-hard-to-learn/
Posted by: smithupyrairow.blogspot.com
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