5 Ways Not to Learn German Successfully-Avoid Pitfalls and Start Learning German the Right Way

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Making the decision to learn German is a big step. To learn German successfully you also have to decide among other things which learning tool you want to use as primary German learning tool. Certainly there are countless available e.g., books, CDs, DVDs, German classes, German learning games, language trips etc. Which one of them should you chose?

1. Learn German with German language books?

Let’s be clear: The main part of language learning is learning to speak. German language books won’t teach you how to communicate properly. They are a great add-on and very helpful to understand various subjects e.g., grammar, synonyms and cultural aspects. However books should not be used as your primary learning tool for learning German.

2. Learn with a German pen pal?

Some people who intend to learn German form sort of an alliance with a person who wants to learn English. So the person who wants to learn German only speaks German to the person who wants to learn English and visa versa. Mostly people communicate by email. In this case the entire verbal communication is missing which doesn’t lead to speaking German fluently. Please note that for someone who doesn’t speak your language nor knows any linguistics it is difficult to teach you German properly. The other dangers are that there is no lesson plan or formal commitment. So learning goals are hard to achieve and progress is hard to measure. That’s why as primary method a pen pal is very little suited for learning German.

3. Play German language learning games?

There are some interesting German learning games on the market teaching vocabulary and basic grammar. Those games are fun and come handy as a training tool to repeat and exercise what you have already learned. As primary learning tool I would not suggest using them, as they do not provide real human interaction in German and therefore do not help you to become fluent.

4. Join an immersion program at a German language school?

There is a lot of discussion about whether immersion programs for adults work or not. Having learned several languages myself I can tell you this: Please stay away from them as a beginner. Immersion is based on the concept that you learn a language the way children do. The problem is that as we grow up the way we learn languages changes. Immersion programs are only successful once you’ve mastered the basics of German and can follow conversations already

5. Move to a German speaking country or German community?

“Great if you can!” You’d think I’d say that.

If you really intend to move to a German speaking country then please start learning German right away. Just imagine: Besides being in a different country, not knowing your way around, not being familiar with their culture, laws and customs you can’t even understand anything or ask simple things. How frustrating! Certainly not a great way to start learning German…

How should you then learn German the right way?

Countless successful people in history learned from another successful person who was their mentor, coach, trainer, teacher-however you want to call it. Just to name a few: Oprah Winfrey mentored “Dr. Phil” McGraw, Christian Dior mentored Yves Saint Laurent, Richard Nixon mentored George Bush, Drew Bledsoe mentored Tom Brady, Mark O’Meara and Butch Harmon mentored Tiger Woods.

• A qualified German tutor will take you by your hand and guide you through the hurdles of learning German:
• You will learn proper pronunciation, grammar, and all other things that lead to German fluency.
• Personalized lesson plans and progress checks will keep your goals on track.
• Your motivation will stay alive.

But first and foremost your tutor will give you the confidence to speak in German.

You can opt for in-person tutoring or online tutoring depending on your personal preference and available time. You can also sign up for our F.REE ebook to get more information about this topic.

So no need to go through a lot of trial and error as many others did. Utilize proven methods and start learning German successfully from the very beginning!

This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 10:03 AM and is filed under Learn German Aspects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.