There is a huge choice in this matter. The Bible says that the foundations of philology were laid during the construction of the Tower of Babel, when a dispute arose between man and the Gods about spheres of influence. The tower collapsed, and after that 72 languages were born.
Since then, the number of foreign languages has increased and it is very difficult to answer the question of how many languages there are now in the world. Since many languages are gradually dying, others are turning from dialects into independent languages. For example: Dutch was once a dialect German language, but now it is an independent language; The Italian language gradually turns into French through the Ligurian and Provençal dialects and vice versa. But anyone who does not know French and Italian has the right to treat these dialects as independent languages.
Among foreign languages there have always been those that we call international languages, and it is with them that it is necessary to begin the study of foreign languages. The languages of international communication are traditionally considered to be English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. Of course, among the languages of international communication, English traditionally leads, which, according to rough estimates, is spoken by about 410 million people, but German is not low on this list. About 110 million people in the world speak German and about 20 million more are trying to learn German as a foreigner.
Traditionally, German is the official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. In addition, German has regional status in Belgium, Vatican City, Italy (South Tyrol), Namibia, Tanzania, Togo, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
It is necessary to read in a foreign language, as a work of fiction gives us knowledge in the most pleasant form.
Learn grammar through language, not language through grammar.
Today, few doubt that a work of fiction is a reliable native speaker, a good textbook and a trainer for increasing vocabulary. This is especially true for adult students who have outgrown the period of mechanical memory, and their acquired ability to think logically cannot help here.
In order to express your thoughts in a foreign language and understand others, you need to master 2-3 thousand words. But in order to speak a foreign language very well, you need to know about 10-15 thousand words. Anyone who has already reached such a level in proficiency in a foreign language, let him ask himself how much of this solid vocabulary he learned “in the traditional way,” namely by looking up words in a dictionary? It turns out that it is a very small amount. Most of the words were given to us by works of art - the source is much nicer than a dictionary or textbook. The adult brain learns grammar more easily than lexicon, since the grammar requires
logical thinking
. However, among young people, the word “grammar” very often evokes fear. And in vain! Without familiarity with grammar, you can speak correctly only in your native language.
The most correct approach to grammar is that you need to be aware of the rules. We cannot demand from our brain that once it has become familiar with a rule, it will remember it forever. A rule is just an idea for which you need to develop a habit. and type of activity. Here are the answers to the question asked by fans of this method: “What helped you overcome the first difficulties when reading in a foreign language?”
| Pensioner: “I decided to sort out my stamp collection; |
|
| At the same time, I had to read a dozen new catalogs in a foreign language.” |
|
| Schoolboy: “I’m interested in football; “I began to independently search on foreign news portals to see what matches foreign football clubs were preparing for.” |
|
| Housewife: “What they don’t write in modern books about love!” |
|
| Employee: “I like to read detective stories. I don’t put down the book until I find out who the killer is.” |
Singer: “A song is not only a melody, but also words”... The greater the role that interest plays in overcoming difficulties, the easier it is to apply the second important lever in learning foreign languages -.
self-discipline
Conversation skills are best developed by reading contemporary plays or action-packed novels or stories. T.N. “situational elements” in them very much merge with meaning. This helps to consolidate them in our memory, so when we find ourselves in a similar situation in life, we always have them ready for use. The advantage of “situational” texts is that they are full not only of living modern vocabulary, but also ready-made examples
whole sentences. Anyone who has taken up the study of a foreign language needs to know that it has two “faces”, two forms: written (literary) and spoken.
J.B. Shaw once said that he spoke three English languages. On one of them he writes his plays, the other he uses for official affairs, and the third with friends. And these three English languages are very different from each other.
Such differences exist in other languages, but they are especially noticeable in English. The problem is that the English language is based on vocabulary (vocabulary) of Germanic (Anglo-Saxon) and French (Norman) origin. This fact is confirmed by the fact that the names of domestic animals, which were looked after by servants from the defeated Germanic tribes, in English were borrowed from the German language: English. calf - German Kalb, English swine - German Schwein, English ox - German Ochs. But the meat of these animals was mostly eaten by the victorious Normans, and therefore it is still called in the French way: English. veal - fr. veau, English pork - fr. porc, English beef - fr. boeuf., if you understand those for whom it is native, and native speakers understand you both orally and in writing. All aspects of mastering a foreign language are interconnected and complement each other, but as practice shows, it is also possible to master each of them separately. In Rome, I met a doorman who spoke 7 languages with excellent pronunciation, but could not write correctly even in his native language Italian. Sándor Petőfi (Hungarian poet and translator) had no idea about foreign phonetics (pronunciation), but at the same time gave the world wonderful examples of literary translation.
The book, unfortunately, cannot teach correct pronunciation. Several years ago I witnessed a funny incident at London Airport. A customs officer, checking the documents of an Indian student, asked him: “What will you study in London?” “Love,” replied the young man, who had obviously never heard how to pronounce the word “law” correctly. With typically British calm, the customs officer let us through young man, reflecting on the fact that love is practically the same thing in the whole world and is it really necessary to come to England to study this science?
Mastering the pronunciation of a foreign language is one of the most difficult tasks that a foreign language sets before us. Without a solid reserve foreign words and understanding the grammatical structure of the language, good pronunciation costs nothing. However, your listener's first impression of your command of a foreign language is based on your pronunciation.
The study of pronunciation (phonetics) began relatively recently, but a huge number of erroneous opinions are already associated with this science.
| Here are a few of them. |
|
| To have correct pronunciation you need to have good hearing. This statement is true, but only partly. In order to have the correct pronunciation there is no need to have an ear for music, since many good musicians have a barbaric pronunciation of foreign words. The most important thing is not to have good hearing, but to learn to distinguish the sounds of a foreign language and distinguish them from the sounds of your native language. |
In order to have good pronunciation, you need to constantly hear foreign speech. This statement is incorrect, because just because we constantly attend ballet performances, we will not become good dancers. Our main enemy in the process of learning foreign languages is forgetting. The most Against forgetting is repetition.
And it is the book that provides unlimited opportunities for repetition. The book has thousands of advantages and one drawback: it cannot speak, it cannot teach us pronunciation. The only way remains is to study the rules of pronunciation of a foreign language and consciously compare them with the sounds of your native language.
Two more tips. It is best to practice pronunciation of sounds on syllables that have no meaning at all. This will avoid the unwanted influence of visual associations. You can practice pronunciation while walking your dog, sitting in the bathroom, waiting for a trolleybus, or sitting in a hairdresser. It will also be very good if you watch for pronunciation errors among foreigners who speak your native language. If anyone has ever heard an American order a waiter “salad z tgomatgou,” he will never forget that the American version of the “t” sound is pronounced with aspiration and aspiration.
Do not forget the golden rule: it is better to study less, but intensively, with full dedication, than to sit for hours, remembering the impressions of yesterday or dreaming about something. “Context” is a word of Latin origin and is translated into Russian as “woven matter”, “fabric”, and in figurative meaning
- environment. Words, like threads in fabric, intertwine, connecting each other.
Perhaps some of you had to speak a foreign language that you were fluent in after a break of many years. In such situations, we are surprised to notice that at first we cannot remember even the simplest words, but after a while words begin to appear from our memory. So we remember some noun, after it a whole series of adjectives immediately appear, which serve as a definition for the noun, and then the corresponding verbs. This is an example of how the forces of relationship between words are activated. when talking about football. Many of us know a few words from the Japanese language: kimono - dress, typhoon - wind, karate - bare hand, hara-kiri - ripping the belly.
Classic method learning words is like this: on one half of the page we write out unfamiliar words from the text, on the other - their meanings in our native language. Then the palm covers one or the other half of the page, the eyes look, the lips move silently, and the brain seems to record the words.
This method arose simultaneously with the history of learning foreign languages. This method has several advantages, but even more disadvantages. The most difficult of them is that words are crammed in isolation, without context. All meanings of a foreign word are associated with a single meaning in the native language. We seem to hang everything on one hook, and this hook may not hold up...
At best, we can remember one single meaning of a word, but dictionaries often offer us 10-15 meanings.
The advantage of this traditional method is that we compile lists of words personally, and very often personal impressions, rather than linguistic factors, help us remember a word.
I advise everyone to keep their notes on a foreign language in a disorderly manner. The text, which is written in even letters, in even rows, resembles a desert. Everything merges into one point and there is nothing for the eyes to catch on. Therefore, it is necessary to write with different colored pencils or felt-tip pens, as well as in different fonts. All this enhances personal impressions, which helps the memory to cling to something. The second method of learning foreign words is what I call"dictionary"
. It was used, for example, by the famous Hungarian poet Atilla József and the orientalist scholar Rustem Vambery. These extraordinary people simply memorized entire dictionaries from “A” to “Z”. Modern dictionaries do not provide words in isolation, but in a micro-context, and perhaps because of this, the “dictionary” method is very effective in practice, although it contradicts the principles of modern pedagogy.
When learning a foreign language, every person notices that he remembers some words better, others worse. This depends on both subjective and objective reasons. As a rule, the stronger our personal impressions associated with a word, the easier it is to remember. This is another argument in favor of reading in a foreign language. When we do not look for the meaning of a word in the dictionary, but it becomes clear to us from the context, then we subconsciously experience the “joy of victory,” which contributes to the functioning of memory.
This phenomenon is easy to explain based on the teachings of Pavlov, which says that the strength of the reaction depends on the strength of the irritation, and in our case, the irritant (an unknown word) causes irritation in both the mental sphere and the sphere of feelings.
The objective reason that some words are easier to remember than others is related to the internal meaning of the words. As experience shows, the fastest to remember are nouns that denote a specific object (for example: house, book, etc.). Next come adjectives that denote colors, sizes, shapes, etc. items.
After adjectives come abstract nouns, and after that verbs that denote ordinary, concrete actions (for example: walk, read, carry). The most difficult verbs to remember are abstract verbs (to provide, to fulfill). Verbs take last place also because they belong to a grammatically frequently inflected category of words. They are found either in the singular or in the plural, sometimes in the active form, sometimes in the passive. The sound of words also plays a role. How more letters
in a word, the greater the chance of falling under “cross association” and confusing the word with another that sounds similar. Some teachers believe that in order not to fall under the “cross association”, it is necessary by all means not to attract the attention of students to such words. In my opinion, words that can be easily confused should simply be written down and their meaning firmly learned, since only those words that we are unsure of are confused.
Vocabulary elements also differ in frequency of use. We use the word “big” more often than the word “illusion,” and the word “illusion” more often than the word “monkey.”
A dictionary will help you quickly and permanently master a foreign alphabet. My friends who study Russian, first of all, find the word “Moscow”, then “motor” or other international words. From the “motor” it’s not far to get to the “rotor”, and from here it’s not far to the “samovar”.
Success will inspire you. But after a while I would take the dictionary from you. In the initial phase of learning a foreign language, a dictionary stimulates thought and stimulates thinking, but later, on the contrary, it hinders progress in language learning. People just tend to use a dictionary instead of thinking. Why worry about words if you always have a dictionary at hand.
But what to do when, reading a book in a foreign language, you still can’t remember the meaning of the word? Don't use a dictionary?
Use, but within reasonable limits. As a rule, some element of the word sounds in memory. For example, while translating something into English, you suddenly forgot the meaning of the word “tape”. At the same time, your hand automatically reaches for the dictionary. You look up this word in the dictionary, write it and at the same moment forget it again. Don't rush to reach for the dictionary! Stretch your memory. If you can’t remember anything other than the first letters, look for words in the English part of the dictionary, not in the Russian. It will take twice as long, but the “joy of victory” will provide 10 times better results.
Some scholars consider the “joy of victory” to be the key to all pedagogy (even the key to all life). I am sure that, at least in learning foreign languages, this is definitely a key point.
Another piece of advice regarding the dictionary is that you should use the so-called at the initial stage of learning a foreign language. explanatory dictionaries, for example: English Webster, French Larus, German Duden.
I don’t memorize words first, but only consider them like a rebus or a crossword puzzle. While I'm figuring out the rules of reading, the dictionary will show me some very important secrets of the German language. Now I can already see how nouns, nouns from verbs, adjectives, etc. are formed. But this is only a kind of “tasting”. Thus, I “taste” a foreign language, trying to get to know it well.
Along with the dictionary, I also buy a textbook on the German language and a fiction book in German. I always buy a textbook with keys that give the correct answers to all tasks. Simultaneously with studying the dictionary, I study from the textbook, doing all the written assignments. I try to write at large intervals so that later, having looked at the keys, I could write the correct answer under each sentence.
At the same time, I blame myself a little for my mistakes, but I immediately forgive.
When reading a book in a foreign language for the first time, I write down only words whose meaning I can guess from the context. I, of course, write these words not in isolation, but as whole sentences. Then, reading for the second or third time, I write down unfamiliar words, adding to them a “family” of words from a dictionary or book. However, all this, of course, will not teach me to understand German by ear. Therefore, from the very beginning I am looking for an opportunity to hear German. This could be "Deutsche Welle" on TV or some German information site on the Internet. A German channel where news is broadcast in several languages is an ideal case, since the news in all languages talks about the same thing. This way you will be able to listen to the same news both in German and in your native language. This is exactly the key that will help you learn to perceive German by ear.
In addition, I try to write down words that I know by ear and then check their meaning in a dictionary. The joy I feel at the same time transforms the process of learning German into exciting entertainment. After that, after a day or two, I try to write down the content of the news I heard in German. During this time, of course, some things are forgotten, so you have to turn to the dictionary. I record the news that I watch on TV in German on some medium and try to listen to it many times, paying attention to the pronunciation. Very often I come across words that I already know from a book, but in the mouth of the speaker they sound completely different.
In parallel with this, I am looking for a German language teacher.
What requirements do I set for a German language teacher? First, the teacher should speak slowly so that I can calmly “catch” the words from the context. Second, the teacher must correct and explain my mistakes that I make in written homework. At first I write short essays on a free topic, as it is easier. I come up with unrelated sentences using words and grammatical forms I hear or see. Monitoring by the teacher helps me understand whether I correctly grasped their meaning and whether I am using them correctly. Then I start translating. Here the existing text requires that I use not well-known words, but those that correspond to the context. In translation (from native to foreign) I see one of the most consolidation, “cementing” of linguistic knowledge.
An uncorrected error is a very dangerous thing. Repeating an irregular shape causes it to take root and we perceive it as correct.
Written translation of topics is useful because it shows us errors that are sometimes difficult to catch by ear. I would like to draw your attention to another advantage of written translation over oral use of a foreign language. Speaking a foreign language is a matter of experience. If only because an experienced person will only say what he knows for sure. This, of course, is not a problem. However, in such cases, neither vocabulary nor the ability to construct sentences improves. As the old French wisdom says: “When speaking, say what you know, and when translating, know what you need.”
My “recipes” for learning German are missing one very common one. I do not advise looking for opportunities to get to Germany in order to “polish” the language there. To be honest, I don't think it's anything special
effective method
. Here's why: Those who believe that staying in a country where everyone speaks the language you're learning will automatically, effortlessly, somehow improve your foreign language are mistaken.
It seems to me that many are misled by the Latin proverb: “the stone talks.” It may speak, but in a stone language. Under the influence of the language environment, you can learn a couple of fashionable words and expressions, but no more than at home at the same time.
1. Learn the language every time until interest in what you are learning begins to wane.
2. Study a foreign language every day, at least for 10 minutes. Morning hours are most suitable for this. If you get up earlier, you will learn more.
3. Never learn isolated words. Be sure to relate them to context.
8. A foreign language is a fortress. It must be taken by storm from all sides simultaneously. Use books, newspapers, TV, films and textbooks for this.
9. Don't be scared possible errors. Start the conversation boldly by asking your interlocutor to correct you. And most importantly, don’t be offended when he does this.
10. Be firmly convinced that you are a genius. If the facts indicate the opposite, it is better to scold the language you are studying, the textbook, etc., but under no circumstances criticize yourself.
Kato Columbus is a Hungarian translator. She speaks 16 languages and uses each of them in her work. This is how she says it herself: “My native language is Hungarian. English, French, German and Russian languages live in me along with my native language. When I deal with Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Spanish or Polish languages, then I first review my notes for 6 hours and brush up on my knowledge. I translate fiction and specialized literature from 6 other languages.”
Kato Columbus achieved such success not due to any special abilities, but due to her great thirst for knowledge and love of “getting to the bottom of the meaning” of foreign languages.
It's interesting that in primary school and at the gymnasium, Kato did not have any special linguistic abilities. But one day, she was leafing through her textbook older sister By Latin language and became interested in Latin catchphrases. She was so excited about the idea of learning foreign languages that she signed up for courses French(those were the only ones free courses in the city). But after high school, she entered the university at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, as she became interested in organic chemistry.
When Kato Kolumb received her diploma, she could not find a job for a long time, because in the first half of the 30s there was an economic crisis in Hungary.
In February 1945, Soviet troops liberated Budapest, and Kato went to work as a translator at the Soviet commandant's office. Since 1946, she has worked for the Allied Control Commission and at the same time improved her command of English, French and Russian. It was from this moment that her incredible career as a simultaneous interpreter began. After that, she energetically took up the study of new languages and successfully learned them.
How to remember a huge number of words and complex unfamiliar rules? Especially if there is a task. You probably already understand that the classical method of memorization, despite its effectiveness, takes a lot of time and effort, and these resources are the most valuable thing every person has. However, there is a way out. And this solution is to use mnemonics to learn a language!
What is mnemonics
This technique involves memorizing new information by visualizing or creating an associative series.
For example, most Russian-speaking people associate the German word “reisen” (to travel) with the word “flight”, and the word “wollen” (to wish) with the word “will”. At the same time, it is not enough just to find sound and logical correspondences. When using mnemonics, each concept still needs to be “linked” to a picture. In other words, you need to clearly imagine the actions, events, processes and objects that are associated with the material being studied.
What does this look like in practice?
Let’s take the word “Brille” (glasses) as an example. What word from the Russian language does it resemble? Absolutely right - “diamond”. Now we introduce glasses with diamond lenses, and the association is complete! Having remembered the picture, you can retrieve the desired word from your memory at any time.
This principle can be used to learn words, articles, prepositions, verb forms, adjective declension and other grammatical structures. Try turning articles from meaningless letter combinations into animate objects. Let the feminine article “Die” become a young girl, the masculine “Der” an old man with a white beard, and the neuter “Das” something neutral, such as the sea.
If we need to remember what kind of word das Schiff (ship), we imagine a ship flying through the waves. But das Eisen (iron) will drown in this sea.
How effective is mnemonics?
It largely depends on your mood. At first, the techniques described may seem a little absurd, but if you really want to learn German quickly on your own, give it a try. Within a week you will understand whether the method is right for you.
And if you are committed to traditional ways of learning German, we will be happy to share other interesting materials that will help you quickly master the grammar and pronunciation of German residents. Go to the section. Good luck.
If you liked it, share it with your friends:
Join us onFacebook!
See also:
"Guten Tag!" There are no easy languages, but if you really, really want to learn German, you will succeed. The German language is built on logic, with a simple syntax and some borrowed words included in the vocabulary. German, like Danish, English and Dutch, belongs to the Romano-Germanic language family. German and English languages are closely related, so with a little effort and time you can learn it! Below, read some recommendations on how to learn the language.
Steps
Master the Basics
Further Study
We teach in-depth knowledge
- Find a list of the most common nouns, verbs and adjectives in German. Good start will remember all these words. You can try searching for the most common words in English and looking up German equivalents.
- As with any other language: practice and practice again. Try to completely immerse yourself in the German language and use it as much as possible every day.
- Don't take too long breaks between learning a language. Pauses can cause you to forget what you covered. Try to study for 2-3 hours and practice the language every day.
- Look up any unfamiliar word you hear or see in the dictionary. Carry a notebook with you at all times and write down words in it; if you don’t have time to look in a dictionary now, look them up later. Even if you're not sure how to spell a word, Google is pretty good at recognizing misspelled words.
- The German language is famous for its long, complicated words (like Pfändungsfreigrenzenbekanntmachung!), but don't be intimidated. After some time you will get used to the formation and sound german words. Once you develop the necessary skills, it will be easy for you to understand what parts a complex word is divided into.
Knowledge of foreign languages has always been an important condition for employment in a reputable company. Today, knowing at least one foreign language is common even for the average citizen. But if with the usual English everything is much simpler, then the German language is more difficult due to the peculiarities of grammar and pronunciation. But for those who decide to master its basics, we will give a few useful tips, capable of facilitating the difficult path of mastering the “granite of science”.
Sprechen Sie Deutch?
Before you start studying, you should decide on your goal. If you need a language in order to be able to communicate minimally while traveling, ask for help, order food in a restaurant or make purchases in an online store, then a basic set of knowledge will be enough.
But if you need German in the professional sphere, then in this case you will have to work hard, learning not only the basics, but also delving into the skills of business correspondence and special business vocabulary.
If someone tells you that you won’t be able to get all the necessary knowledge on your own, don’t believe it. With effort, anything is possible. The main thing is motivation and a systematic approach, then very soon you will be able to easily understand even a native speaker. And for this, some tips on how to learn German, spending very little time.
- Buy a dictionary. It will be necessary for both beginners and those whose level of knowledge is already significantly higher. How to work with a dictionary? It’s very easy - every time you see or hear a new word, look it up in the dictionary, write it down in a notebook and repeat it several times a day. In conditions modern technologies You can use online electronic assistants, one of the best of which is Lingvo. With its help, you will not only be able to see the translation and transcription of words, but also hear their sound, as well as see examples of use in various fields.
- Grammar book. Grammar is one of the most difficult stages of mastering the German language. You will need a really good book for it, which will give not only the rules, but also exercises with keys that will help you consolidate the learned material. One of the most accessible and successful is Dreyer Schmitt, which has a Russian edition. Some people doubt whether it is worth purchasing a book with keys, because there is always a temptation to look there for the correct answer. But since you start learning German on your own, the keys will become an assistant for checking the correctness of completed tasks.
- Native speaker. One of the easiest and most effective ways to learn a language is through communication. The ideal option is a German-speaking interlocutor who speaks Russian. In the process of communication, you will not only be able to acquire the necessary vocabulary, the concept of correct pronunciation, grammar, and will also be able to have an accessible explanation of all incomprehensible nuances.
Courses
They will not interfere with your independent work. If, while trying to learn German from scratch, you notice that the work is progressing too slowly and the desire to speak a foreign language is gradually disappearing, go to courses. Sometimes classes with a teacher and in a group contribute to faster memorization.
There may be three options, depending on your financial capabilities.
- Online courses are the most budget-friendly option that will help you gain knowledge by spending a small amount and without leaving your home.
- Professional courses at a language center or university. One of the most popular German language schools, with representation in 96 countries around the world, is Goethe Institut. In addition to the usual basic knowledge, you will be offered specialized modules for many areas of activity: legal, medical, teaching and many others. By the way, school certificates are recognized by everyone educational institutions and companies in Germany.
- Courses in the country of the language being studied. This is a great opportunity to immediately apply what you have learned. Plunging into the German-speaking environment, you will even involuntarily try to express yourself so that you are understood. It will be difficult at first, but after a few times you will become more confident. In addition, there is no temptation to switch to native language, because the likelihood that you will come across a Russian-speaking German is not so great.
Most popular language schools in Germany are: IOR in Freiburg, Eurasia Institut in Berlin, F+U International Academy in Heidelberg. Tuition prices range from 815-1500 euros per month (course, accommodation, training materials).
Books and films
To make learning not only useful, but also enjoyable, it is worth supplementing it with materials for recreation. Search the Internet for your favorite movie with German dubbing, or buy an interesting book in German. This way you can kill two birds with one stone - apply the acquired knowledge in practice and get a dose of pleasure from reading or watching another masterpiece of literature and cinema.
And then try to express the essence of what you saw or read in a short essay or oral retelling.
The main rules for successfully learning German are consistency and perseverance. Do not deviate from your goal, and then you will conquer any, even the most difficult peak.
To answer this question, you first need to understand why you need German, i.e. formulate a goal for yourself. This is important because It’s one thing to learn a language for the purpose of communicating with native speakers while on tourist trips, such as asking for directions, finding out the price, making an order in a restaurant, shopping in stores, etc. And it’s another thing to read Goethe or Zweig in the original, or get higher education in Germany, understand lectures, prepare for seminars and exams, etc. Or conduct business correspondence with German partners, make business trips to Germany for the purpose of training at enterprises. Agree, the tasks are completely different. Based on these tasks, your training will be structured differently.
Thus, we select first step:
1. Statement of the purpose of study
So, let's say you set a goal. You clearly understand why you need German. What's next? And then begins something without which any learning becomes simply impossible: desire or, scientifically speaking, motivation. Unfortunately, not even the best teacher will give you this magic pill that will stimulate you every time you “suddenly” get a headache and decide to cancel the lesson. No one will learn words for you, do homework, learn boring grammar rules. Unfortunately, for most people, an attempt to learn a language (no matter what) remains an attempt. The most persistent and stubborn ones reach the “finish line” (you can believe me!). Therefore, immediately, from the first lesson, you set yourself up for work, because learning a language is also work.
You may have to temporarily forget about your habits, hobbies (or better yet, make German your hobby!). For some, hanging motivational slogans everywhere: in the apartment, on the desktop helps. It is useful to immediately make some acquaintances with native speakers on social networks (it helps someone to find a lover from Germany). Maybe someone around you is learning the language? Great, then there will be someone to exchange experiences with. In a word, all means are good! You have to immerse yourself in the language. Let these be mini-notes with words on the refrigerator (on the topic “Food”), in the bathroom (on the topic “Morning Toilet”), etc. Play German radio in the background, get used to the melody and rhythm of the German language. Train yourself to think in German.
Remember, the beginning is always difficult, you just need to get through this stage. But then a second wind will open, and all sorts of “goodies” will begin in the form of the opportunity to say something about yourself, understand simple questions from your interlocutor, and read short texts.
So we do the second one, and probably the most important step:
2. Creating and fueling motivation
Why did I write “recharge”? Because nothing helps you progress in a language like regularity. I’m always in favor of devoting a little bit to the language every day, rather than sitting down and trying to do your homework in one sitting or feverishly remembering what we covered in the last lesson? There is no need to try to learn 300 irregular German verbs at once; it is better to make it a rule to learn, for example, 10 words every day. This is the most optimal amount, and after a few months you will have a fairly decent vocabulary. Again, don't pause too long in studying. This is especially true during vacation or holidays. Everything flies out very quickly! And then remembering everything is long and painful. You can use the time you spend commuting to the office. Get a small pocket notebook (dictionary) and leaf through it when you are stuck in a traffic jam or in line. Or install a language learning program on your phone, such as Duolingo. In short, make the most of your free time.
By the way, I am not a supporter of blind and thoughtless learning of new words. They will be layered and over time replaced by other new words from memory. Try to somehow emotionally color new words for yourself.
As you know, information is best remembered if you use several senses at once. First you see this word, then you say it out loud, then you write it and listen to it somewhere on an audio medium. Those. It is important to write and say new words out loud. It is good to learn adjectives in pairs - with an antonym. With verbs, it is useful to immediately try to build short sentences. This way you will remember the verb and how it is used (conjugated) in speech.
Another important point: very often people (especially at the beginning of studying) are afraid/embarrassed to speak. Some people are afraid of making a mistake, others don’t like their own pronunciation, etc. Because of language barrier people compare themselves to a dog that understands everything but cannot say anything. My advice to you: don’t be afraid to speak up and make mistakes! After all, the goal of any communication is to be understood by your interlocutor. If this happens, then the goal has been achieved. Of course, I want to speak correctly and without mistakes. I want to formulate my thoughts beautifully and complexly. But it's the same as asking one year old child run a hundred meters against the clock. When you start learning a language, you are like a child learning to walk. He will certainly fall and get up again and again. In this regard, parents help him in the beginning. Therefore, it is very important that you, too, have someone to guide and help you at the beginning of learning a language. Therefore we do third important step:
3. Choosing courses or tutor
It all depends on you: whether you like to study in groups or whether you prefer an individual approach. Each method has its own pros and cons, which I think is not worth listing. Learning a language on your own is quite difficult (unless you are a person of iron discipline and self-organization). Although it must be said that there are now a huge number of different resources on the Internet for learning the German language: from Dmitry Petrov’s online lessons to a variety of tutorials. But practice shows that people first try to learn the language themselves, but then they still choose courses or turn to a tutor.
So, the choice is made. You regularly attend classes, do your homework, but the desired progress is not observed. It is important to understand here that if you do something regularly, progress will come sooner or later. Yes, you won’t be able to speak fluently right away. By the way, a foreign language takes, on average, three years to learn. Despite the fact that no one has canceled your main activities and urgent matters! At first, you will have to write a lot, get acquainted with boring grammar, learn words, and do a bunch of (seemingly) monotonous exercises. When grammar becomes automatic and a decent vocabulary has accumulated, you will be able to formulate your thoughts on your own. What can I advise you at this stage, when you really want to talk, but still “can’t?” And it will be ours next step:
4. Surrounding yourself with language
I wrote above about the importance of immersing yourself in a language from the very beginning of learning it. This could be German television, Deutsche Welle programs with different news reading rates for different levels of proficiency. Youtube has a variety of mini-series for German language learners. It is not necessary to immediately start with news channels, try watching German entertainment channels, for example, pro7, rtl, rtl2, sat1, vox, start with everyday topics. You can also watch German cartoons or films with subtitles in German. Get used to speech, try to isolate individual unfamiliar words and write them down.
It is useful to read short texts or books adapted for different levels, and even less useful to retell these texts. This develops speech, you learn ready-made constructions, which you can then use in conversation, but you should not overuse ready-made models. Sometimes many people think that having learned a dozen speech patterns, they can get by in all situations in life. Of course, like any language, German has its own set expressions that can really only be “understood and forgiven.” But language is still more than fixed expressions.
We learn poems and songs. Why not? Some people actually learned German from Rammstein alone. Kidding. By the way, you can show off your knowledge of the poetry of Goethe or Schiller on occasion, showing yourself to be an educated and intelligent person, or impress a girl. ;)
We make acquaintances with native speakers, visit language clubs, of which there are a great many in Moscow now.
Having already gained a good base, you can continue your studies abroad, and it is better to live with some German family and forget your native language for a while. Immersion in the environment and language is guaranteed. The only negative is that all this is not cheap.
Remember, nothing should be neglected in learning a language. It’s trite, but in the toilet room you can also hang notes with words, and above the desk in your room, in general, I recommend hanging a poster with basic grammar tables and diagrams: it’s convenient and you can always double-check yourself. Moreover, it is also better to make the poster yourself: once again write down the basic rules/endings/declensions/prepositions once again definitely won't hurt.
A journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step. Take this step now!
