The Key To Learning To Speak German Fluently

Have you always dreamed of visiting Germany or Switzerland? Interested in learning more about your German ancestry? Getting ready to take an overseas business assignment? Do you even know how to greet someone in German to begin with? It's a good bet that if you're still reading this, you need to learn to speak German fluently - and fast!

Cheer up - learning German isn't as hard as all that! You just have to develop an ear for the German language. Listen to native German speakers as they talk. Can you hear the sounds in German that do not resemble the same vowel or consonant in English? In English, the letter combination "Th" is soft, pronounced with the speaker's tongue between his teeth; in German, it's pronounced just like "T." German speakers always pronounce "G" as a hard sound, whereas in English, it's sometimes pronounced like a soft "J." Features like this make German sound harsh and hard to the English ear. But as the sounds of your new language become a part of you, it will become easier and easier to learn to speak German fluently.

Now I'm going to ask you to do something a bit unusual - watch an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie! Try saying the actor's lines in as close an approximation of his accent as you can muster. You're still speaking English but you're using your newly-trained ear to teach yourself what German feels like on the tongue. As you learn to speak German fluently, you'll use these sounds to perfect your accent.

Obviously, learning German involves more than faking a German accent. To learn German, you'll need a course. If convenience is a factor, you may enjoy studying online. On the other hand, you may opt for classroom study or a course on CD. Just remember to choose a method that emphasizes conversation rather than reading! Learning German is a dynamic activity, and you can't learn to speak the language from a book because the book can't speak back. You will learn to speak German fluently only if you speak it and hear it spoken.

One of the challenges you'll face in learning German is its three genders - feminine, masculine, and neuter. English nouns have no gender, so this may be the first time you've encountered them. Dog (der Hund) and coat (der Mantel) are considered masculine in German. Blanket (die Decke) and vacation (die Ferien) are considered feminine. House (das Haus) and pig (das Schwein) are considered neuter. All three words - "der," "die," or "das" - mean "the," but they show the gender of the noun they accompany. There's no way to predict whether a noun is going to be masculine, feminine, or neuter, so if you want to learn to speak German fluently, always remember to learn the proper article at the same time you learn the noun.

In the end, though, the best way to learn German may be making friends with German people. Learning from formal language study is fine, but it won't teach you to speak German like a native. For that you need a partner. Human interaction will help you learn to speak German fluently, and you'll make a fast friend, too!

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Best Way To Learn German Fast

Are you planning a trip to Germany or Switzerland? Working on your German family history? Is your company sending you on that very important business trip? Do you even know how to greet someone in German to begin with? Whatever your reason, if you're reading this, you need to know how to learn German fast.

It's really not as difficult as you might think. An important aspect of learning any foreign language is to develop a good ear for the way the new language sounds. A very good starting point in your German learning adventure would be to listen to authentic German conversations. You will discover that many German sounds, sound totally different from their English rival. "Th" in German is pronounced like an English "T." The letter "G" is never soft, either. As an English speaker you might find German as a harsh language, but the more you familiarize yourself with the sound of the language the quicker you will learn to speak and understand it.

Go buy or rent a DVD starring an actor or actress that speak English with a German accent. Practice speaking some of the actor's lines, mimicking the accent as closely as possible. You're still speaking English but you're using your newly-trained ear to teach yourself what German feels like on the tongue. Becoming familiar with the sound and feel of the German language will help you master the German language faster than if you were to learn it from scratch as a foreign sounding language.

Of course, neither of those steps really teaches you German. For that you need some kind of course. Many people nowadays enjoy online learning, because they can study at their own pace and repeat lessons until they've mastered them. Other people would prefer audio or software based language courses or by taking an evening class at their local College. Whichever way you choose to study, however, make sure your coursework emphasizes oral conversation. Learning German is a dynamic activity, and you can't learn to speak the language from a book because the book can't speak back. You will learn German fast only if you speak it and hear it spoken.

Please take note of this very important tip as you learn to speak German: remember that all German nouns have genders they are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This isn't something we have to worry about in English, so gendered nouns may be new to you. Masculine nouns include dog (der Hund) and coat (der Mantel). Feminine nouns include blanket (die Decke) and vacation (die Ferien). Neuter nouns include house (das Haus) and pig (das Schwein). As you can see, the article "the" can be translated as either "der," "die," or "das" depending upon the gender of the noun it accompanies. There's no way to predict whether a noun is going to be masculine, feminine, or neuter, so if you want to learn German fast, always remember to learn the proper article at the same time you learn the noun.

Here is my final and most important tip how to learn the German language fast: I recommend you make a German friend so that you can practice having a German conversation whenever you have the opportunity to do so! Dialogues on tapes or CDs are great, but to really get the feel of a language, you need to speak it just as you would your own. For that you need a partner. You'll not only learn German fast that way, but you'll improve your social life at the same time!

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Gerrit runs the popular language learning site www.listenhear.info. Do YOU want more ways to learn German fast? Visit the Rocket German download site for more info and get your FREE 6 day German course. Also have a look at their Rocket German Premium Plus option, perfect for advance German students.