Language is one of the most challenging aspects about moving to Europe. Even before you go, you may be required to pass exams of the local language in order to get a university spot or land a particular role. Either way, whether you learn before you go or when you get there, the process to learn new language remains relatively the same.
Now, I myself suck as a language learner. I’ve been where I am for the past 7 years, and I’m ashamed to say that my language skills haven’t improved beyond a basic conversation. I could come up with a bunch of excuses like I had to teach English most of the time, so I didn’t have enough opportunities to learn or that generally a lot of people here speak English, so I haven’t had the need; however, fact still remains – I just haven’t put in enough effort.
That’s on me. Of course, I’ve still managed to live a fairly decent life here – can’t complain much about my social life or job opportunities, but I could be having more if I had put in the work to learn. I’m sure at this point you’re asking yourself how I could possibly write a blog with tips about learning a language when I’ve done the bare minimum in that area, well, I got friends you know 😅.
Personal Tips to Learn New Language
I’ve had a chat with a good friend of mine who lives in Germany, and she’s shared some tips on how she learned to speak German while in Germany, in what I consider a fairly short amount of time – 9 months guys, NINE. (I guess now you can eliminate Germany from the list of countries I could be living in.) Here’s what she’s told me:
- 1. She enrolled in intensive language classes and had to spend 4 hours a day in class 5 times a week. On top of that, she’d have about 2 hours of homework a day as well.
- 2. There were 4 modules (A1-B2) and each module took two months to complete. She had exams after each module. After she finished B2 (9 months later), she wrote her certification exam which tested speaking, writing, reading and listening. Then with satisfactory B2 grades, it was possible to apply for admission into university for most programmes – most if not all being free when taught in the German language.
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She did also mention there are many accredited schools that can teach German at different paces according to one’s needs, i.e., some people enrol to improve their speaking skills socially, at home or at work. Those classes are then more informal and more relaxed. My friend also did emphasize, that when someone intends to settle in Germany, there are no shortcuts. To cope better, integrate well and increase your chances of getting a good job or study opportunity, one really needs to invest the time and money required to learn German up to a higher level (B2-C1). To the tips above, I’ll also add the following general tips for any language learning:
- 1. Speak to locals in their native language as often as possible. When ordering food at a restaurant, when buying groceries from a market. This helps you practise even when you’re in the early stages of your language learning journey.
- 2. Watch the news or listen to the radio in the local language – just hearing it daily can make a difference.
- 3. Watch movies you’ve watched before either dubbed in the local language or with subtitles of the local language. You have to surround yourself with it as often as possible till it starts to sink in.
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It goes without saying, everything in life requires some form of investment. To learn a language, you need to invest time and money, but I do believe the results are worth it. The larger European countries that offer better opportunities for work and studies as well as permanent stay do often require that you learn the language in order to fit in and reap all the benefits.
Good luck with the journey! Till the next read!