Sandra Said:

How long would it take to learn German from English?

We Answered:

I started learning german by myself using a book and rosetta stone (the program) 4 months ago. For the first 2 months I did it everyday and since then I pick it up occasionally. The grammar is hard but if you practice you'll start to get it.

At this point, I could already go to germany and get by. The problem with studying by yourself though is that you often don't get the chance to hear a lot of german so you're stuck with developing your reading and writing skills a lot more than your speaking and listening skills. My listening skills are easily the weakest of the 4 as a result but I plan on living in Germany eventually. It's a great language to learn because just 1000 years ago german people and english people spoke the same language: anglo saxon, so you can see how the languages have evolved. I'm also starting to realize what it is like to think in another language which is indescribable. It lets you realize that language is just a tool used to communicate meaning, the meaning isn't actually in the words your saying, the meaning goes beyond words.


EDIT: www.dict.cc is THE BEST DICTIONARY EVER. Every submission is checked by native speakers and included are audio recording of how to pronounce the word which are done and reviewed by native speakers too.

Duane Said:

How easy is it to learn German and is it worth learning?

We Answered:

I'm currently in a German language course. It is easy once you get the hang of it's sentence structure, as the language is not difficult to read and write (very phonetic, unlike English).

It is definitely worth learning, as it can be used not only in Germany, but also in many parts of the EU. Some countries (apart from Germany) also make the language a requirement for job applications.

All said, even if you intend to learn it for fun, I say go for it! Because knowledge is never wasted.

Arlene Said:

How to learn german without going to class?

We Answered:

Rosetta Stone is good. Their teaching approach is that of how a child learns a language: picture/word association, repetition, etc. Its a little pricey but worth it. You get everything: reading, spelling, listening, and speaking. You speak into a headset and it tells you if your pronunciation is correct or not. I've been living in Germany for a year and still practice with Rosetta Stone sometimes.

If you don't decide on Rosetta Stone, I'd recommend getting some tapes or CDs. You can find them at any book store. You can listen to them in your car on the way to school or work. Its important to train your ear to the language. Add that to maybe a good grammar book (Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik is the one I like the best) and you're set!

Good luck!

Chris Said:

How long does it take to learn German for university studies?

We Answered:

Hello,

At that level, starting from scratch a good 7 - 10 years. They say you need 7 years of hard work as an immigrant to get high enough in your English to pass university exams; it would be similar for German which has more trickery grammar to learn than English. In any language those Toefl tests are trickey. They have lots of plays on words, definition conceptset al which can be quite confusing.

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Gwendolyn Said:

How long will it take to learn German for an early teenager?

We Answered:

It could take anywhere from 1 month to 5 years or even more! It really depends on genetics and how fast yo generally learn. Talk to your parents, usually if they are bi-lingual or tri-lingual then you will probably learn in around 6 months.

Good luck (: