A question about German?

[Shaunt]

I know we have many Deutsch members on the board, so I have a question to ask:

Is German a hard language to learn?

I really enjoy studying about Germany(I think it is the best country, yes, even better than my USA, :grin:) and the culture, the people, history, and especially Heidi Klum, :grin:. So I thought that I might as well learn the language, :grin:. I learned some Spanish, but I found it rather boring.

And I also have many cousins in Koln which I maybe visiting next year, so it would be cool talking to them in German(they are hald German/half Armenian).

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo Shaunt,

 

kennst du schon A question about German? (Anzeige)? Dort ist vieles zu finden.

 

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[Seb2]

I havent read german that much but i still understand everything in the german forum. When it comes to write its hard. The german gramma is quite hard though but to talk german and understand you dont really need to know everything. Just move there for a year and you will get it. German is something in the middle of Swedish and English. Hey you will get crazy first of their dubbed tv and bad music taste.

[Gast RolandK]

I heard that German is one of the hardest languages to learn. And it is quite tough.

We have a lot of complicate phrases and other "stupid" thinks.

Yes, we have not as much crime as other countries and maybe other good things but I LOVE THE USA. It is my favorite country. I'm there twice a year.

Roland

[Seb2]

Not that much crime?. Heard it was one of the countries with most crimes of the west europe. Shaunt i can say german is easier as a language then french. But the grammar is very very hard. Dont know how its to learn for someone who just speak english. My swede helped med alot.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Seb on 2001-09-26 11:55 ]</font>

[Shaunt]

I speak another language, but I don't think it will help, :grin:.

Well it sounds like it is tough, but if it is not as hard as French, then I am ok with it, because French is much harder than Spanish.

"Yes, we have not as much crime as other countries and maybe other good things but I LOVE THE USA. It is my favorite country. I'm there twice a year."

Maybe you and I should trade countries, :grin:. Do you ever come to Los Angeles? That is where I am. It is a great city, but too much pollution and smog, hehe.

[Seb2]

Shaunt Germany is a industrial country. Some towns are quite dirty i think.

[Shaunt]

Yeah, it is industrial, but not as much as Los Angeles.

Seb, if you were to stand on the hill where the Hollywood sign is, YOU WOULDNT BE ABLE TO SEE downtown LA, :grin: :grin:, that is how bad it is.

Nothing can be worse than that, hehe.

I ready for anything, except maybe Poland, that place is downright dangerous, :grin:.

[Seb2]

If i should move to another country and open a IT company it would be Germany. Here in Sweden we have the second largest IT town in the world after Silicon Valley. So its a very hard market. Guess its the same in the most of the world but must be better then here.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Seb on 2001-09-27 00:46 ]</font>

[Gast RolandK]

Seb, DIRTY???? Maybe you only saw pics of Hannover or Cologne. Did you ever see the rest? Only a few number of cities are "dirty" cities.

Roland

[Seb2]

Been in some of the north parts. And yes hannover is dirty. Think the south is better. As i wrote some towns are dirty. Like the nature better over here.

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo Shaunt,

 

schau doch mal hier zum Thema Zubehör für Verschiedenes über Autos (Anzeige)? Eventuell gibt es dort etwas Passendes.

[Shaunt]

Opening a business in Germany is harder than other places, since they have to pay major taxes to support their welfare program. Germany has the largest welfare system in the world.

The founder of Sun Microsystems in Silicon Valley was some German guy. My econ teacher(who is also of German descent) told me wwhen they asked him why California instead of Germany he said "It would have never worked over there", and I think he is referring to the taxes.

But anyway, that still doesn't change my view of Germany. I still love it to death.

[Gast RolandK]

Shaunt, if you are going to be in Germany in the future just give me a call and I'll show you some cool places.

Roland

[Seb2]

Why not swizz?. Close to south Germany and best taxes in Europe.

[S8]

Was at Lübeck year ago, didn´t like much of the architecture, the cab was old Mercedes dsl automatic and the driver didnt speak more than 5 words in english. But cars are cheap :smile: Btw, arrived in a cargoship taking new audi TT´s back to Germany from Finland and Sweden. Maybe that spoiler add-on purpose? Dont know

Germans felt a bit like people not so open; the thing that is said about us. And those cities with old architecture have too narrow streets! Used to local streets and roads here in Finland and Sweden, thats why I think so. Theyre mostly wider.

"S8" from Finland

[Shaunt]

Seb, Switzerland I like too, because of its location. I can't even imagine how beautiful the Alps look. I'd die to climb the mountains there.

Roland, I'll be coming this summer most likely. I'll stay about 2 months, and hopefully you can show me some stuff about your country then, :grin:. I wouldn't mind living there after I finish my college and schooling, that is if I can afford it, :grin:.

"And those cities with old architecture have too narrow streets!"

Haha, I have heard that a lot too.

[Seb2]

Cool Shaunt. You will love the fotball there. Bayern Munchen is awesome. Or was. Not the same after they sold Patrik Andersson. :grin:

Alps rules im myself a Snowboard/Skiing fan. Thats why i never could live in California.

[Shaunt]

Haha, yeah California is dry, but there are 3 big places to go for skiing. But they are no way close to having the beauty of the alps.

[Gast RolandK]

What about Aspen?

[Seb2]

Aspen aint that in Colorado?. Colorado i could move to good hockey team also.

[Shaunt]

Roland, Aspen is one of THE BEST winter resorts in America, from what I am hearing. It is in Colorado, and is very crowded. You would love it there, since it is all nature, and no industry.

And yeah, the hockey team is very good, the Colorado Avalanche, :grin:.

[Seb2]

Wont be the same without Peter Forsberg this year.

[Seb2]

Rolandk have you study on university level in Germany?. Im thinking of taking some classes outside Sweden. So thinking if you know any good schools?. Wanna study and catchup the language. Im a bit angry of myself that i didnt continued study german here and learn the grammar and other stuff.

[thepolarfoxqx]

Well, I can speak some german - I read it pretty well, but don't understand it being spoken to me as well as I'd like. Munich is beautiful, as is all of bavaria - same is true of switzerland too. IT is a scary business here in the states. You are either swimming in money - or broke. Right now I live in Eden Prairie Minnesota - or Silicon Prairie - ADC BroadBand is based here, they built a beautiful building on some prime land - and it is nearly empty every day due to recent layoffs. BestBuy (well, they are an electronics retailer), just built a huge building in bloomington (bloomington by the way has the worst traffic in the midwestern US). As for skiing - i have never skiied Aspen (or anywhere in the rockies for that matter), I learned to downhill and nordic at Stowe in Vermont - where it is colder than hell - I am talking sweden cold. Speaking of bavaria- i learned my nordic at the Family Von Trapp Lodge. I personally prefer the southeast. Though I can't ski, the people are freindly, there is a lot character - and if I want to practice my german - there is a Mercedes plant in huntsville alabama and a BMW facility at Spartanburg South Carolina.

Anyhow, learning german grammar is - objectively easier than learning english (english is like being beaten with a baton), German is tough, but speaking it well enogh to get into trouble is easy.

[///Slider]

As an American who has lived in the Frankfurt area for a few years, I can add the following:

The German language itself is not especially difficult for an English speaker to learn; however there are a number of local dialects which complicate things, and it tends to be spoken (not surprisingly) at a very rapid pace. This means that while you might know every word that is being spoken to you (if you saw it on paper, for instance), it is still possible to completely miss the meaning in an actual conversation because of pronounciation differences and the speed at which it is delivered. Generally, slight inebriation aids the would-be German speaker as it removes the fear of making a complete fool of oneself.

As for the country itself, there is both good and bad to be found, as you should expect. I don't care so much for the high tax rates (how would you like to pay more than $4 for a gallon of gas?), or the socialist/ultra-liberal mindset (which is really the case throughout the European Union), but these are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. If you like beautiful scenery, wonderful customs and traditions, a true sense of community, a high standard of living, extremely friendly people (I don't live in the city), world-class breweries and bakeries, and the idea that you must take responsibility for your own actions, Germany takes second place to no other country on earth.

Oh ... did I mention that they build some very nice automobiles??

[thepolarfoxqx]

I find that to be especially true. I can read german fairly well (at about a 5 years olds level), especially because of how similar it is to english, my ability to speak it is okay. Writing is difficult because of the many different (and to me at least - illogical), conjugations - as well as other esoteric (yet functional) grammatic rules. Understanding it being spoken is hard - because they do speak very fast (and being from the southeastern us, I do not) - and the Bavarian accent is a bit difficult to discern for me (my german instructor was from Kiel).

It is a beautiful country, the socialist mindset doesn't bother me much, in fact, in a lot of ways, they are ahead of us. The tax thing could sorta cramp my style though.