If you are looking to learn German, then you might consider a self learning course, contact a language school or engage a private tutor.

Autodidactic learning is probably the most cost effective way of picking up a new language and you don't have to schlepp half way across London to attend classes. Some get quite far in using that method. However, this method proves difficult in seeing how much progress you have made, it requires a lot of self discipline and does not give you the opportunity to put your new language skills to much use straight away.

Then there are language schools where you can learn in a class room environment with six to ten, or sometimes up to twenty aspiring German speakers. That number usually drops and as you are persevering, you will benefit from the smaller class that usually transpires after a few weeks into the course. The downside is, that the class moves forward in line with the progress of the slowest learner. Individual strength and weaknesses of students often have to be ignored as the syllabus of the course will be kept generic to accommodate everyone's learning objectives and aptitude.

You might also consider engaging a private German tutor. The obvious advantage is that the syllabus of your course is tailored towards your needs and aptitude; progress will be fast and the timid learner does not have to feel embarrassed in front of a larger group when making mistakes. Maybe your tutor is even willing to come to your office or home to conduct lessons, which would safe you the journey to and from class.

If you are looking to learn German, have any questions about what would work best for you, then please get in touch.

What do Germans really understand when the English talk to them?

The English language has many subtleties that do not exist in German. The German language is very literal and & as a result, Germans may come across as rude or off-hand to the English speaker. Of course, Germans are not rude at all.

When attending meetings with Germans, managing German staff or dealing with German management, it is worth considering these differences in language use, to ensure effective communication.

For example, ‘I hear what you say’ means the English speaker disagrees and & does not want to discuss the matter further. However, the German listener would think the speaker is accepting his point of view.

The phrase ‘I was a bit disappointed that‘ means the speaker is annoyed. The German listener, however, may think the disappointment is only slight.

The term ‘quite good’ will be understood literally as ‘quite good’, although it means ‘disappointing’.

‘Very interesting’ means it ‘is clearly nonsense’ and & may be understood as ‘they are very impressed’.

Consider the Following Examples:

What the English say	What the English mean	What Germans understand
I’ll bear it in mind	I’ve forgotten it already	They will probably do it
I’m sure it’s my fault	It’s your fault	Why do they think it was their fault?
You must come for dinner	It’s not an invitation, I’m just being polite	I will get an invitation soon
I almost agree	I don’t agree at all	He’s not far from agreement
I only have a few minor comments	Please re-write completely	He has found a few typing errors
Could we consider some other options	I don’t like your idea	They have not decided yet
With the greatest respect ...	I think you are an idiot	He is listening to me
That is a very brave proposal	You are insane...	He thinks I have courage

To avoid such communication problems in the future, why not start German Lessons in 2012, with one of our native speaker tutors?

Germans are loyal and trustworthy folks. However, there are some false friends in the German language that may confuse the English speaker or his mind.

If the German finance minister says that 2 Billionen Euros are sufficient to bails out Greece, then he’s got his figures right because he actually means two trillion. A billion in German is a trillion in English.

Being told in German that taking Gift is to be avoided shouldn’t be surprising, not because Germans have ulterior motives, but because Gift in German means poison in English.

The word Star in German means starling or cataract; the German equivalent for star is Stern.

Winken is to blink and not to wink, der Akt is not the deed but nude artwork. After is not after, but is located behind and means rectum. Bald is not bald, but means soon.

False friends work both ways. Consider the following:

der Roman	the novel		the roman	der Römer
der Qualm	the smoke		the qualm	das Bedenken
die Provision	the fee		the provision	die Vorsorge
der Mist	the dung		the mist	der Dunst
das Kraut	the herb		the kraut	der Deutsche
der Lack	the lacquer		the lack	der Mangel

Confused? Refresh your German with one of our German courses!