You are both highly educated, so you have nothing to prove to others. Take enough time to learn German in peace and patience. Welcome to Germany!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! ❤️🇩🇪

@claudimarimai

2 жыл бұрын

AGREE ! you all are doing SO SO WONDERFUL !! in every single way + you are sooo sympathic !!

Talk to your pets in German. You KNOW that the cat won't judge your grammar or pronunciation, so you don't feel ashamed. But even if it is the same sentence every day you will get used to just chat away without thinking too much about it. At some point, this automatism will kick in while you are talking to people. This helped me a lot while learning Danish. In the end, our cat was so used to beeing adressed in Danish that it showed JEALOUSY when I adressed a hedgehog who was sneaking round a corner in our garden in Danish (as I had gotten used to with small animals). Apparently she had realized that the language we used amongs ourselves sounded different, had deducted that Danish was the language reserved for her and now got the impression there was a new, rival cat on the block. Greetings from the Ruhr!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

That is such a fun and good idea!! 😂

@ArgusStrav

2 жыл бұрын

LOL, was für eine lustige Geschichte!

I came to Germany when I was 6 years old and I was put directly into first grade. I couldn't speak a word in german, but as I loved math I just kept lifting my finger if I knew the answer and told the solution by showing the right number of fingers. In the breaks I used to stay alone, because I didn't want to play with others, but there were girls from third grade that helped me integrating. Before we moved to Germany we lived in the french speaking part of Switzerland so I spoke french at the time and they asked their parents how to ask me in french if I would like to play with them. We became friends, or they became kind of my "babysitters" in school and I never had to stay alone in the breaks again. Looking back this was the sweetest thing and I am so greatful for this experience.

Your anxiety of being perceived "silly" might stem from just being American. It's been my experience that Americans and Brits kind of have this expectation that everyone speaks and understands English, since it has become such a global language. I've seen some pretty impatient reactions in both countries when someone didn't. However, Europe has always had a myriad of different languages and really does not expect other people to know it - so we are happy for anyone who tries :) So don't stress, you are doing fantastic!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

That’s great to hear, thank you!

@beageler

2 жыл бұрын

Could well be, but I think another point is simply being used to people mangling our language. We just care more about intelligibility and less about pronounciation and grammer being correct. Hence also people telling people, who "radebrecht" german but are very intelligible, that their german is very good. Sometimes I roll my eyes on the inside on that (wouldn't "good" be enough?) but it comes from that double standart between natural speakers and non-native speakers.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

@@arct.ictern8529 yes exactly! It really is something that’s unique to foreigners.

@SeemsOffTopic

2 жыл бұрын

So true, in Germany we also have a lot of "foreigners" and kinda like are used to ppl who does not speak perfect. And honestly, no one cares. Aslong as we somehow get what you try to say, everything is fine :D

I think you are doing awesome. Don’t ever feel guilty or ashamed to speak German. A lot of Germans love to help you and most speak at least decent English. I bet some Germans even love the chance to improve their English talking to you. My advice, don’t overthink it. Germans are not that critical and we know our language is a piece of work. We really don’t care if you say „das Holz“ oder „die Holz“. We understand. I love your videos and enjoy watching your lovely family. Welcome to Germany.

@joergfro7149

2 жыл бұрын

@@lomaii2847 Reported

@detliskenvondematkos

2 жыл бұрын

@Kat Blue I agree completely! As long as someone is kind, I am kind too and do my best in any language. 😉

@uliwehner

2 жыл бұрын

true, we are not that difficult, as long as you don't hold up a can of Michelob ultra or Coors light and say: Bier".

Actually, I can feel you. I'm German and just the fact that I can watch your entire video without stopping, subtitles or even while cooking, painting or knitting and also writing comments is years of training. 9 years in school. Some months abroad. and my muticultural work. But when I learned Japanese in the university and travelled to japan, I also had this anxiety to talk to people and was anxious to say, that I don't understood what they said when the're talking fast, but Japanese people are always happy, as Germans are, when you speak to them in their language. And you rank high in their appreciation when you try to speak their language, just because they know it is complicated.

You never ever sounded dumb, silly or embarassing, just charming, kind, lovely, special, likeable and as the wonderful family you are. One can only love you guys. Congratulation for making your first year and working so hard through all the ups and downs and for never giving up. And special thanks for appreciating my country. To have you here is most definitely an enrichment! Love from Augsburg, Bavaria.

@joergfro7149

2 жыл бұрын

@@lomaii2847 Reoprted !!!

@sisuguillam5109

2 жыл бұрын

@@joergfro7149 same. But apparantly KZread doesn't care about the bots.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

@@joergfro7149 thanks for reporting that comment!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Hildegard, you are so kind. Thank you for your support and caring words! We really appreciate you!

@hildegardkhelfa5358

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Thank you for this kind response, which made me smile.

As with any language you indeed need to crawl before you can walk. I think one of the advantages younger kids have is increased neuroplasticity and overall have a keener ear for new sounds, that with combined with not having been burdened with perceived shame of learning a new language are factors that help kids picking up basics of a language so much faster.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, totally agree with all of your points!

I learned German up to an advanced beginner level years ago. I did some things that helped me to feel better and make good progress. 1. When I'm at home in the US, I strive to use English grammar correctly. "Between him and me, etc." Americans are losing simple grammar, which is not helpful in learning other languages, especially German. 2. Learn to say the alphabet as Germans do, "Ah, Bay, Tsay, und so weiter." Then as appropriate, you can say "Wie buchstabiert man das?" 3. Be a little fussy about pronouncing things correctly. In my humble brain, I have a better feeling of thinking in German if I feel my pronunciation "sounds foreign." Maybe these rules make no sense to others, but they were intuitive to me and gave me confidence.

@dnocturn84

2 жыл бұрын

There is a "little-children" version of our German alphabet, that pupils in elementary school start with, before learning the "real" alphabet. It's just about learning the individual sound each letter of the alphabet in German makes. Because High-German is actually designed to enable you to correctly pronounce words by just adding the sounds of the letters together, it's just like a math - operation. This works for all German words, only words from foreign languages do not work like that (like French words for example). Ok, you also need to know the additional rules and their sounds of sch, ch, st, Umlaute, like ä, ö, ü, etc. But once you got this right, it's actually hard to mispronounce words. Most people don't know this, or feel embarrassed to go that route, but I would highly recommend that for beginners.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Great tips, thank you!

As a German I lived in UK for many years and it helped me very much to watch television or see movies because the pictures help to understand what is going on. Another thing is reading, begining with children's books. Somehow following what children pick up while growing up, not only teaches the language but tells you a lot about culture.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Those are great and easy tips!

Honestly, we all know how difficult our language is and even many Germans aren't able to speak it properly and correctly ... We are happy to hear people try and nobody expects perfection. :o) There is absolute no reason to laugh at people who try. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if you said 'der / die / das Schule' - we understand what you mean and that's the important thing.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

❤️❤️ we have found every German we’ve met to be very patient and understanding of our baby German skills.

I can relate to the "wanting to get it right from the get go" so so much. After having lived in several countries where I wasn't really speaking the language at the beginning I figured out some tricks that really help. 1) I usually begin to go more out there in situations where I am talking to people whom I will probably never see again, for some reason the thought of embarrassing myself in front of people whose paths I never will cross again makes it easier. 2) If I know I go somewhere specific (the doctor's office, a hardware store etc.) I try to look up the essential vocabulary beforehand and make a list of all those terms. Most of the time I end up not using the list but it helps tremendously with confidence to have it in your pocket (also applicable for making phone calls) 3) I try to actively listen to natives and look up expressions and words afterwards, that really helps with sounding more natural 4) Tell natives who try to speak English to you to stick to the respective language and to correct you when you make mistakes, I have been on both sides of this and though it's weird in the beginning it also helps a lot. But in all honesty you are really doing amazing! Your German in last week's video genuinely impressed me, keep it up and you will be fluent much faster than you expect it

Keine Angst! Ihr macht das alles ganz wunderbar! Nächstes Jahr werdet ihr zurückschauen und lächeln!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Vielen dank 😍

Sad to hear that Ella had so much struggles to play with other kids. My experience, or better our son's experience was completely different. We are German and had have a vacation in Spain. At the beach there was a mom with her daughter have their little camp right next to us. They were locals. The kids were in the same age, around 4 years old at the time. Without any hesitations the kids started to play with each other, sharing their toys and having fun without knowing the language of the other. It was so beautiful to watch and we adults tried the same. Sharing cookies and smiles to each other. Sometimes things are just clicking. 😊

Ihr macht das super und müsst euch vor niemandem verstecken! Im Gegenteil , so mancher könnte sich von euch eine Scheibe abschneiden! 😊👍

Not making friends is hard and disappointing for children. I am happy for Ella that things are getting better now. Please don't let the language limit you. Just speak German, I don't know anyone who doesn't understand you because of ( a few ) grammar mistakes. In many cases, these are more likely to be seen as sympathetic.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yes we are so glad that’s behind us now!

I am from the Netherlands and the German language has some similarities with the Dutch language, apart from the gender of words and everything that relates to that. Recently I started learning German again (dropped it after 2 years when in High school) and I experience some of the obstacles you mention in the video. My only advantage is, is that it is more easy for me to understand what is said because I am Dutch, but speaking it ..... 🥴. They say that perfection comes with practice, so.... By the way, thank you all for the videos, it is always nice watching them👍

The story about Ella having trouble making friends at the beginning brought tears to my eyes. I have so much empathy and compassion for you being a parent myself . I know all of you are improving so much and I’m sure you have lots of great friends now!!

@pianoandeden

2 жыл бұрын

@@lomaii2847 why would you do that on a family channel?

@KarstenFranke

2 жыл бұрын

@@pianoandeden it's a bot.

@pianoandeden

2 жыл бұрын

@@KarstenFranke yh ik fair point

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Yes it was hard for me as a mother. Thankfully that is behind us now.

Most people just appreciate that you try to learn their language 😀

Eine gute Übung, um eine Sprache zu trainieren ist, innerhalb der Familie an einem festen Tag in der Woche regelmäßig oder z.B. immer während des Abendessens nur die neue Sprache zu sprechen. Innerhalb der Familie hat man weniger Hemmungen, alle können sich gegenseitig helfen, man hat keine Scheu etwas falsch zu sagen oder viel Zeit zu brauchen, um die richtigen Wörter zu finden und es hat keine negativen Folgen, wenn man nicht die richtigen Wörter findet. Aber es bringt viel Übung, wenn man immer wieder sagt: "Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben?" oder "Bring mir bitte den Käse mit, erliegt ganz unten im Kühlschrank." Es gibt dabei eine Menge zu lachen und man wird locker und traut sich mehr draufloszureden. Vielen Dank für eure Videos. Der Vergleich der Kulturen ist sehr interessant!

@friedafreese1784

2 жыл бұрын

Ja,genau und wenn es von den anderen nicht verstanden wird ,nicht wieder ins englische übersetzen, sondern versuchen es mit anderen Worten zu erklären.

@brigittelacour5055

2 жыл бұрын

I'm french, was married to a British. We meet us when he was doing his year abroad as part of his french-computer bachelor. As he was in France to learn better french ( he spoke already very well) we only spoke in English together. I spoke in English with my foreigner friends or my in-laws. At a family meal in Britain, I asked him to pass me the bread, in english because of the in-laws. He didn't react, his mother asked him why and he replied that he didn't recognize my voice when I speak in English ! My former mother-in-law was an history and English teacher in secondary school. As she was Danish born, she had to learn English as foreign language, she can understand my mistake and can easily explain me how to correct. ( One of my daughter is an English teacher and she struggles sometimes to explain English grammar because it's natural for her). In UK they don't learn English grammar at school, in France we learn french grammar but I had a teacher who focus on grammar analysis ( we had to surligne in code color verbs, subjects, COD, COI, ...) It was to help us if we choose to learn German : subject : Nominativ, CoD accusativ....I don't struggle with which casus to use but I have to remember the ending mostly for the plural.

@hertelantje

2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking that too. During my Abitur (year 11 & 12) we had a really good English teacher. As a warm-up of each lesson she allowed us to talk to each other for 5 min. It could be about anything, as long as it was in English. We really got into it. I’ve never seen people using dictionaries so passionately, even frantically. Or we described the word to each other in English. Not taking the easy way out and not cheating was part of the fun. Everyone was trying to talk about things that were important to us like Music, tv shows, the last cinema visit, the weekend... . There was a lot of laughter too. And as we only spoke with one person, usually our friends, there was no embarrassment. I think we learned more in this 5 min than the rest of the class.

@holger_p

2 жыл бұрын

Wenn keiner es gut kann, könnten sich Fehler verfestigen. Sich selbst herausfordern ist gut, von anderen Lernen aber mit Vorsicht.

@MiaD.B.

2 жыл бұрын

@@holger_p Fehler sind dazu da, gemacht zu werden. Hier geht es nicht um fehlerfrei und auch nicht darum, von anderen zu lernen, sondern um das Überwinden von Hemmschwellen und um Übung.

AHH the talking on the phone! Such anxiety! It's still my least favorite part of learning German/living here in Germany! One of our biggest challenges/frustrations is how much more communication is done on the phone here instead of email/text/websites. Maybe it's where we live (Leipzig), but so much is done over the phone instead of other ways. We've found that the Germans are incredibly nice and supportive as long as we are making the effort to learn and speak German. Our German friends tell us stories of Americans that never even make a real effort to learn the language. We committed ourselves to learning German and really integrating into the culture here as much as possible. Something that has been helpful for us is having a few friends that are willing to be patient and help us through the learning process. Even finding someone that wants to improve their English is great, because we'll spend some time speaking German to help me, and some time working on their English. Overall, it's just about the desire and willingness to step out of your comfort zone and feel a little silly or childish and make progress every day.

@arnodobler1096

2 жыл бұрын

👍🙋‍♂

That would be a good thing to do - create a kind of tutorial for newcomers, with a "conversation starters" chapter for kids and for adults, and more such chapters - everything you wish you had at hand when you came here. That'll be a bestseller in books stores and on Amazon.

By the way: Your (American-) English is such clear and well understandable, better than the German of many fellow Germans I know - so I love to watch your videos also to keep my Englisch alive. You can feel as ambassadors of both: A good cultivated English pronounciation, and busy students of knowledge of the German language, which is continuously improving day by day . . .

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Klaus!

Ihr müßt Fehler machen beim Deutsch sprechen denn nur so lernt ihr es richtig zu machen .Und ihr müßt euch deswegen nicht schämen denn den gleichen Prozess machen wir beim English lernen durch .Macht ruhig in Zukunft mehr Videos in Deutsch . Gruß aus dem Nordwesten Deutschlands ........

My great aunt told me story: A germanboy to restaurnt and told a Waiter to bring him a Beef Steak.He was Weitling Long.He asked the Waiter"when I become my Beef Steak?" The Waiter answrs"I hope never my Son". The German meaning is "bekommen"in English is the meanig"Werden"

Learning a foreign language is a hard job, especially as an adult. Nobody expects you to be perfect after one year living in germany. You are doing great. Germans btw appreciate even that you are willing to learn our language. Keep on going, stay save and healthy.

Happy anniversary in Germany dear McFalls!Been following you since the beginning and each Sunday I am here to watch your content. About the language..don't feel afraid or ashamed.its a foreign language...what do people expect? It took me a while to get accustomed to speak English in the office on a daily basis with our suppliers...but I was more or less forced to.Today its nothing extraordinary anymore

You are very, very humble. That makes you so incredibly likeable. Your pronunciation is a quantum leap compared to videos from the middle of last year. Learning by doing.... - et voilà!👍Since I subscribed to you, my English has gotten better again. 😉

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Michael. 😀

Congratulations to the McFall family for one year in Germany, that's fantastic, cheers 🥂🍻🥂🍻🍾 Depending on how talented you are, learning a language is a lengthy process. It is important to overcome the fight against yourself and your own fears. Often you worry unnecessarily about what other people might think and then get scared. The best way to work on grammar is to speak the language out loud and really hear what you're saying, and that's especially true at home. If you use the new language with each other at home in different moments, it is good practice for all members. It is important that you support each other, motivate and sometimes reward each other. And the respective experiences that your children have here in this different culture, whether positive or negative, they will take with them and use them in the future, because they know from their own experiences how it feels. An experience that I think many people should have in their lives, it can help to understand each other and develop empathy. I can say that I learn a lot from your videos and the stories that you like to share with us. It would be awesome to have you for a very long time here in Germany and Europe. Thanks for everything 😊, have a nice Sunday.

Congratulations on your first year in Germany!!!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! In 8 days it’ll be one year!

@jandomke5034

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife What I find interesting in this whole learning process you´re going through is that you do a lot for other people too. I, as a German love watching yours and others videos about my home country and it is a way for me to keep my level of English by utilizing your presentation. I believe you do the same by occupying yourself watching, reading all sorts of German videos or newspapers to get to a level you feel comfortable with. I went through the same when I moved to the US and UK for some years and had to learn not to be afraid to speak and listen to conversations just to be able to improve my level of English. Stay at it and make sure not to appologize too much since that shows your insecurities. As long as you understand the gist of a conversation and being able to participate, even with just a few words or sentences gets you far and will improve your German much quicker. I really like your content. You´re doing great and I cannot wait for the day that you do your first video entirely in German without any external help.

@szeddezs

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Congrats, you already adopted the German "Thanks, but it's not my birthday yet?" attitude 😜

I have moved to Belgium 4 months ago, and I have same experience with learning Dutch. I adore translator. I would have been lost without it.

@kevinmcfall5285

2 жыл бұрын

Totally a life saver!

Everyone who had to learn a second language - which is every European born after 1970 or so - knows the struggles of being not fluent and sounding silly in that language. And as most of us have already been to many other countries, we all have felt equally awkward ourselves. So, don't worry, no one will ridicule you for not being fluent in German (yet).

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah true! This is not a common issue for Americans since many do not speak another language, which is really a shame.

@franhunne8929

2 жыл бұрын

From 1957 every German had to learn English at the age of approx. 10 or 11. Im Düsseldorfer Abkommen einigen sich die Kultusminister der Bundesländer am 17. Februar 1955, Englisch als Pflichtfremdsprache in Gymnasien und Mittelschulen bundesweit einzuführen.

@amrimi8371

2 жыл бұрын

@@franhunne8929 Not every German. Until the end of the 1960 the majority of children went to the Hauptschule. In 1970 56% of the kids still attended the Hauptschule, which means that the majority of people of those generations never learned english in school. English was taught at Hauptschulen since the 1965 but usually there wasn't much emphasis put on the subject. So the knowledge stayed quite poor.

@franhunne8929

2 жыл бұрын

@@amrimi8371 I looked up Mittelschule - and that is the years after Grundschule until the end of the 10th year. So yeah, every German that was not in a school for educationally challenged pupils.

@amrimi8371

2 жыл бұрын

@@franhunne8929 No, here you are wrong. You have to look at the historic meaning of the word. In 1957 the compulsory education consisted of grades 1-8 in a so called Volksschule. After grade 4 there was the possibility to transfer to a Mittelschule (grades 5-10) or to a Gymnasium (grades 5-13). Around 1964 they changed the school system and divided the Volksschule into Grundschule (grades 1-4) and Hauptschule (grades 5-9) while the Term Volksschule was still being used colloquially as a Synonym for Hauptschule for a few years. In the same process the middle school was renamed Realschule. As I said before, in 1970 56% of the kids still attended just the Hauptschule. In 1955 74% attended Hauptschule. In the eastern parts of Germany the first foreign was Russian until the reunification in 1990. So by no means you could say that all Germans learned English in school from 1957 on.

Take your time learning German, don't put yourself under pressure! Don't be afraid to make mistakes! We know that it's very difficult to learn German! I give you advice used to learn children's books in German! Since they stay within the children's range of vocabulary, there are no difficult technical terms in them!

love your videos to refresh my english skills:) the 5 Years in school back in the 70*s need to be updated,keep on! greetings from Dortmund/germany

Don't feel you ashamed speaking German. I am grown up in the countryside where you live now. Until I went to school I only spoke bavarian. At that time (in the 1950ies) bavarian was much more far away from Standard German than today, especially in pronounciation but in grammar as well (for example der Butter instead of die Butter). So my first foreign language was Standard German. And now if speaking Standard German, it's easy to figure out where I come from. In the 1960ies a lot of Germans mostly from the Ruhrgebiet spent their holidays in the area of Ruhpolding, Reith im Winkel, Inzell etc. And that's why bavarian speaking people are used to different pronounciation. I think you'll get no problems with your pronouciation, because you are a very nice family and you don't know all things better. Knowing all things better and always telling where I come from, we do it in this or other way and explainig this in Standard German is not a good idea. But in your case I can't see any problems. So speak as good as you can. And if your pronouciation is as you learned it at lingoda, you will see very soon there is a little difference to the region where you live. But that does not matter, in generaI I think it is not the language leading to problems only the mindset. And I think you have the right one.

I feel you so much! The best English I’ve ever spoken was in the pub, after a few hours. It was not perfect, but I didn‘t care and that helped so much. Alcohol is no solution, but it can help sometimes! 😂

@wora1111

2 жыл бұрын

Well, that is about the definition of a guy working in sales: You have to talk, never mind how correct your use of the used language may be. I once had a (German) boss whose English - let me put it politely - had potential for improvement. But he always got his point across and in the long run, that's what counts. But then, in most cases he was talking to guys whose native language was not English either, so maybe it was best that way.

I don't think English is grammatically complicated. German has a grammatical system that is highly complex, yes. But in English, the problem's not the grammar but the spelling. I know that a lot of English speakers often confuse the two, but as a linguist, I had to chime in on that :) (The good news is that in German, spelling is quite straightforward, so you won't have to bother your head much about that, at least.) Btw, I think you are doing really great! You never sounded silly, and everyone who's been in another country knows how it feels not being able to speak the language. A lot of people don't even bother to learn the language of their host country when they can avoid it. So just take your time and don't feel pressurized. I mean, it's been only a year and you speak German so well already!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Your Video's are SO GOOD and I love your interaction... Its so funny. Thank you for being 'entertainment' (for lack of a better word) for so many of us.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind comments!

i have told some other expat that have the same problems like you, to read out loud every day a few pages of a book. this has a bit todo how our brain is working. at moment you are always active translating from germany to english in your brain, with reading a book you will train exactly this issue. you brain will learning unaware and at some point you are just speaking german without having your brain translator activ. thats the point where the fun begins 😅 and of course i t trains also that myst of "der, die, das, etc...." greetings

@conniebruckner8190

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, very much agree with this! even if you only have time for one page, or better yet, children's books to start with.

@franhunne8929

2 жыл бұрын

Very good advice. I knew I was getting somewhere when I read English books for fun, not for school.

That approach Kevin described surely is universal. Make clear what your next obligation is. Doesn’t matter if it’s because you’re a bit insecure. Works well for everyone. The thing with people switching to english for you… US friend of mine always spoke english to me and i always answered in German. Our conversations were probably weird to people around us but he was fine with it and asked on things he didn’t understand as i was when i didn’t get an english word. Maybe this strategy could be helpful if you agree to it with people you regularly meet.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah that is a good idea!

Thanks for the video! Oh, how relevant this is to me. It is especially exciting and anxiously to speak a foreign language without living in the country of the language being studied. But I think we should not be shy, but on the contrary, practice the language more😊

Just wanted to send some encouragement your way, as someone also learning German. It is a lifelong process, and you are doing great. Google translate has been a great help when I've been writing emails too

You guys are doing great and the mere effort you put into getting better is all it takes. Looking forward to a full video in Deutsch next year! No pressure!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha no pressure!

Recent new subscriber here - love watching you and your family experience all that life in Germany has to offer. I once had a chance to move there but chickened out (haha) so it's always a delight to see folks make the jump and thrive there. Congratulations on your 1-year anniversary - Herzlichen Glückwunsch! As for the language, it'll take time, so be patient and don't be too hard on yourselves. (I went there after four years of being a top German student in high school and felt like I was starting all over.) But here's something easy anyone can do that'll impress the locals - learn to clearly distinguish "Berg" and "Burg" - very common words, especially in place names like Heidelberg, Hamburg, etc. In English, they're pronounced identically (e.g. hamburger, iceberg), but in German, they're different words with clearly distinct pronunciations. Pronouncing them the same is kind of like saying both "poor" and "pair" like "purr" - I'm too purr to buy a new purr of shoes. Weird, right? That's kind of what Germans hear when we say Heidelberg and Hamburg with the same ending syllable. They can adjust for our error, of course, but we should learn to say Heidel-bayrg, Ham-boorg.

You guys are doing great! Your story is Very relatable. My tip : memorize a couple of phrases „können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? „ a lot of doctors and small businesses text here too!

i am always so happy to see how you try your best to cope with the german language and the living in germany. it is your positive charisma you dealing with all difficulties, which is extraordinary. go on like that, you are better than you think yourself... weiter so, es wird schritt für schritt besser👍👍👍😊

I had the same fears, when I started to work for an amercan company, until our secratery told me some day, that boss liked my german dialect. Make a long story short: He just knew two german words, "Guten Morgen." and he used it in the morning, at noon and in the evening. No problem at all, a try is always a compliment. :) I like your vids. Thanks.

1. Schön so tolle Leute hier zu haben. 2. Eine intelligente Frau hat mal gesagt: "Wir schaffen das." 3. Ich drücke die Daumen.

Gut Ding will Weile haben! :-) I am pretty sure you'll get used to the german language quite soon. Danke für das Video und einen schönen Sonntag noch! Bis demnächst! :-)

Obviously language(s) is not the only thing to learn (in life) and as far as I am concerned you are way ahead of most (anywhere) in so many ways. Thank You for your refreshingly honest videos and insights into your lives and struggles! Much appreciated!

Another fabulous video with so much to unpack. I've met many people from around the world where neither of us speak the others language. We all just tried to communicate. Which is what I believe is the most important thing! I think most people will just appreciate your trying to communicate in their language. I am trying to learn some German before my trip there later this summer (fingers crossed). I have a few apps but while I was writing things down I started noticing grammatical patterns that the apps don't teach. Understandable as they start mainly to teach basic vocabulary and sentences to get you going. When I was learning French waaay back in high school, grammar is just about all that was taught and I couldn't speak to anyone. But I think it's important to learn some grammar when learning German at least. Also I spoke to a friend of mine last night who is originally from Germany and I was telling her about my wanting to know some German before my trip. She just said "Don't be afraid!".

You guys are so brave! I’m impressed.

I'm from North Rhine-Westphalia, which is actually culturally the opposite of Bavaria, and what defines us is "don't think before you speak" and that's the tip I'll give you. just talk, no matter if right or wrong, german or english or a mix or a completely new language. you are not in a competition and the language does not define you. if you are understood, fine, if not, fine too. And besides, you have Grayson the silver bullet :D.

Just do it, don‘t think about it. Speak german every day and you get every day better and better. Keep going, you doing great at all.

As a German living in the UK and having already had a good command of the language when I moved there the curious thing was that it was infinitely harder to grasp 100% of a conversation that happened either in a movie, on TV or on the phone. And if you hit a call center located, say, in Scotland, you were scr***d. I always wondered why that was was. I think it is to do with the way the brain interprets sounds and language... I'm currently learning Latin online, so I feel your pain. There is even one more case that in German! Arghh. But, do not worry one bit or be embarrassed. Most people are grateful for others who make and effort to address them in their native language and will go to considerable lengths to try and communicate. Nobody will laugh behind your back. Most people understand that we're all a strangers sometime somewhere. Just keep nurturing your language garden and it will blossom soon enough.

I can totally relate❤️ Dropping your pride and don't think about it to much is the key to learn a language. I also love your accent and I am sure everyone loves to listen to you 😍 I tried to loos my German accent and sometimes it is very frustrating when I just say "Hi, how are you doing?" and I get asked where I am from. But I got over it and that helps big times😊 As you said, don't worry about "der, die, das". It does not matter, because everyone understand what you are saying. I can also recommend to watch movies in German with subtitles in English.

You both explain everything so well. Thank you for this video, I don’t feel like I’m the only one who feels like this. I can relate to you both so well 😂

I once read that a 4-year-old child learns 7 new words a day - as an adult it's harder. But Germans usually understand the difficulties. 👍🙋‍♂

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Oh that’s a cool fact! Yeah Germans have all been so understanding of our poor German and for that, we are greatful.

Most Germans I know are very glad to help if someone seems to struggle with the German language. But most of the time you have to announce if you want help or if you want to stay in German or if you want to switch to English, because Germans tend to also switch to English fast if they hear someone‘s struggling with German. My German colleagues and I even talked English during private conversations at international business meetings if there was a chance that there could be someone around who’ don’t speaks German. That’s when I learned that I still have much to learn about the English language. But it made me confident enough to talk to native English speakers and write in English on KZread and social networks. 😊 TIL: „Waldeinsamkeit“. but it‘s not used very often in day-to-day German. What is helpful to me in learning English is often autocomplete (a word I had to look up but realized that I already knew it) while texting or writing a comment, because if I know how a word begins I get enough recommendations how to write it. But it didn’t help with autocomplete, though. 😉

Hi McFall-family, you did a great video! One thing I´d like to mention: The fact that you change the pronunciation of a word that is written very similar (woman/women) or (tough/though) is in my eyes more difficult in English than in German.

one thing language school doesnt teach you is: everyday life. i noticed that for myself when talking to ppl from all over europe. when we were talking about school or work related stuff, everything was fine. but when the conversation shifted a bit more personal to e.g. weekend plans or stuff like that i started to struggle. In german we say "Übung macht den Meister" - practice makes perfect. Maybe if you struggle with vocab (which i think is the biggest hurdle), try this: put post-its on everything in your household with the german word on it. Try to speak german at home, i know this is a biiiig oof but think of it like this: there's noone that you have to feel ashamed of, cuz you are all learning. so mistakes made at home are not public like when you are talking in the parents group or whatever. even its just a german-english mixed language, it will become easier and speaking german will feel more natural, since you also do it at home. you dont have to shift from comfort (home and fluent) to discomfort (in new situations, new country AND new language) all at once. i've had some immigrant children in my class when i was younger and the ones that told me "zuhause sprechen wir nur deutsch" definetely had the easiest job of integrating (same was for parents aswell).

Ihr müßt keine Angst haben. Ich verfoge Euren Kanal seit einem Jahr und Ihr habt tolle Vortschritte gemacht. Ich kenne viele Leute die länger hier sind und nicht so gut Deutsch sprechen. Ich spreche seit vielen Jahren geschäftlich Englisch. Und es immer noch nicht perfekt und jeden Tag lernt man was neues. Es ist nicht wichtig perfekt zu sprechen, wichtiger ist das Dein Gesprächspartner sieht das Du Dich bemühst seine Sprache zu sprechen. Das mögen alle Menschen. Egal in welchem Land.... Macht weiter so.

Hi there , thank you for your video. And congratulations for your first year in Germany! 🥂🍻🥨 So the biggest step is already done 😃. You’re well integrated in the local community and you are improving your language skills every day 👍. You’ll see, everything is going to be easier. And then, one morning you’ll realize that you’ve dreamt in GERMAN 😳😁. Don’t worry about what others might think of you. Mostly it’s much better than you thought. As a mother I totally understand your worries regarding your kids. You always want them to do well. Your kids have made a huge progress. They want to learn and sometimes it is good for them leaving their comfort zone.

Heck, I am pretty fluent in English (in tests, I mostly am categorized as a C-something, something level) and I always stutter my way through sentences when spoken to in English, because I never really had to actually speak it for an extended amount of time and am pretty shy in person. But mostly, people are really helpful and happy that you went to the trouble of getting to know their language! At least that's what I experienced in France or Denmark. I'd say English is actually one of the easier languages regarding grammar, at least for me. I struggled much more with French and Spanish, and Swedish was just easier because it is more similar to German. Not to belittle learning English grammar of course! But then, I always enjoyed reading books in English AND, what I can totally recommend, watching movies and shows in said language with subtitles, first the subtitles in your native language, and then in the language corresponding with the language that is spoken in the movie. When our french exchange student visited us, we watched Harry Potter in English with French subtitles, because our English was good enough to understand spoken language and our exchange student had the option of reading it in their language in case they did not understand a sentence. Not what our French and German teachers had in mind I guess, but it worked XD You just wait, in five years, you'll be dreaming in German ;) And don't worry, seeing Grayson in your last video, your kids will be totally fine. There is almost always one or two kids in a class that are not yet that good at speaking German, mostly it is Turkish, Arabic, Russian, Polish and so on, and I have never experienced them not finding any friends. I had a classmate that joined us in 8th grade after just 5 months of being in Germany, and she graduated with a very good Abitur with us in the end.

@beageler

2 жыл бұрын

My speaking proficiency mainly comes from having lived in student dorms for a long time. For someone who doesn't have that possibility I'd recommend playing online with a set international group (because random multiplayer kinda makes people horrible :-)), that provides opportunities to speak a lot in a laid back setting, with sometimes having to express exact and complex thoughts or facts. And after learning that, for example, even the natural speakers from the indian subcontinent sound a lot different from western natural speakers, a lot of the anxiety goes away, believe me :-)

@junimondify

2 жыл бұрын

@@beageler This is an excellent tip in general! But in reality, I am much too shy for that, I have trouble with these situations even when speaking my native language. I kind of like speakers from the indian subcontinent, their speaking rhythm is really unique XD

your whole family is soooooooooo charming. anybody will be ecxited because of your friendly personalities and that you're trying to speak german.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! ❤️

Well even as a native speaker i prefer communicating via email over phone calls. I did make my appointments for the covid vaccinations with my doctors office using email. What i really like about that is that you don't have to feel like you are disturbing them because they can read the mail when they have the time for it, while they have to pick up the phone when you are calling. And i also like to be able to formulate my thoughts into the fitting sentences so i can mention everything i feel is important for them to know. I also agree about the willingness to learn new things. I am working as a software developer and i constantly need to learn new stuff and it is getting harder for me because i do feel kind of dumb if other younger colleagues talk about that stuff so fluently and use all kind of abbreviations i neve heard before (often for english terms as that is the main language for IT). I am working in that field and for that company since i left school with my Abitur in the year 2000 so almost 22 years now and it feels really weird to feel almost like a total newbie again.

Thanks a lot for this honest and interesting video! You needn't be ashamed - just be very proud of yourself!!! You TRY an that is what people respect very much. Especially foreigners with English as a mother tongue just presume that many Germans speak a solid English and therefore don't even try to learn the language. So it is really very kind and "integrative" of you to have the aim to learn German. But I can understand every single anxiety that you mentioned! I wish you all the best for the next year - the last one passed soooo quickly - I feel like I just discovered your channel and saw your decision to move to Germany.... I'm looking forward to many new videos this year.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words, Tina! ❤️ Yes this year has gone by so fast, looking back.

@gentleman593

2 жыл бұрын

Hello Tina how are you doing

Kids do not translate. They just say it in a way which is understood by the person they are talking to. It happens differently in their brain but it is important to understand what happens. This ability is way better. For your kids the bilingual brain will be an immense gift for their entire life. You are doing an excellent job in helping your kids in that process. Meeting other kids and friends, talking to neighbors, and going to a sports club is perfect. For adults it is more difficult to get to that point, but you will realize it soon, it will happen. For example once you have troubles to say something English what you fully understood in German, then you are there. For yourself I want to encourage you to join a club for adults, like sports, music, etc. In your (our) region this is the way people are integrated “ins Dorfleben” and you will automatically learn talking in German without translating, too.

My God even one year passed. Time passed by so fast. I am remembering your video when you did all your preparations in your House in the US when your packaging all your stuff in order to bring to Germany. So congratulations for being to Germany for one year congratulations for your anniversary. .

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yes so fast! We can’t believe it either! Thank you!

Several points you describe in that video for me personaly belongs into the topic of growing up and getting a mature mindset: People are ashamed about what other people might think. People are afraid to make mistakes. People in the first spot in general always think about what others might think about themself. Hopefully people realize one day that these thoughts are mostly just a steady burden that makes you spent (and also: waste) more energy on things you cant influence anyway. They realize you could have spent that energy (and also time !) on different things that actually make there life more happy. So when people typicaly get older they realize these things and usualy get more into a "i dont care what strangers that i dont know think" attitude. People also get more calm about most things. I am not sure if that describes what often is referenced as "the wisdom of age" (Die Weisheit des Alters). I realy do like Kevins attitude to focus on the goal and to not worry about all the steps inbetween that much. Finaly i wanna say "thank you" for this video and the personal insight it gives. To talk that open about yourself surely isnt easy but it hopefully also helps yourself in the journey we call life : ) Oh and on a more final note i might keep telling you under every new video to not overdo it with editing too much little clips into as there are people who dont like them also ; ) Einen schönen Sonntag euch : )

Gefällt mir :-) One thing about compound words: Treat it like a game. Try to come up with your own compount words. Only to find that they allready exist ;-) - And allways learn the article with the noun!!!

Always keep in mind that most Germans know the problems of learning a foreign language from their own experience. No one will think you are simple-minded if your German sounds a little awkward at first. Only by speaking fearlessly can you learn a foreign language. And by listening, of course. It already works wonders if you just have a German radio program on in the background all the time - that way you get used to the language melody and pronunciation (even if you don't listen specifically).

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yes this does really help to lower the stress. But it is different learning a new language while still living in your native country. The anxiety goes WAY up when you’re learning and speaking a language in a foreign country.

@relgeiz2

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife - yes and no. Of course, it's less stressful to learn a language you don't use on an everyday basis. But the day will come. For lots of Germans when they go on vacation e.g. to english- / french- / spanish- / italian-speaking countries after having "learned" that language at Volkshochschule (or wherever). The experience in a foreign grocery shop, a restaurant, a railway station or just trying to make conversation with locals in a bar is roughly the same you have speaking German in Germany in comparable situations. Just relax, lots of people know the struggle from their own experience.

Kevin’s approach to a new language is the absolute best! As we moved to the US our then youngest always wanted to hold me back from guiding him to the classroom (Pre K) and speak to the teacher. He was embarrassed how I was speaking English! Luckily I am a stubborn Mommy ;) I tell my kids that I know that their English is way better and it should be that way! I am learning by making mistakes and being corrected! Americans are often too polite to correct me! But, when I know a person very well I always ask them to correct me every time, when I am making a mistake, because that is the way I am learning best and improve my English! I am getting pretty frustrated, when people let me hang, lean their head to the side and wait until a find the right word instead of trying to help me find the right word! Once I had an encounter with a person, who mocked me for my bad pronunciation! As she did it a second time I asked her, if she speaks a second language…..Since then she stopped making fun of me! Our sons don’t have any accent anymore when they speak English, but we, the parents, won’t loose it, since our ‘mouth muscles’ are trained for more than 30 years in (for?) the German pronunciation before we had to speak more English than German! Only people who speak more than one language and lived in a different country understand the struggle and give an effort to help you patiently! For Sara: I am so in awe how your German language has improved! Don’t be ashamed for not being fluent before you came to the US…..who is FLUENT before coming and living in a new country? You learn the language best by living in the country! You might not notice your improvement, your German subscribers certainly do!

you guys seem suuuper companionable and sociable! i know that sometimes germans can react a bit non-understanding when someone doesnt speak the language perfectly. on the one hand it is sad that some germans are like that and do not try to help but sometimes even stick to purposefully not doing any effort to understand their vis-a-vis. but on the other hand at least this is not everybody and also who cares about these ppl. their nonchalant ways are in the end good indicators for learners that they may have pronounced something not 200% perfectly... and its better not to let their behaviour get under your skin. but maybe and hopefully you havent encountered too many or any of these people at all in your city / surroundings.

Also where it comes to being fluent, I live by the adage that it doesn't matter how it sounds or how you say something as long as it comes out. Most people will be able to parse intent and context what you are trying to say -- and correct something where needed without being pedantic. I lived and been in a handful of countries across the world in the last 30+ years now and in general people will appreciate the effort of someone trying to speak their language over their actual command of a language, because most can relate.

Bavarian Alps are extreme nice. Especially riding Ski is one of the best things ever

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! It’s so beautiful here.

I just must encourage you: the two of you are just awesome ❤️❤️❤️👍

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ❤️

I still remember the first time I've traveled to the US at the age of 18 and even though I had the feeling I had a good level of English there was still a lot in everyday life that I didn't understand. It's 16 years ago and I'm glad that I wasn't discouraged at first but accepted the challenge and worked hard so that most Americans no longer realize that I'm not a native speaker. With German it's trickier due to the complex grammar and please don't feel bad about making any mistakes or having to switch to English.

That awkward phase is one that everyone who learns a language has to go through, and the more you speak the faster you get over it. Actually, most people will look at you with respect for trying and actually learning the language, because so many people don't dare. In general, I think people are greatful for you speaking German. And don't forget: while you might be good with the day to day things and understand most of it, it is more complicated when you have to understand conversations about special topics (like health/medicine, technical issues a.s.o). Don't worry, with every time you expose yourself to those topics, the better you get, even if you don't seem to learn instantly. You are doing great, guys!

Kleiner hilfreicher Tipp: Schaut/hört möglichst viele Nachrichten-Sendungen im TV oder Moderationen von Bildungsprogrammen, weil die Sprecher*innen in klarer Aussprache geschult sind um im ganzen Land verstanden zu werden. Ihr wohnt in Bayern, das ist bereits ein Dialekt-Kosmos für sich allein - eine zusätzliche Herausforderung, Versucht es dennoch immer wieder - alle werden euch dabei helfen und alle werden euch mögen !

I think I say this in all of my comments here, but I'm not German and I don't live in Germany, I'm not even a native English speaker, but I'm also an expat and I'm still dealing with learning the language of the country I live in, and I love love love your videos and following the journey of your family in German land. Well... I can totally relate with your fears and anxieties ESPECIALLY answering the phone! My kids were all born in here, so fortunately they actually know to speak Portuguese (my native language), Slovene (my husband's native language) and English (the language me and my husband communicate with at home, which they just picked up accidentally, because we were never teaching them that - we knew they would learn it properly in school). But although I've studied English in school for 5 years and I was pretty comfortable with understanding everything, when I first moved to Slovenia I was trying to learn Slovene and at the same time try to express myself also in English while I couldn't do it yet in Slovene and I had no one to speak to in Portuguese - it was an intense first month of constant headaches... Then at certain point, I've just accepted the silliness and went with the flow (it helped!)

I absolutely can relate. At the age of 16 me and 3 of my best friends travelled the UK. I liked the language and I liked learning it so I already felt pretty confident when it came to understanding and writing in English, so my friends were. Until we actually had to speak. I remember it was pretty late when we got off the train. It was night already and we were tired and had to find the youth hostel. We were so afraid to speak that we prefered to walk for like 2 hours to get there rather than just taking a taxi cab. When we finally arrived they couldn't find our reservation. Now we really had to speak and I remember everyone looking at each other hoping someone else would. In the end one of my friends stepped up and we finally got a room and could rest. I remember how shocked I was that it felt so hard to actually speak. What helped was to remind myself of how I felt when foreigners tried to speak German to me. I realised I never thought they sounded silly or of all those mistakes they made even if they were beginners still and made a lot of mistakes. I always appreciated the effort and thought of how brave they were just trying. I've never bothered if articles were wrongly used. I understand it's difficult. There's no real rule to most of them and as long as I get what they want to say i'm totally fine with it. Keeping that in mind encouraged me to just go for it. In the end I realised I just had to admit to myself that I'm not perfect yet. I needed those few seconds more to process what's been said and think of how I want to answer. I just took those moments and the more I practiced the less time it took me to find the right words and the more natural it felt. So, there's no need to feel silly. Everyone can relate. Learning and especially speaking foreign languages is difficult. No need to be ashamed of making mistakes. Just go for it and use your hands or blend in english words if you can't find the proper German one in that moment. You will be understood - one way or the other. That's all that counts :)

Thank you for sharing another aspect of your journey. You brought back memories of 1965 when I came to the US. I knew English, having studied in Germany under British Instructors - oh Schreck - that was altogether a different English. What helped me was to watch the News and 'I love Lucy'.

I can relate, I just moved from Germany to Norway and although I do speak Norwegian, it's super intimidating sometimes. In some situations, I have no problem having a long conversation and in some situations, it's so intimidating and hard that I switch to English because it's more comfortable! But it really just takes time, I'm sure you'll get there. And the fact that you were brave enough to move abroad and learn a new language shows that you are absolutely capable! I can realy see your motivation and that's the most important thing! (Every time I have to contact a norwegian company I desperately look for an email address, but in Norway no company uses email, so I end up always having to caall them which is terrifying so I can relate to that too!)

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Oh my, I can feel your terror having to make phone calls! Sending you all of our best luck as you also learn a new language in a new country.

Ich denke, es ist überhaupt nicht schlimm, wenn ihr Fehler macht. Mir geht es mit Italienisch, Spanisch, Französisch und Holländisch genauso :) Für uns ist es völlig normal, eine Fremdsprache nicht gut zu sprechen, Hauptsache man kann sich irgendwie mit dem Nötigsten versorgen. Der Rest kommt schon mit der Zeit. Einfach reden, reden, reden, Fehler über Fehler machen und irgendwann mal kann man's. Ganz liebe Grüße

Oh, by the way - as a culprit, I have to say that - don't feel offended or reprimanded when a German corrects your German (in a nice and police way...). They wouldn't bother when they thought yours was a hopeless case. In fact, they just want to make it easier for you. Did anyone of you guys learn Latin at school? Latin grammar patterns can help learning German...

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Yes that’s a good point! We don’t mind when they correct us because they always do it nicely and I don’t want to keep making mistakes, I want to learn.

Ihr hattet euch da wirklich viel vorgenommen. Und ich denke, Ihr macht das wirklich gut.

Sara! I miss your big earings!😪 But I ❤ your pillow, that pink-blue one! 🥰

Es ist immer schön euch zuzuhören 🤗. Und habt keine Angst davor, deutsch zureden oder auch Fehler zu machen.. Das ist normal und okay. Niemand ist da böse oder hat kein Verständnis. Und ich bin auch dafür, jemand zu verbessern, was Aussprache oder Grammatik betrifft. So lernt man es dann auch 👍🏻🍀🤗

Ihr macht das super. In 5 Jahren lacht ihr darüber wie schwer der Anfang war. Aber es geht jeden Menschen so der in ein anderes Land zieht. Weitermachen. Das wird schon! :o))

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Vielen dank! 😍

You really never have to feel silly or ashamed. You’re obviously highly educated, very intelligent, open minded and culturally interested and versed people and you’re modest and very charming. Congratulations!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I had to learn when I moved here over 10 years ago and I agree the fear of failure can be a hindrance. But sounds like you are doing really well, I agree don't worry if its not pretty just give it a go and you will learn bit by bit. You don't sound silly, you are doing great! Oh and answering the phone can be horrible but its worse to leave messages on a answering machine. If I ring a number and get the answering machine I hang up first and plan what I will say before ringing back and leaving a message. 😂😂

Eine neue Sprache zu lernen ist nie einfach. Nehmt euch die Zeit die ihr braucht. Viel Erfolg auch weiterhin!

Much, much respect for you guys for keeping on track no matter what obstacles were or still are in front of you… I am very sure that your German will get better and better and in a very short amount of time you will be fluent … start watching movies in German, first with English subtitles and than without, it will help. I started watching friends or jay Leno in the late 90s, that helped a looottt way more than the „typical“ school English here in German schools .. can’t wait for your anniversary 😃😃😃🎊🎊🎊🎊all the best from Cologne 😉

@kevinmcfall5285

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the encouragement! You have me insprired now to watch more shows in German instead of English.

@kevinmcfall5285

2 жыл бұрын

And you reminded me I havent had a Kölsch in a while!

@ProCorona

2 жыл бұрын

@@kevinmcfall5285 haha Alright than get some 😅😉

@yt-viewerfromger320

2 жыл бұрын

@@kevinmcfall5285 You're in the south, so you'd better try "Ahornberger Landbier". Das stammt aus Bayern und wird in 0,5l Bügelflaschen, in Holzkisten verkauft. Hier bei uns im Osnabrücker Land habe ich es allerdings schon seit 10 bis 15 Jahren leider nicht mehr im Getränkeladen finden können. Es ging wohl nicht so gut hier, obwohl ich es als ein wirklich sehr gutes Bier eingeschätzt und genossen hatte. Also suche Du es doch mal in Eurem Getränkeladen und probiere es gegebenenfalls..! Prost schonmal... PS: Weißt Du was lustig ist? -> Ich habe erst beim Beenden dieses Kommentares gemerkt, daß ich ihn ja eigentlich in Englisch schreiben wollte, aber ab dem 2. Satz versehentlich ins Deutsche "abgerutscht" bin...

Thank you very very much! I have been learning English for... ever? xD I am watching English series, movies, reading English books... I have no problem with that since I basically grew up with the English language. My grades were great. So I decided to become a bilingual administrative assistent. That is were the nightmare began. I had extreme anxiety talking in English during my training. I want to speak without accent and with perfect grammar. Writing and making mistakes? No problem. But actual conversation? I start to stutter, blackout, no word comes out..... it is truly horrible. Majority of my class was a bit younger. Less experience. Their grades weren't as good as mine. But they spoke English without being afraid. Like it was their native language. I was the only one who was literally terrified. You are the first one being so open and honest about this kind of anxiety. I felt like I am the only person who has this kind of anxiety. So thank you for talking about your feelings :) And honestly... there is no need for you to worry. All of you are doing SO great. After such a short period of time you are doing phenomenal!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Oh I’m so sorry you have experienced such anxiety, too. It’s difficult to work through! I have also felt those moments where it’s like my brain just won’t turn on and I can’t remember how to speak in any language! Haha

You inspire me to look into our local German language immersion school where I live at least for my youngest daughter. I would like her to grow up knowing how to speak a second language. Whereas my other children are only learning a little bit of Spanish in school. My second oldest daughter is trying to learn French. But I would like someone to speak German with. I don't have anyone because German isn't taught much around me... except for at the German immersion elementary school. With Grayson speaking so well because of his German immersion after 1 year. I am starting to feel like my 4 year old daughter would be able to make a lot of gains like Grayson did. I know that this isn't probably going to happen, but my two oldest daughters would like someone, like your kids, who have good German accents, to pronounce their names for them. They would dearly love to hear their first names pronounced correctly even just once. They have German first names which everyone in the United States mispronounces badly. So badly that most people just give up and use their Americanized nicknames: Allie and Katie. Their first names are Aloysia and Katharina. Would one of your kids do that for them?

I TOTALLY understand! Ive been here in a tiny village since Sept 2019, and then COVID hit and stopped all classes. I decided to cut myself some slack and just move forward at my own pace and I know I will get it. German is not so easy! And although I have the anxiety of speaking with other Germans, I know it will get easier with better proficiency, and TIME. Its so nice to hear your story and see similar situations, and that we're all finding our own unique path in navigating our way into the heart of Germany. :)

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

2 жыл бұрын

Sending you all the best! Moving here during the pandemic definitely has slowed language progress. I find it harder to hear and understand because of masks. But we just make the best of it.

@wora1111

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Talking to your kids part of the time in German might help. Sounds a bit odd, to learn from ones children, but they will be fluent a lot faster than you. Their brains are like a sponge and they have lots of interactions in German at school. My guess is that one year from now they will have mastered Bayrisch and need do start learning German :-)

You guys don’t have to feel ashamed. You should be proud of yourself because you are doing so well. Thanks for making Germany your choice. You are more than welcome in our country 🇩🇪 🇺🇸 ❤️

Hello! I'm also learning German. You guys are great self-learners! I don't know if you know that, but here is a tip that helped me a lot: the R at the end of syllables is pronounced almost like ah (as in father). Ps. I loved how you were saying something in German, then switched back to English but said "understand" with the German st :-) Love from Brazil!

Thank you, very interesting, 🙏