How long would it take to learn fluent German in Germany after 5 years of high school German?

Question

After high school I plan on going to college in Germany for about a year. By the end of my senior year (I'm a sophomore right now) I will have taken 5 years of German. So how long should I spend in Germany before I go to college there to become completely fluent. I generally grasp languages things really fast and I'm a quick learner.

Answer 1

I am essentially fluent in German, but I was obsessed with it; I haven't been to Germany myself, but I will be this summer, and I will find out how well I really know it this summer then.

I do have experience with coming to English-speaking nations as a non-native speaker though. My mum was an English teacher for students who natively spoke Russian and/or Ossetian; I learned English at such a young age for this reason and spoke it regularly with her. I could carry out deep conversations in English by the time I was about 12. I had a talent for languages too, and I was always in advanced English classes with children several years older than myself. My first experience in an English-speaking nation, Australia, proved to me that I was really horrible at it compared to the native English-speakers. I did not know so much of what they said to me sometimes. My mum studied at an American university; so, I thought that I could know the "tricks" or common English sayings because of her, but I didn't. I continued to travel and learn, and I now live in Canada. Being here has enabled me to improve my English so much that I am almost like a native English-speaker. I do run into some things I don't understand occasionally, but perhaps native Englishers have such a problem too...

I think that maybe you could take a year off and live in Germany before trying to attend a German university. You may be surprised at how little you know just as I was surprised at how little English I knew when I visited Australia. However, I have been looking into German citizenship and getting a job myself there in a few years, but it is hard to find jobs because I hear that Germans rarely hire a non-citizen if a German or EU citizen can hold the job...so, I don't know what you would do for a year in Germany besides improve your German if you cannot fill a job.

I did not take a year off before attending school here in Canada, but I have known English for so long that it was not necessary for me. It's really difficult for me to say how much for time for you to spend in Germany before you attend school, but I would recommend at least a year because it is probably spoken quicker than you're used to. I don't know how obsessed you are with German or how good you are at it though...ask your German teacher for advice maybe.

Going to Germany is the best way to improve your German, but I only can tell you this because based on the fact that coming to Canada was the best way for me to improve my English. I know that I am not perfect at English yet (and you can probably tell just from this answer that I word things differently than native speakers sometimes), and I doubt that I can ever lose the Russian/Ossetian accent, but I do know that it has diminished since I've been using English daily. I can tell you that 5 years of German at school will probably not make you "fluent." You may happen to never speak German perfectly either just for being there, but you need to immerse yourself in the culture to find out!

And this is so long! I am sorry if I have caused any boredom in reading it!

Answer 2

well, I am good with languages with too, but I studied German a year in college before I went to Germany for 11 months, and I am still not fluent. I also know people who studied German all in hs and a couple years in college and went to Germany and are still not fluent.

And one thing that might be hard in Germany is even meeting people to really practice with. Just the act of being in Germany won't improve your German all that much if you don't actively use it.

You can always go back to Germany too and study abroad there during college. You don't have to be 100% fluent before you start school.