It seems that every German person that I meet speaks English perfectly. It would be interesting yo learn the language, but it would appear pointless due to their aptitude for English. Your thoughts/opinions/observances?
2007-12-31 13:37:30 · 5 answers · asked by snickerdoodle 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
To Ralphcode:
It's not that I appear ignorant. I already speak Italian and Spanish in addition to English.
2007-12-31 13:44:10 · update #1
English is the ideal second language, it comes naturally. I am German, living abroad now for 30 years. Trying to speak a host country's language is a sign of respect and greatly appreciated everywhere.
German is a very nuanced language with a vast vocabulary. Reading English translations of German literature is often painful for me, when I understand what the writer wanted to say but the translator missed the "perfect" word.
Go ahead and study German - in the process taste the food and learn about customs - you will not regret it.
2007-12-31 17:09:15 · answer #1 · answered by Secular Humanist 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I suspect you're confusing "adequately" with "perfectly." I learned German in Germany (with the German equivalent of ESL) and though many Germans know English well enough to be conversant, none ever spoke "perfectly."
A good grasp of grammar and an substantial vocabulary don't comprise perfect language skills.
One other observation- you may be speaking with Germans who have lived here awhile. If you go to Germany, you may encounter lots of Germans whose English is more rudimentary.
Have a great New Year!
2007-12-31 14:46:00 · answer #2 · answered by going_for_baroque 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately German grammar is very difficult to get right for an English speaker. English grammar has been simplified greatly over 1000 years due to French influence while still sharing a large amount of German words, making it easier for foreign speakers to learn.
German however still has THREE genders and FOUR cases. That means there is about roughly 10 different ways of saying both "the" and "a" in German. Not to mention there are some crazy rules about where to put the verb. Mark Twain wrote a essay called "The awful German language" which laments a lot of what I have written. As he said, "mastery of the art and spirit of the Germanic language enables a man to travel all day in one sentence without changing cars."
2007-12-31 14:03:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it would be very practical if you were in Germany.
2007-12-31 13:41:07 · answer #4 · answered by supertop 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Learn German any way. Otherwise, you're the only one that can't speak a foreign language, and you come off as the one that's too lazy or can't be educated. Besides, you'll learn more about the German culture along the way. And what happens when you meet someone who learned french as well as german, but not english?
2007-12-31 13:41:00 · answer #5 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋