(TL;DR included)
Hello,
A little background: My primary language is persian and i speak english pretty well. C1 i guess, but last time i took a test was 6yrs ago and i got b2. And eversince I've been living in an international environment needing english every single day that has made me improve drastically.
My problem is that my first experience of language learning for english, was basically it spawning into me. I did not learn HOW to learn a language. I consumed english content (A LOT) for the fun of it, and the dogpoop classes in school were basically of no help. Basic grammer plus bunch of vocab and thats was it from them. Granted that in B2 level and for the exam i had an amazing teacher who was literally perfect and unique.
Now that im learning german under some time constraint and having my B1 classes, i FEEL the need for content consumption, i feel that i'm missing plenty of vocab, some a bit more complicated grammars just need to be heard and read enough to master, not just by exercises.
And here i want to hear your opinion to adjust my expectations.
My level is too low to understand the contents enough, i have to pause every 10 mins to fight the urge of shooting myself, and all in all, there is Zero joy in this process. Too much analysis and learning on a small text. Too many things to learn.
Am i spoiled in regards of language learning? Is it what everybody experiences? Is the answer just "suck it up and take it"? Any advices is appreciated.
TL;DR: im spoiled by my experience of learning english, and now the difficulty of content consumption in german is halting my progress.
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Find easier material, eg graded readers or straightforward fiction novels. Watch videos and TV programs on topics you know well.
Think about how you learned english: You were probably pretty young and a.) Didn't care if you didn't understand half of the stuff and b.) You consumed a ton of material that was aimed at very young audience (cartoons, videogames for kids, etc.). So, why not start consuming something that's easy to understand AND fun, too? Video Games are often said to be a perfect example of this. You could play one that's fun, but also aimed at kids, which means that it has simple vocab and grammar. If something becomes too easy for you, you can always raise the level, or in other words: Start with something very easy like Pokemon or Super Mario, then move on to games that use vocab and grammar from a higher register. If you don't like videogames: You can do the very same with movies and books. And yes, you will most likely have to start with media that is aimed at young kids. The cool thing is: There is always media for kids that is also enjoyable for adults. A good example would be the animated movies of the japanese "Studio Ghibli". They have a lot of movies that are aimed at kids, but believe me, as an adult you will absolutely adore them, too. I can especially recommend the movies "Mein Nachbar Totoro" and "Ponyo - Das große Abenteuer am Meer", since they use very simple language. Don't go in with a "bleh, that's some shit for kids"-mindset, those movies are a fantastic watch even for a 100 year old person.
One of the biggest mistakes is people choosing content which is way too difficult Some people on here are B1 or B2 and they straight up try to read novels, philosophers and poems which use lots of metaphors or ancient grammar. Start with content for kids. Peppa Pig. Dubbed Disney movies. German dubs of shows or movies aimed at kids or young people. Maybe even stuff like "Hallo aus Berlin" or "Sendung mit dem Elefanten“
To be honest. If you got B2, you should be able to watch a movie you know in German without a problem besides occasional special or odd vocabulary. The real issue is the scam industry that dishes out those certificates for people who can't ask for the next bus stop. Not to mention understanding the answer.
Watch Nico's Weg, Extr@ auf deutsch, and Treffpunkt Berlin. Then watch some of the simple (A1 content) on deutsch lernen durch hören. That should get you past that feeling of needing to look stuff up.
"Now that im learning german under some time constraint..." Language learning takes a lot of time. The brain has to rewire or something of that kind. It's a bummer, isn't it? And with the possible exception of the most advanced levels, German is harder than English. So if it took you 6 years to learn English to C1, allow 9 for German. And as for what you call "dogpoop" classes, maybe the teaching was bad something is still going in. They almost certainly contributed more to your English than you grant. Everything we do in the target language contributes to progress. Everything.
Yk, you mentioned it takes longer for german compared to Eng. Not that i didn't know, but i did not put much attention to it. There is a difference between my friends telling me this (none of themis learning/learned germn) and comment section of this sub. Natives, teachers, or those who have walked the path i wanna walk.
About the re-wiring. I wish i could express myself better; but i exactly know how it feels. And it being absent right now probably hurts the most. english did spawn, but not subconsciously. And i felt this "re-wiring". learning the logic of it. Making sentences with those "patterned exceptions" without hearing it in that context before. You get me?
Actually my mistake by not mentioning extra-curricular Eng classes. They had their own issues. Major issues. But they did give me a basic background so that i could build the knowledge upon them. They were more diverse. Hearing, listening, speaking. None of these were taught in the school. And comparatively the school classes were sub-par. Your point stands ofc. I just needed to clarify.
Thanks alot for your for your comment.
Just to comment on the part about those English classes: As a fellow Iranian I have to say, no the school English lessons in Iran are very very basic. Their contribution is little to nothing
What I did in two different languages was put on 24 hour news or something similar where they keep saying the same thing and just keep listening without stopping it, until it sticks.
You're not imagining things. German does NOT spawn into people the way Engish or Spanish does. I know so many people who spent more time on German, and live in Germany who still feel less comfortable in German than they feel in English (not their first language either). Chances are, you will NEVER feel a free and unbound in German as you do in English.
\> Chances are, you will NEVER feel a free and unbound in German as you do in English. Sorry, that's nonsense. Any language can be learned to a very advanced degree. There is nothing particularly difficult about German as compared with English. If OP had learned German the way they did English, they would have been just as free and unbound in German. \> German does NOT spawn into people the way Engish or Spanish does. Of course it can, given proper circumstances. Every language can.
I have the same experience, I learned English quite effortlessly when I was little by playing a lot of videogames. I tried to do the same with German but it doesn't work, I get frustrated for not understanding, like you. But someday, somehow everything just clicked, I managed to understand 50-70% of a podcast then I started enjoying German content more and more. I guess I collected words and knowledge subconsciously until it's "enough".
\> My level is too low to understand the contents enough, i have to pause every 10 mins to fight the urge of shooting myself, and all in all, there is Zero joy in this process. Too much analysis and learning on a small text. Too many things to learn. Is this content for a B1 learner? If you have problems with it, go back to content for A2 and listen to that. When you understand it well, you can return to B1 content.
Depending on your current level, what made massive difference for me is discovering German Youtube videos and such which are actually related to my hobbies and interests. I tried to listen to podcasts, tv-shows and read books, but it was mindnumbingly boring because I had zero interest in the subject or content. For example the Nico's Weg gets recommended, but I was so bored that I just could not sit through more than maybe one or two videos.
Another Persian speaker here. Our stories are somewhat similar. I also had a similar experience with learning English. I never went to English classes. I was much better than the rest of the class during the English lessons that we had in school in Iran. The lessons were of no help, as you also said. I also kinda just absorbed the language. Well, it definitely helps that the internet, video games, youtube etc etc are all in English. I never studied English and I just became fluent in it, just like that(I have an IELTS of 8). So, I understand what you’re saying. I moved to Austria five years ago and went into an English-speaking international school and I had to learn German and get my C1 certificate in 20 months or so to go to university here. So I was also in an international environment where English is used, as you are. I feel like English is so easy to passively absorb because it is such a simple language. German is more difficult and requires a more active approach but it is very very doable! I went from A2 to C1 in about 20 months. But, my real level was nowhere C1. To be frank, my German became drastically better as I started uni in German. That being said, if you’re struggling so much with the content you’re using to learn, then it is just too difficult for you. You have to aim for a content that you would still learn something from, but not everything should be new for you. You also shouldn’t go for content which would be too easy for you. So you have to find that sweet spot. There are many sources out there tailored for different levels. Maybe try lower levels and see if it helps. Learning a language such as German requires discipline and consistency, but it should not be frustrating. There are literally four skills that you have to practice: Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Reading. And two accessory skills: Grammar and vocab. Find sources that allow you to work on these areas and which are suited for your level. Once you become advanced enough, you can switch to content made for native speakers. Very very short on how I learned: vocab: I had a small notebook and wrote down ten new words I encountered everyday—> if noun, learned the article and the plural form. If verb: I learned the conjugations and Konjuktiv forms. Grammar: used the textbooks Reading: First, just used the texts in my German textbooks. As I became more advanced, I switched to German content made for natives (Reddit, news etc) Speaking: Tandem and speaking with myself (but today you can also use AI!) Listening: Textbook and also Easy German, DW and Nicos Weg. Later, I started watching German youtube and podcasts (I used to listen to Zeit Verbrechen everyday on my way to school) writing: I used to write in r/writestreakgerman. I think you can also use AI today to have your texts checked. Last point: immersion immersion and immersion! That’s the most important part. The more you’re immersed in German, the faster you learn. Turn your phone to German. When you become more advanced, watch German videos, movies etc and listen to only German content. Even today if I become a bit distant from German, I notice a small drop in my abilities. I actively avoid consuming other content than German. You got this! Hopefully, this helps.