Are you planning to visit a German-speaking country? Working on your German family history? Is your company sending you on that very important business trip? How much German do you really know? If you're reading this, you need to know how to learn to speak German fluently.
But there's good news - learning German isn't nearly as hard as you think! Part of learning any language is cultivating a good ear. Pay close attention to a native German speaker as he speaks. Right away, you'll realize that many German vowels and consonants are not pronounced the same way in English. In English, the letter combination "Th" is soft, pronounced with the speaker's tongue between his teeth; in German, it's pronounced just like "T." The letter "G" is never soft, either. This is why German often sounds so harsh to English speakers. But the more you listen and identify these distinctively German sounds, the easier it will be to learn to speak German fluently, because you're internalizing the sound of the language.
Now, rent a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any actor or actress with a pronounced German accent. Try saying the actor's lines in as close an approximation of his accent as you can muster. Yes, you're still speaking English, but the Germanic accent forces you to hear the differences between the two languages. Believe it or not, "playing" with German sounds will help you learn to speak German fluently.
Obviously, learning German involves more than faking a German accent. To learn German, you'll need a course. You may find you enjoy online learning, which allows you to learn at your own rate. Or, you may prefer taking a formal class or listening to CDs. Just remember to choose a method that emphasizes conversation rather than reading! You can't learn to speak German from a book; you can only learn to read it. You will learn to speak German fluently only if you speak it and hear it spoken.
One of the challenges you'll face in learning German is its three genders - feminine, masculine, and neuter. This may be new to you, because English has no gendered nouns. Masculine nouns include dog (der Hund) and coat (der Mantel). Feminine nouns include blanket (die Decke) and vacation (die Ferien). Neuter nouns include house (das Haus) and pig (das Schwein). As you can see, the article "the" can be translated as either "der," "die," or "das" depending upon the gender of the noun it accompanies. You'll need to learn the appropriate article together with the noun; learning them in tandem will help you learn to speak German fluently.
Finally, here is the most important way to learn German fast: find a German friend to talk to! You'll never learn a language thoroughly until you begin to speak it like your own. Find a partner to practice with, and the sky's the limit! Human interaction will help you learn to speak German fluently, and you'll make a fast friend, too!
Author Resource:-
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