Why We Shouldn’t Give Up On German
Wednesday, 10th December 2008
When it comes to foreign languages, German features fairly low down the popularity list in comparison to French, Spanish and even Italian.
Reports published by CILT last week suggest that Spanish has now overtaken German as the second most widely taught foreign language in UK secondary schools, which only serves to support this theory.
This general reluctance amongst us Brits to learn the language could be down to the more ‘romantic’ association that is so often attached to the languages spoken in the Mediterranean. It could also be attributed to the fact that France, Spain and Italy remain more attractive holiday destinations and that visiting them requires a basic competency in the language. It could even perhaps be that the ability of so many Germans to speak English to a high level means that any visitors to Germany can get by without knowing a word!
Whatever the reasons behind it, one thing is for sure. It’s unfortunately quite rare to find people gushing about their overwhelming desire to learn German.
When people are quizzed about the reasons for not wanting to take up German lessons, whether it be in school or as a leisure pursuit, there are two that are frequently cited - the harsh sound of the language on the ears and the supposed complexity of its grammatical system. It’s difficult to know whether this is genuinely what people think, or whether these criticisms have so long been in circulation that they have been adopted as gospel, even by those who have never attempted a single lesson!
As a German and French graduate, I’ve sat through my fair share of grammar lessons, and can honestly say that I consider German to be no harder than French in this regard. I think it’s fair to say that German grammar is slightly more different to English grammar than French, which perhaps explains why it can take a little longer to get to grips with. Once the ‘penny has dropped’ though, there are arguably even less rules and exceptions to get your head around.
Given that the language, culture and peoples of any one nation are so closely linked, it is inevitable that pre- (or mis) conceptions about nationalities or countries will also hinder the wide-spread learning of certain languages. It seems such a shame that Germany’s chequered history still has such a lingering presence today, particularly because, as I’m sure anyone who has any experience of Germany or the Germans will tell you, it is a beautiful and interesting country that houses an extremely friendly and culturally very curious race.
In my experience, German people do seem to have a certain fondness for Brits and will, in general, be more than happy to speak to you in English. Happening upon a foreigner who has at least tried to learn their native tongue though, will endear you to them even more.
I would advise anyone who has the opportunity to try their hand at German to do so. It will give you the chance to learn more about a fascinating country, and make you stand out from the crowd!
Tags: general, individual, language + culture
Posted by Laura Harrison under Attitudes to Language Learning,
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