Expecting similarities between the German and English language is a normal idea. It is actually typical for anyone speaking English to hear distinct and familiar words which they could make out from a German conversation by just listening to it. Doesn’t matter if it is understood or not, what is important is that the German language has already made its impression to a foreigner yet again.
Yes, it’s true. Similar words from the German language can be found in the English language as well. But there are words that need double-checking too. One word from the English language can mean another in German. Though it isn’t suggested to learn just the words when one is learning to speak the German language (which means one has to start from the very beginning), because it would not be of any use anyway; the learning experience and means can be done in various methods.
Media is one of the best things about living in this generation because everything can be heard and watched easily through communication tools such as TV, the Internet and mobile phones. You can even learn German just by subscribing to podcasts and since you can bring an ipod anywhere (if you have one); it even makes it more convenient!
Going back to the language proper of German, it is suggested to concentrate best on its uses especially the articles that are commonly found before a German noun. It could get a little confusing but of course you can’t expect to speak fluent German in a day. Even those who have been speaking German for years now and were able to immerse in Germany doesn’t claim that they have a knack in speaking the German language already.
Another area of the German language you need to look in to is the pronunciation. A word in German may have the same exact spelling as an English word but it is pronounced differently. The pronunciation has to be thick, solid and should always come from the back of the throat. The pronunciation part needs a little effort because native German speakers can distinguish whether it is right or wrong.
The best learning source is a German speaking friend. A person who grew up in Germany is better because from him, you can learn a lot about what’s proper and not. This way, you’ll also have a personal language coach.
