So i made it through my 2nd day back to German classes and i have to say i'm almost thankful that i took that 15-month break from the last course i took. Because now i actually understand most of what people are saying. Plus i think if i had no prior knowledge on the current topic we're doing right now, i'd be so lost and back to wanting to pull out my hair out of frustration.
The realization that i'm here to stay has sunk in and just being able to comprehend what anyone says prevents me from tuning out more than i used to.
All that TV watching and subtitle reading actually did me some good.
But i think i'm a little bit more focused. I've even gone as far as purchasing the extra work book from the previous level just so i can get my arse back into gear and understand it all. Yes, i know i'm a nerd.
As for the teaching method, it's somewhat different from the previous school i went to. VHS is subsidized by the government hence it's slightly cheaper and dare i say not as thorough. Many who attend the German courses are there because they need a certificate that says they know enough German to apply for citizenship, a visa or that their work place requires them to learn the language.
I, on the other hand have a European passport so i don't require a visa to live here. But i'm learning German because, well i have to. I know i can't always have my personal translator/speaker a.k.a J with me at all the times to do even the simplest errands.
Maybe i should look at it like it's my way of getting back my Independence.
...
So anyway, at the moment there are 20 of us in the class, which i think is too many.
Every time we have to read out our homework or to get through a simple exercise it takes up to 30 minutes till we're all done and can move on to the next question. But apparently the teacher's going to ask the secretary if the group can be split into 2 groups. So who knows, maybe i'll have another teacher.
Overall i'd say the people in my class are quite friendly. I'd even say majority could carry on a basic conversation but their main trouble, like what i have, is understanding the grammar.
I'm the only English speaking person in my class, so i'm pretty much whipping out whatever German vocabulary i know and stitching together what i think sounds like proper sentences. So far so good. Nobody's given me weird looks and said they didn't understand me.
More than half of the class knows one other since they had started the course together a few months back, most of the women are housewives so when they get their chance they huddle together and chit chat. But there's a few interesting characters, one in particular i foresee has excellent stalker qualities.
...
Oh but what i really wanted to say is that i made a new friend today!
She so happens to be Asian [the only one i've seen so far in the building] and who has longer hair than i have, hers is past her arse! The first thing she said to me when she saw me was, Are you Chinese? And then it went on to something like, Oh my gawd you speak English too!
I soon found out she's from China, speaks perfect English, just arrived in Guetersloh 2 months ago and recently got married to a German guy.
No, she's not a catalog bride and no, i didn't ask her.
But after class we ended up chatting for ages in the hallway like a bunch of school girls gossiping. Basically she met her husband when he was studying in some kind of exchange program in Peking last year and they fell in love. And basically a year later they got married and now she's 2 months pregnant. She's 26. However, as part of her visa requirement she needs to complete 600 hours of German lessons hence the reason why she's doing the beginner's course.
Oh and she's Vegetarian too. Whatta-kwinky-dink!
But isn't it funny how when you're not in your home country and you see some other person on the street that's of the same race or perhaps Nationality, you tend to attract one another. It's like that invisible shield gets lifted and you almost feel like there's that bond. It's that initial eye contact which sparks the curiosity and makes you wonder where the other person is from and whether they too speak your language.
Or maybe that's just me.
The realization that i'm here to stay has sunk in and just being able to comprehend what anyone says prevents me from tuning out more than i used to.
All that TV watching and subtitle reading actually did me some good.
But i think i'm a little bit more focused. I've even gone as far as purchasing the extra work book from the previous level just so i can get my arse back into gear and understand it all. Yes, i know i'm a nerd.
As for the teaching method, it's somewhat different from the previous school i went to. VHS is subsidized by the government hence it's slightly cheaper and dare i say not as thorough. Many who attend the German courses are there because they need a certificate that says they know enough German to apply for citizenship, a visa or that their work place requires them to learn the language.
I, on the other hand have a European passport so i don't require a visa to live here. But i'm learning German because, well i have to. I know i can't always have my personal translator/speaker a.k.a J with me at all the times to do even the simplest errands.
Maybe i should look at it like it's my way of getting back my Independence.
...
So anyway, at the moment there are 20 of us in the class, which i think is too many.
Every time we have to read out our homework or to get through a simple exercise it takes up to 30 minutes till we're all done and can move on to the next question. But apparently the teacher's going to ask the secretary if the group can be split into 2 groups. So who knows, maybe i'll have another teacher.
Overall i'd say the people in my class are quite friendly. I'd even say majority could carry on a basic conversation but their main trouble, like what i have, is understanding the grammar.
I'm the only English speaking person in my class, so i'm pretty much whipping out whatever German vocabulary i know and stitching together what i think sounds like proper sentences. So far so good. Nobody's given me weird looks and said they didn't understand me.
More than half of the class knows one other since they had started the course together a few months back, most of the women are housewives so when they get their chance they huddle together and chit chat. But there's a few interesting characters, one in particular i foresee has excellent stalker qualities.
...
Oh but what i really wanted to say is that i made a new friend today!
She so happens to be Asian [the only one i've seen so far in the building] and who has longer hair than i have, hers is past her arse! The first thing she said to me when she saw me was, Are you Chinese? And then it went on to something like, Oh my gawd you speak English too!
I soon found out she's from China, speaks perfect English, just arrived in Guetersloh 2 months ago and recently got married to a German guy.
No, she's not a catalog bride and no, i didn't ask her.
But after class we ended up chatting for ages in the hallway like a bunch of school girls gossiping. Basically she met her husband when he was studying in some kind of exchange program in Peking last year and they fell in love. And basically a year later they got married and now she's 2 months pregnant. She's 26. However, as part of her visa requirement she needs to complete 600 hours of German lessons hence the reason why she's doing the beginner's course.
Oh and she's Vegetarian too. Whatta-kwinky-dink!
But isn't it funny how when you're not in your home country and you see some other person on the street that's of the same race or perhaps Nationality, you tend to attract one another. It's like that invisible shield gets lifted and you almost feel like there's that bond. It's that initial eye contact which sparks the curiosity and makes you wonder where the other person is from and whether they too speak your language.
Or maybe that's just me.
4 comments:
i guess German men must be really something! haha
No comment... ;)
Hi! :) I stumbled upon your blog when I pressed the button ´´Next blog´´ on my Blogspot screen and I´m really enjoying reading it,so cool.
I stayed in Augsburg-Germany for one summer and I totally loved the country; in fact I think it is underrated.
Wish you lots of luck on your German classes (I was rubbish at it unfortunately :( and gave up) and keep posting pics of those yummy Sunday brunches hehe.
Greetings from Spain! :)
Saray: Hello Saray from Spain! Well let me start off by saying thanks for making the effort to comment. I'm glad that you find my dribble and rambling interesting to read. I always wondered who my silent readers were.
Anyway, i had to google where Augsburg was since my sense of direction and geography knowledge is far from good. I've never been to Bavaria before. Forgive my ignorance but all i know is the way they speak German is heaps different from how those up North speak. But i'm sure Bavaria has some interesting historical sights etc.
As for my German classes, well i'm SLOWLY getting parts of it. But i'll get back to you in a few months and we'll see if i feel as optimistic then as i do now.
=)
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