Move me momma! Just to jump right in and say it like it is. We all know that there are many different types of motivation, but the type that we are concerned with is intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the desire to do something that pleases you and makes you pat yourself on the back. Most studies have shown it to be much more effective in long-term language learning than extrinsic motivation (for an external reward such as impressing the boss or your peers). Unfortunately, most of us are not lucky enough to hire a personal pep squad or self-improvement coach to keep us motivated. Yup, you are going to have to find the power within yourself. It seems that to become fluent in German will take time and perseverance, so how can you stay motivated?

1. Fraternal Twins Separated At Birth

Yes, the process of learning German can be very stressful but keep in mind the cool thing about German is that modern German and modern English both originated from the common Germanic ancestor language and despite their distinct differences, the two languages share many similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Also, German is spelled phonetically. This means that once you learn the system of sounds, it is easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the written word is pronounced. Know your German ABCs and you will be better equipped to learn to speak German quickly.

2. Oktoberfest Anyone?

If your ultimate goal is to learn to speak German fluently, then it is important to know that you will become more fluent quickly if you maximize your language exposure. You can start by simply practicing the language with a classmate outside of class. You can befriend native speakers in your community or attend a local foreign language conversation hour, if one exists. Rent a German DVD, or listen to authentic German audio or video online. Or you could attend your local Oktoberfest or plan a trip to attend the world famous Munich Oktoberfest. The first the first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 and lasted 6 days. The festivities were in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. In Munich the “die Wiesen” (as the locals call it) starts around late September and lasts for sixteen days up to the first Sunday in October. The festival is a vibrant venue where you can eat sauerkraut, drink German beer, practice your German and expose yourself to Bavarian culture.

3. The Gift Of The Gab

Whenever possible, speak German aloud rather than reciting it silently to yourself. Say vocabulary words out loud, read passages in the text aloud, and do pronunciation activities orally. Transferring language from your mind to your mouth is a skill that requires a great deal of practice. And you should practice German actively frequently.

The process of learning German can be very stressful, and the impact of your own positive or negative attitudes can be critical to your learning. Self-motivation is the key to staying on track and achieving fluency. Because German and English have similarities, you have a head start when learning German. Ultimately, to learn to speak German online or otherwise is all about you. Therefore, you must play an active role in your learning by jumping at the opportunities to speak, listen and comprehend German. You’ll meet new people, make new friends and most importantly, learn German fluently.

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Are you wondering how you can learn to speak and understand German fast and easy? You might even ask yourself if it is even possible. Maybe you are planning a trip to Austria or even directly to Hamburg in Germany. It does not matter what your reason is for learning the German language, as long as you know how to learn German fast and easy so that you can converse with your new found holiday friends as fast as you can. They will respect you so much more for learning their proud language to begin with. You will be surprised how many doors it can open for you over there.

It’s really not as difficult as you might think. An important aspect of learning any foreign language is to develop a good ear for the way the new language sounds. Listen to native German speakers as they talk. You will discover that many German sounds, sound totally different from their English rival. “Th” in German is pronounced like an English “T.” The letter “G” is never soft, either. Features like this make German sound harsh and hard to the English ear but the more you listen and identify them, the easier it will be for you to learn German fast, 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. Practice speaking some of the actor’s lines, mimicking the accent as closely as possible. You’re still speaking English but you’re using your newly-trained ear to teach yourself what German feels like on the tongue. Becoming familiar with the sound and feel of the German language will help you master the German language faster than if you were to learn it from scratch as a foreign sounding language.

Of course, neither of those steps really teaches you German. For that you need some kind of course. Many people nowadays enjoy online learning, because they can study at their own pace and repeat lessons until they’ve mastered them. Others prefer learning from CDs or through taking a class. Whichever way you choose to study, however, make sure your coursework emphasizes oral conversation. Learning German is a dynamic activity, and you can’t learn to speak the language from a book because the book can’t speak back. You will learn German fast only if you speak it and hear it spoken.

Please take note of this very important tip as you learn to speak German: remember that all German nouns have genders they are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. This isn’t something we have to worry about in English, so gendered nouns may be new to you. 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. There’s no way to predict whether a noun is going to be masculine, feminine, or neuter, so if you want to learn German fast, always remember to learn the proper article at the same time you learn the noun.

Finally, here is the most important way to learn German fast: I recommend you make a German friend so that you can practice having a German conversation whenever you have the opportunity to do so! Dialogues on tapes or CDs are great, but to really get the feel of a language, you need to speak it just as you would your own. For that you need a partner. You’ll not only learn German fast that way, but you’ll improve your social life at the same time!

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Germans love speed (Can you say BMW?) Speed is also deeply ingrained in American culture. Between commuting, emails, microwavable everything, it’s natural we want results and we want them now. How about learning German in just over a week? In the essence of these fast times, here are ten fun ways to learn to speak German uber fast. Was fällt dir denn eigentlich ein? (What’s the big idea?)

1. Go on Vacation

If you’ve always wanted to visit your great-grandfather’s hometown in Germany, there’s not a better time than today. The fastest way to speak German is to travel to Germany and submerge yourself in the language. Not only will you see historic architecture and beautiful countryside, but you’ll also perfect your essential German.

2. Take a Walk

Find German-speaking people in your neighborhood. In most large cities there are culture institutes with language exchange programs. Join a German conversation group, often sponsored by community outreach and heritage societies. . “Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club — the community of speakers of that language,” says Frank Smith, famed reporter, editor and the author of “The Book of Learning and Forgetting.”

3. Make it a Blockbuster Night

Watching a foreign film is another great way to learn German. Amazon suggests, “The Lives of Others”, “Run Lola Run,” and “The Pianist” as a few of the top internationally successful German flicks. You’ll hear German spoken fluently and learn to train your ear. Try to avoid subtitles or dubbing which will distract from the experience. (But you might turn them on after just to see how close you guessed at that 13-syllable word).

4. Become a Bookworm

Checking out German novels, travel guides and books that describe German are excellent resources to enrich the learning process. Parallel-text versions of (German and English side by side) of classics like “Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (Preface by: Karl Marx) by Frederick Engels, “The Eighteenth Brumair of Luis Bonaparte,” by Karl Marx, and “Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners,” By Sigmund Freud. It’s one thing to make a reference to Freud, but another thing to impress people by telling them you actually read the original text in German.

5. Turn on your Radio and TV

One of the key skills in learning a new language is how the mind comprehends the spoken word. Nowadays, many cable companies broadcast German programming. “When you know another language; you suddenly realize there is a multitude of worlds. You can become a member of EVERY club,” says Smith. In addition there are many German radio stations that can be accessed via the Internet such as radio (http://home.comcast.net/~dkalischer/WebRadio/GermanRadio.htm) or nab a learning cd, like this audio program (http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/learn-german.asp). An immersive audio experience can’t be beat for learning quickly.

6. Jam Out to German

Nab some great German tunes and take a look at the notes found on the inside cover. (Kraftwerk anyone?). These handy liner notes often have the song lyrics printed inside and are a great resource to expanding your German vocabulary. Listen to the tunes and skim the lyrics. Soon enough those catchy songs will stick to your brain and you’ll be belting out German with a native accent.

7. Play to Win

Studying a foreign language doesn’t have to be boring. Find your favorite games in German. You’ll quickly pick up on phrases and new vocabulary and have fun while doing it. This is a win-win situation. Playing your favorite games and learning? Who’d a thunk it? Oh and if you’re feeling especially frisky, test your German Scrabble skills. Viel Glück! (Good luck)

8. Get Creative

Put the mojo back into your language learning bag. One idea is to grab some sticky notes and write German words or phrases for everything all over your house. Deck out the living room, kitchen (Enjoy your meal! Guten Appetit!), garage, even the toilet paper in your bathroom (besides, that word will be very useful when you travel abroad) and it’s a fun way to boost your German vocabulary.

9. Express Yourself

Do you have a favorite German expression? Learn another one. Every time you learn an essential German phrase you’re expanding your word power. Soon enough, you’ll be speaking like a native. Warum ist mir das nicht eingefallen? (Why didn’t I think of that?)

10. German Class

When you’re ready, attend a class or get a tutor. The structure will help you develop a routine for quickly learning the language. Try the Pimsleur Approach (http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/learn-german.asp.com), which offers a fabulous program designed to make learning German actually fun. Forget about boring vocabulary lists and repeating pointless verbatim. Imagine simply listening and absorbing language in the same structure you learned as a child. Everything is broken down exactly the way kids learn. It’s simple, fully audio (so you can multitask) and is the easiest program to engage with the least amount of effort.

Now that you have several language learning ideas planted in that brain of yours, the next step is pick a few and run with them. Start incorporating bits of the German language and culture into your routine and soon enough you’ll be speaking like a native in no time. Learning German opens up so many opportunities. Smith sums it up perfectly; “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”

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Take the first Step –clarity on what area of German language needs to be tackled: Misery is almost always the result of thinking, so stop thinking take a step of learning German in Mumbai. German is the most frequently spoken native language in Europe and is one of the ten most frequently spoken languages in the World and many countries in Eastern Central Europe speak German. Enough of the procrastination the first nut to crack if you are thinking of learning German in Mumbai is to take a step and a bold one at that. Figure our (A) how quickly you need to learn German language (B) Where do you stand weak – is it writing, reading or speaking or all of these areas. (C) How much of time per day or per week can you spare for learning German.

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Read Books Written in German: An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. Read books you can also  listen to German news in Mumbai and keep a German dictionary by you when you do this be sure that in no time you would have learnt how to speak German .Learning German in Mumbai is no harder than English, French or Spanish. More than 60,000 books are published in Germany, which is sold all over Mumbai and its environs.

Look for the perfect Facilitator: You would need a guide who would put you through the basic rudiment of the German course. There are some schools that offer classes in German in Mumbai. Decide to attend a class of German in Mumbai that would help make a poor student good and a good one superior. If you are a beginner or intermediate Spanish learner in mumbai, a classroom setting is more or less necessary. It may also be a good point to visit your Spanish course counselor in mumbai and discuss your requirements.

Know about the German Culture: Learning German in Mumbai can also be achieved watching German movies but English subtitles! These you can watch at the comfort of your home meaning that you can learn German in Mumbai without stress. You can also listen to German music and this would help improve your ability to communicate in German. There are some tapes on German Classes in Mumbai that you can also watch. In our German language courses in mumbai (at Dadar, Borivli, Thane, navi mumbai and Dombivli) , we encourage students to know more about the German culture through German magazines, videos, tapes, CDs, music and cultural events.  We also have distinguished visitors and speakers from Germany including. As an example, Mr. Herr.Robert Hann from Germany visited the Bindas Bol Head Office on 19th January, 2008.The agenda was apt usage of the German language for the benefit of the alumni of Bindas Bol. The attendees included the existing as well as the Ex-students.

Vocabulary is important for mastering German – It has been observed that learning the “high frequency” words is a smart way to learn the language. Our linguistics research, corroborated by various other studies shows that not more than about 200 words, (maybe even less) are used in more than half of all communications! If you figure out and learn those 200 words, you are almost half-done and with a superb start towards learning German in Mumbai. In our german language courses in mumbai, the practice of including such high frequency German words has enabled students/learners in mumbai to rapidly master the language.

A global career: Knowledge of German increases your career opportunities with German and foreign companies in your own country and abroad. The proficiency helps you to function productively for an employer with global business connections. For example, learning german in mumbai is an essential requirement for all employees – right from staff to managers to senior executives of German and multi-national corporations with operations in mumbai and India. A Basic requirement for promotion and growth in many such companies, especially heavy industries, is that one atleast learns to speak german.

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An invaluable skill for business executives, IT professionals and entrepreneurs: Knowing the language of your German clients or business partners improves your relations and therefore your chances for effective communication and success.

India’s IT professionals are increasingly finding projects/assignments in Germany where comfort with the local language is a key success factor. Thus a major career move for business executives, IT professionals and managers is to learn German language.

Get comfortable in Europe: German is among the most popular language in Europe. In many of the countries neighboring Europe as also in greater distances, German has and continues to be a popular spoken language. Thus, Benefits of learning German extend way beyond Germany or German corporations/companies!

Opportunities to study/work in Germany: Germany awards a generous number of scholarships and other support for studies in Germany. Working holiday visas are available for young foreigners from a range of countries, and special visas are offered to skilled workers and professionals. Learning German thus opens up yet another opportunity for advancement in career. In fact, a number of German study abroad programs reward applicants significantly if the applicant is well-versed or has working knowledge of German. At our german language courses in mumbai, an increasing proportion of students have been students seeking a career through German education. This is just the beginning of the career benefits of learning German.

Opportunities for exchange: A wide range of german exchange programs exists for both school and university students between Germany and many countries in the world. Thus, you could gain an easy cutting edge over others who have not learnt German!

German is the second most commonly used scientific language: Germany is the third largest contributor to research and development and offers research fellowships to scientists from abroad. Thus learning German will open you vistas for you in the area of science and technology too. The need for scientific, technological and engineering talent with german language skills has been growing steadily across the years.

Communication: Developments in media, information and communication technology require multilingual communicators. One in ten books is published in German, and a wide range of important websites are in German. Knowledge of German therefore offers you extended access to information.

Tourism and hospitality industry: Tourists from German-speaking countries travel wide and far, and are the world’s biggest spenders when on holiday. They appreciate to be looked after by German-speaking staff and tour guides. This is yet one of the benefits of learning german! At our german language classes in mumbai , we bring in hands-on exercises to train you the mastering german and knowing the German culture. German Books, novels, CD and movies are used to make the classes entertaining and well as learning filled.

On a lighter and interesting note: German is the language of Goethe, Kafka, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven. Indulge in reading and/or listening to their works in their original language. Learning German provides you with an insight into the way of life, and the hopes and dreams of people in German speaking countries, broadening your horizon.