I want to learn German, can I just "pick it up" without a course?

Argentina
May 30, 2007 8:44am CST
Hi! I always wanted to learn German, but couldn't find the time or teachers to do it. I speak Spanish (of course), English, French, and Italian. Last holidays, I met a girl from Belgium, the german speaking part, and she told me she was learning spanish on her own, just picking it up from books and people. Her spanish was quite good, by the way, so I decided I'll try the same. Can anybody help me? Do you reccommend any book? a children's book? Or if german is your mother tongue, could we exchange a few lines? Thank U!!
1 person likes this
2 responses
twix
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
30 May 07
I recomend you try to watch some German TV-shows. I found that is a good way to learn a bit. I would also buy a small dictionary - it is good to read a little bit before you start watching TV shows. I think you will be able to learn German on your own since you already know so many languages. The hard part of learning German is the grammar, I find. But if you just want to learn how to comunicate ok I think you will do fine on your own. reading newspaper is also good.
marinarovi
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
30 May 07
Thank U for your advice. I'll try to find some TV show on the DW channel that it's not translated, but it won't be easy. I bought myself a dictionary, a small traveler's guide in german, and recently my boyfriend decided to start learning german at university, so I have his books as well. But I keep thinking that I won't be able to speak like normal people do, ;) About newspapers... hard to find german newspapers in Argentina. Is there an online one you can recommend? Thank u a lot, once again.
1 person likes this
twix
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
30 May 07
Really good that your boyfriend is learning german too. maybe you should only speak german to eachother - that is really the fastest way to learn, beeing forced to speak it all the time. Where I live the major news stands have papers from different parts of the world. I am sorry, but I do not know any good german news sites. I hope a nice German mylotter will come and give you some tips!
sandeman
@sandeman (14)
• Belgium
2 Jun 07
I'm too from Belgium and at all of our schools we get Dutch, English, French and German(and pretty intense too) so I know how it is to learn a language and I can say you that German isn't an easy-peasy language that you can just pick up from a random, cheap book. The words aren't the hard part but the grammar has so many rules it makes your head spin so it's probably going to take you a while to learn it from a book. I think it's better to follow some lessons sometimes.
marinarovi
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
3 Jun 07
Thank U for cheering me up! (just kidding) In my defense, I have to say, i don't have a cheap book. I have my boyfriend's grammar book (he is taking a course at university) and a dictionary. Secondly, Katja said I could, so I'll try. Thirdly, Spanish is one of the most complex languages too, and she managed. Fourthly (does that even exist?) I'll just have to travel and learn in Europe, ha ha ha Finally, but not less important, I plan on taking lessons, when my schedule at university changes, but I'm just too eager to start!!!