Speaking English in Berlin... And Starting to Speak German, Too

Ich spreche kein Deutch… or, to give myself a bit more credit, I speak very, very little German. Unlike many of my peers here in Berlin, I have never taken a German class before and I have never been in a space where German is the primary language spoken. That reality made me pretty nervous before coming to Berlin, but it also motivated me to learn some German independently and really lean into immersing myself now that I am abroad.

Soon after I got into the IES Abroad Berlin program this past winter, I downloaded the German language course on Duolingo and got to studying. To be completely honest, Duolingo wasn’t the best for learning much of the language — its slow pace and gamified format doesn’t necessarily lend itself to gaining an extensive vocabulary or any kind of meaningful understanding of grammar rules. But, it’s fun! With a busy spring semester and a hectic summer, I needed to find a way of learning some German that wouldn’t feel like a chore, and Duolingo definitely did that for me.

I was also lucky to have a friend who speaks German at home, and who was incredibly enthusiastic and helpful whenever I had questions about basic grammar rules, guidelines for informal and formal interactions, critical vocabulary that Duolingo left out (“help,” “hospital,” etc.), and even some more complicated questions about gender within German language and culture. With his help, I was able to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge and feel a bit more confident coming to Berlin.

Of course, I was still pretty nervous once I arrived. My first couple of days in Berlin, I was almost constantly afraid that I was doing something wrong because I couldn’t understand the signs at the train stations, the labels at the grocery store, or the conversations happening around me. There have been a couple of times here when I’ve seen people arguing near me, but had no idea how serious the fight was or how likely it was to become unsafe. Especially since I already don’t have the best hearing, my lack of familiarity with the language can be a bit scary!

Luckily, with the German Language and Culture Intensive during Orientation and my biweekly German class, I feel that I already know so much more than when I arrived in Berlin. Plus, as I have gotten into more of a rhythm and become much more comfortable with everyday activities and interactions, a lot of my stress about not knowing what’s going on around me has dissipated. I may not feel the most confident speaking German, but I certainly feel capable of checking out at a Späti, following the announcements on the U-Bahn, or asking someone to repeat themself.

Since lots of people in Berlin speak English, it can be tempting to just revert to my first language, but I’ve found that the more I avoid speaking German, the less confident I become in the few interactions when I need to get by with German only. Because of that, I’ve found it to be really helpful to go out with friends who speak much more German than I do, and to practice repeating their words or asking them for help translating if I need it. It creates a safe environment to mess up and to learn!

I certainly have a long way to go before I feel great about my German skills, but I feel so much better than I did just a couple of weeks ago. I’m excited to keep learning!