Which language is better, German or English?

German usually leaves its non-native speakers the first impression as a complex language which takes forever to master. You might hear of a poetry from Mark Twain which scares a lot of German learners:

“If he had known what it had cost me to acquire my art, he would also have known that it would break any collector to buy it. [...] A person who has not studied German can form no idea of what a perplexing language it is.” He also made several language examples about “Adjektiv-Deklination”, “Kasus”, “Geschlecht” to explain how awful this language is. “If it is to remain as it is, it ought to be gently and reverently set aside among the dead languages, bgermanecause only the dead have time to learn it.”

Though it is the case, at least of the language’s grammar, we just want to tell you that there’s nothing you can’t do if you work hard on it! Look at the people around you, your seniors, your German teacher who come from your home countries, they have also gone through these difficulties and mastered this language! Won’t you be one of them later?

Beside the grammar examples which were referred by Mark Twain in that article, there must be many other reasons why German is always considered as a complicated language. For example, one of them is the pronunciation of this language. Most learners are used to the pronunciation of the “soft” English before. So it is hard for them to change their way to speak another foreign language. But you may notice that after 2 years of using this language, you will reach a certain level and find the way out which is suitable for you to speak this language. Another example should be the “false friends” between German and English, which make you confused, especially at the beginning of learning German. You will know exactly what we mean if you see the following examples: arm, also, art, gift, see, mist, brief etc.

Of course, these two languages cannot be compared so simply with just several sentences. As an experienced German learner, I can tell you that it is hard to start with German language, but as long as you get accustomed to this pronaunciation and its grammar structure, you will find German easier and easier. Also, it would also help you with German learning if you have a great fundamental in English language, since these 2 languages are very similar. After 1-year German learning, you will be grateful to yourself for your wise decision!

Can I study in Germany without German language?

Study in Germany without German language is possible

Many students pose a question of whether they need to speak German to live and study in Germany. To answer this question, we have checked whether there are any other possibilites to study in Germany in English: 66 specialized fields in 215 German universities, which are distributed in over 154 cities that offer about 2,000 English-language degree programs in Germany. That means, without German language skills, it is still possible to visit your dream universities in Germany.

Tip: Visit EDUBAO University Portal to check if your dream university offers the study programs in English and which certificates should be submitted for your university application.

But how about living in Germany? Will there be any difficulty living in Germany without German skills? According to the statistics, the number of Germans who cannot speak English at all increases with age: Only 3.1 percent of 20 – 29-year olds cannot speak an English word, while 39.4 percent of 60- to 69-year-olds said they had no English skills; among the over 70s, the figure is as high as 56.9 percent. So, there is no big problems with language skills, if you are surrounded by younger people in Germany. However, these 2 following things should be also considered:

Administration process in Germany: an international student should finish some bureaucratic processes after arriving in Germany, such as health insurance company to activate their health insurance, Residence Registration Office for registration of their residental adress, Foreigners´Registration Office for extend their student visa etc. In case some of the employees there cannot speak English, which happened quite often especially in small cities of Germany, your process will be influenced. EDUBAO would suggest you learn some basic daily talks in German in case that these things happen to you.

Job application: many international students plan to do some part-time jobs during their study in Germany to reduce their parents´ financial burden. Without German skills, it is hard to find some part-time jobs, even some mini jobs like waitress in the restaurants also require German language skills. If you are going to stay in Germany after graduation, German language is also a plus to let you increase the chance to find a job here. Except positions with less communicaton, for example software engineering, or positions in an international company where people communicate in English, German skills are always required for your job application. Even though some positions require only English, you will also see “German language is a plus” in the job description.

Thus, EDUBAO would suggest you learn German even though you don’t need them for your study. There are more and more interesting ways to learn German, especially when you come to live in Germany and are surrounded by an authentic language environment.

How good should your German be for daily life and academic life?

For everyday life, you don’t need to speak advanced but basic conversational German is already good enough. Being able to speak German, you can settle down faster, make more friends, or attending more programs, workshops which may only be conducted in German. You will be able to communicate more effectively and most importantly, have the chance to experience the country from a different perspective compared to when you only speak English. Since speaking the language, you get more involved in the culture, hence eventually establishing a personal connection with the country.

For academic activities, it depends on whether you are doing an English or German-taught degree. While the former only requires you to be excellent in English, the latter is way more demanding in terms of German language skills. You will need advanced and most of the time, academic German. As a highschool-leaving student, you are expected to take the testAS, after which your German should be certified to be at B1 level at least. However, it is challenging to study in a foreign language, so the more familiar you are with the language, the better you will study.

Note: German dialects – please no shock after arriving in Germany

Dialects are a part of every spoken language around the world. Dialects can be reflected in pronunciation, rhythm, or use of words. For example, Bavavian, Hamburg, Rhineland, and Berlin all talk independently from one another. You will get to know the regional variations when you talk to the local. Instead of being afraid that you can’t understand German dialects, be excited because you can learn about interesting aspects of the German language through those different dialects.

Also, don’t worry that the dialects become a huge barrier in communication at the beginning. Though they may sometimes forget to speak Hochdeutsch (standard German) to you, most German will attempt to since they know you are foreigners. Everything takes time and practice, so just be relaxed and quickly get used to the German language in your region. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or anything as they are a part of any learning process.

German language Level: German skills and assessment framework (GeR)

German language can be divided into 6 levels in total according to GeR. GeR is short for “Gemeinsamer europäischer Referenzrahmen für Sprachen”, which can be translated to “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”. This is a common framework used in Europe to define the linguistic levels for European languages including English, German, Italian, Spanish, etc. There are 3 levels: A, B and C – Level is basic and Level C is advanced. Each level is divided into 2 levels: A1, A2; B1, B2; C1, C2. This framework is always used to describe the language skills in many articles about the German language.

Many a time may you have heard that German B1 is the starting level for you to study in Germany. But what does it mean by B1 and how to know if your German is at this level? The answer lies in the following table, which is a detailed description of CEFR.

Note: As a highschool-leaving student, you are expected to take the testAS, after which your German should be certified to be at B1 level at least. However, it is challenging to study in a foreign language, so the more familiar you are with the language, the better you will study. At this point, more preparation is required so that you can reach B2 level. And to be more practical, then C1 is highly recommended. At C1 level, you can easily get your ideas across in any situation and get engaged in your new learning environment where you are surrounded by native speakers and complex terminologies. For some German universities and study programs (especially study programs of humanities), C1 German language level is a “must” for your university application, if you are about to study in German.

Conclusion

So, there is no problem if you decide to study in Germany in English, since there are plenty of study programs offered in English. However, it is better to know German language basics for your daily communication. In the next article, you will know more about German language certificates and some tips for learning German. Stay tuned and have fun learning German!