So today was my first day of language school and I am exhausted! I wish I could say I met a lot of great people, but there was hardly anytime for that. I did meet one girl...she would be the only other english-speaker. Yep, I am in class with people from Russia, Quatar, Korea, South Africa (my new buddy), Italy, and Libya. Actually most are from Libya.
You might wonder how in the world a single 4.5 hour class could be taught to people that spoke so many different languages...because it was taught completely in German. It was exhausting just trying to figure out what was being said! It is so different from any foreign language I have ever taken, not only because of the class being taught in the language I have not yet learned, but also due to the class format. You actully learn the language by using phrases instead of words and then if you can follow the phrase can, but not always will, be broken down.
We did cover a lot of ground with the ABC's and counting, introductions with responses, some vocabulary, and pronounciation which is far more than I learned in six weeks of Spanish at good old CHS. I can be said to my detriment that it did not take long for everyone to figure out that I am from the USA. American accents in Germany are very prominant...I could only wish there were two of us. Everyone got along okay although I did notice that some of the middle eastern women had a hard time with the verbal part. It was almost like they didn't want anyone to hear them, which is easy to see culturally. And I also noticed that the most fun person in the room is from Italy which is not hard to believe as I met some of his very fun countrymen at Oktoberfest!
I cannot wait to go to sleep! But first you must also have a German lesson. Lets do introductions...
Wie heissen, Sie? (Pronounced Vee High-sun Zee) It has a general meaning of "what are you called?" You can have three responses which are Ich heisse Annie (Eesh high-sun Annie); Ich bin Annie (Eesh been Annie); or Mein name ist Annie (mine nama eest Annie).
There you go lesson one of forty. Going to bed now...
Auf Wiedersehen
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4 comments:
How do you say OMG in German? That sounds exhausting.
And Libyans, yikes. Are they still after Doc and his plutonium?
Seriously! I'm exhausted! I like how it's "What are you called!"
Man, 4.5 hours! Was your head throbbing? How many weeks/months does this class last? You are going to be fluent!
That would be everyday M-F from 8:30 to 1:00 from yesterday through 11/26. Then the very next day I leave for Rome to celebrate...maybe I should have taken Italian. I start another class for my MBA on Tuesday and I think that is when the real exhaustion kicks in.
BTW good one Kelly, but I don't think I will ask them as the girls won't even look at me.
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