TIPS FOR STUDYING GERMAN
LISTEN
Listening is particularly important in the beginning because you have to get used to a new set of sounds. You will have to listen carefully to what is being said so that you can answer in German.
PRACTICE
Learning a foreign language to play a sport or a musical instrument. You have to practice a little every day. Daily short periods of practice are more effective than one long, last-minute cramming session.
VISUALIZE
Remembering German vocabulary is easier if you visualize what a sentence, phrase, or word means. For example, if you are practicing the sentence Die Jungen werden eine Reise machen (The boys are going to take a trip), try to hold in your mind an image of children traveling in a car or train somewhere while you say the sentence to yourself several times.
CONNECT
Make use of your English connections. When you read, find cognates (words which are very similar in different languages and have similar meanings) like these: Vater, Mutter, etc.
ORGANIZE
Look for ways to organize the material you are learning. Use memory devices. For example, make up a new word using the first letters of the words you are learning.
EXPAND
Use German outside class. Speak German with friends and classmates who speak Spanish and practice with them. Talk into a cassette recorder in German for practice then after a few weeks listen to yourself. You will be surprised at your progress! Tune in to a German-language radio or satellite program. You may not understand much at first, but it will get easier as you learn more German.
ENJOY
Above all, don’t be afraid to make mistakes in German. Concentrate on getting your message across and have fun doing it. Listen to any corrections and strive to do better the next time.