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longhairedcountryboy t1_ivwprat wrote

I lived in Germany 2 years. By the time I came back I was doing pretty good with it. This was 40 years ago.

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Caspiu5 OP t1_ivwrqee wrote

You are getting downvoted, but honestly this is exactly what I need. Thank you for inspiring me for just fucking going for it. I have an EU citizenship

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youareourlasthope t1_ivwxuf7 wrote

I also vote go for it if you are dual citizen. Total immersion is how I learned most of my languages.

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hi_revver t1_ivy2v7k wrote

It's amazing how much faster you pick up a language with total immersion. I took German like 4 years in high-school and college and really don't remember much more than the basics. I spent 13 days in Italy like 8 years ago and was pretty damn functional linguistically by the end of the trip.

My tip for OP, other than apps and whatnot, is watch/read kids shows and books in German. It really helps you get the basics down quickly.

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93devil t1_ivxjeyc wrote

I have to ask… why do you need to learn this language so badly? I mean, moving?

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PM-me-ur-kittenz t1_ivzmjyd wrote

Just a word of advice: I live in Berlin. Don't move to Berlin! Nobody speaks German there. Move to Hannover or Hamburg or Lübeck where "Hochdeutsch" (schoolbook German) is spoken and you'll come very far, very fast.

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RulerOfTheRest t1_ivx1csw wrote

3 years there some 30 years ago. But even though we lived off base, I never picked that much up other than some basic stuff because all the German friends I made all wanted to practice their English on me. This was my 8-10 grade years, and young and dumb me went along with it. Older and wiser me wishes that young me wasn't as complacent because it was a totally missed opportunity...

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