Content

• Targeted Self-Study
• Successful Immersion
• Coaching & Error Analysis
• Building Confidence

Do you know the feeling? You’ve been living in Germany, Switzerland, or Austria for a while, but as soon as you start a conversation with locals, they unexpectedly switch to English. Or even worse: you feel insecure and fear making mistakes that could expose your linguistic skills. For many expats, the German language is a fascinating but daunting barrier.

To master this challenge and boost your confidence in speaking, we present you with thoughtful techniques. These are specifically designed to help expats like you effectively and sustainably improve your German skills. Let us start this language journey together and open the doors to a new cultural and communicative world.

Part 1: Targeted Self-Study

Daily Language Diary

Regularly write in German in a diary on platforms like Penzu or in Google Keep notes, which you can easily share for feedback with your German teacher. Write a maximum of 200 words per day about your experiences and post a picture with each entry to illustrate connections. A wonderful app for this is DAY ONE, where you can sort notes by topics with tags.

Using German Slow-Spoken Media

Only when you can do something slowly well, can you do it well quickly. It is counterproductive to thoughtlessly rush through sentences in a foreign language. Especially in German, the entire sentence must already be finished in the mind of the learner, as phenomena such as subordinate clause structures and separable verbs would otherwise complicate life or correct sentence construction. Improve your listening comprehension and expand your vocabulary through German films, shows, and YouTube channels. Use learning resources like SlowGerman or DW – Deutsche Welle, which are specially designed for language learners.

Cooking According to German Recipes

Recipes are a classic in language acquisition because they immediately link vocabulary with action during cooking. Listen to some local radio for good mood and immersion. Use websites like Chefkoch.de, Ichkoche.at or Betty Bossi to improve your cooking skills while simultaneously learning the culinary vocabulary. This not only strengthens your language skills but also your familiarity with German culture.

Recording Your Voice

Record your German every few weeks or months on a smartphone or computer. Talk for a few minutes about the same topic. Listen to the recording to analyze progress and identify areas for improvement. Has your pronunciation improved? Are you using diverse, appropriate vocabulary? Note your points for improvement or ask a German expert/coach and work specifically on these points. Because with targeted work, incredibly faster progress can be achieved. For example: Why should you practice all the sounds of the German language to make your German sound nicer? It is entirely sufficient to focus on the few sounds that give you trouble.

Speaking German Alone

Practice speaking loudly about topics that interest you or describing current actions in German. Try, for example, 2-3 times a day to describe what you are doing.

“Ich wasche mir die Hände.”

“Ich überlege, wie ich mein Kind überzeuge, seine Zähne konfliktlos zu putzen.”

“Ich warte auf den 194er Bus.”

The goal is to train your brain to use German for your reality so that you can switch to German in the long term. Every sentence will thus also be relevant for you and will be needed in the future. You can increase the difficulty level by using different tenses.

Part 2: Immersion

Structured Language Exchanges

Engage in language exchange programs on platforms like Tandem or ConversationExchange, to practice everyday conversations and scenarios with native speakers.

Whether online or live with Meetups and regular tables with strangers or a lunch with German-speaking colleagues that you consciously hold in German, plan at least once a week a conscious exchange and generally ask all your German-speaking contacts to support you in speaking German by switching to another language only in an extreme emergency. This way, you save many German courses for free.

Avoiding Cliques

Yes, it is easier to go out to eat with Spanish colleagues as a Spaniard, maybe more entertaining and a piece of home, but wouldn’t you also like to feel at home where you live? Try actively to integrate German-speaking acquaintances into your circle of friends or at least to make a few new German-speaking contacts. It may take a bit longer than with people from your own country, but it’s worth it because your German and your understanding of the local culture will improve dramatically. Make it a game to invest actively in a German-speaking friendship or acquaintance at least once a week.

Visiting Cultural Events

Participate in local German-speaking cultural events to practice your language skills in an authentic social context. Platforms like Meetup can help you find such events.

Switzerland | Austria | Germany

Volunteering

Get involved in projects that demand and promote your language skills, such as at Vostel in Germany or Benevol in Switzerland.

Practicing in German, Whenever You Can

The local radio station or a German-speaking podcast should consciously run once a day… best in the morning with your coffee. Use everyday interactions like shopping to practice practical phrases and conversations. Websites like FluentU offer helpful phrases and language exercises. We recommend selecting a situation that is difficult for you once a week, preparing for it, and persevering in German: For example, picking up your child exclusively in German from daycare or ordering everything in German at a restaurant.

Part 3: Coaching

Targeted Feedback Through Professional Coaching

Use personalized feedback sessions to specifically improve your pronunciation and language skills. Learn only what you also need and are interested in, because only that will advance you. Traditional group courses are of little help in this regard. Prefer to learn together with your friends, family members, or colleagues in small, personalized groups.

An experienced German teacher can tailor the lessons to your needs and provide a supportive learning environment. Visit our team page at the German Online Institute to find the right teacher.

Through these structured approaches in self-study, immersion, and coaching, you can systematically improve your German skills and simultaneously strengthen your confidence in speaking the language.

Part 4: Building Confidence

• Mental Preparation: Start each language learning session with a few minutes of mental preparation. Visualize yourself speaking and successfully communicating in German. This positive mental preparation can reduce fears and boost your confidence.

• Feedback from Friends and Family: Use your social environment to receive regular and constructive feedback on your language use. The feedback from familiar people can often be less intimidating and help you feel more comfortable in conversations.

• Deepening Language Partnerships: Develop deeper relationships with your language partners. When you feel safer and more familiar with them, speaking becomes less stressful and more natural.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes as long as you strive to actively integrate and speak the local language. Your commitment will be greatly appreciated by your German-speaking environment. In a globalized world where different cultures live together, it is not only polite but also necessary to show respect to the hosts, their country, and their culture, including their language. Whether it’s the German grandmother across from you on the train or the Swiss sausage seller, your effort will be noticed and highly appreciated by everyone.

Good luck!