Today, I would like to talk about classmates. Of course, as the adage goes: “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are”. Our social environment is very important for us and if you want to learn the language as fast as you do in intensive courses then pay a lot of attention to your group. Now, after having changed three groups (during my study in Deutsch Akademie), I am absolutely sure that a lot of my own success depends on the group I’m with. If your group is a bit stronger than you – you are lucky because you will always be pushed by this external motivator. You don’t want to look silly every day, do you? So naturally you advance forward. If the group is weaker than you, your language progress will move slowly; however, on the other hand, you will feel quite confident and relaxed. Tastes differ, so do people. Some of us prefer the more intensive way of language learning and others prefer the relaxed style. You need to find your own comfortable tempo and group for it.

But the most important part is to meet like-minded people within your group. We spend from two days a week (half-intensive courses) to four days a week (intensive courses) in the language school and so sometimes we can’t even spend three hours every day with our own families because of work and language learning. If you have open-minded, nice people in your group – get together with them for coffee or go walking and of course speak in German. Sometimes native speakers don’t have enough patience for slow-speaking-foreigners, but you will have enough patience for each other. From the beginning, it will be difficult and move very slowly, but you will eventually start speaking. You will make mistakes, as we all do, but you will help each other and that’s really great. I think language schools are real places where adults can find friends. I have found my friends here and I wish you the same!

Möge die Macht mit dir sein!

Immer! :)