What happens when you move to Germany, but don't speak German?

When I announced I was studying abroad in Germany, the first question many asked was, “You speak German??” Despite this being a rational question, every time I'd laugh and reply, “Nope! Not a lick!”

You might be wondering why someone would move to Germany, especially if they don’t speak German. Well, I tend to be an overly ambitious individual, and this is no exception. I wanted to study abroad, I found CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange), and I applied. I also decided to wait to learn German until the scholarship decisions came out, which was a tremendous mistake. I started my application on September 1st, 2020, and I got my final acceptance on April 17th, 2021. So, I wasted seven months of language learning. Once I was accepted, you would think I’d be abundantly motivated, but it’s difficult to teach yourself a language.

So now that you understand the circumstances that got me to this situation, you might be a little concerned. You might feel bad for me. You might even think I’m a fool for not learning Deutsch earlier. No matter what you think, I’m quite enjoying it. There is something special about being surrounded by a foreign language; it forces you to be more attentive. I pay attention in a way I never had to at home. I watch people’s body language, I listen to their tone and connotation, and I pick out words and piece things together with context clues. Does it work? Roughly 10% of the time, but the other 90%, I am just happy to be along for the ride. I’ve also learned so much Deutsch in just a week. I can speak (some) basic sentences, and I can ask for things. Although, for the most part, I say “Dankeschön!” and “Enschuldigung!”.

This weekend was particularly German-heavy. My host mom had her colleagues over for dinner on Saturday night, and we went to a family lunch on Sunday. While I can't understand or contribute to the conversation, I don’t mind listening. Like I said earlier, it’s like a game. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand this. They try to get me to do other things or try explaining everything to me in English. I kindly tell them that I like to listen, and most of the time that's okay. It’s not like I can understand.

Overall, I love Deutsch, even though I stink at it. Thank you for reading, and I hope y’all have a good day!

XOXO,

Bookish Babble