When I'm on my YouTube star page and I'm looking for some entertainment again, I usually find what I'm looking for quite quickly. Often, most of the videos are background music that I pay little attention to, or they ultimately only serve the purpose of listening to a "podcast" while I work. But sometimes you come across a video that sticks with you and builds bridges in your mind. It's about Germany and its differences. How have culture and language developed? And finally: What does development actually mean for me personally? These questions led me to a point that I had long ignored - my knowledge of English.
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Wild! But anyway... Recently I rediscovered a YouTube video on my homepage that has stayed in my memory. I watched it a second time and somehow I thought a lot about this video afterwards. I was particularly interested in how Germany, with its cultural similarities and differences, has grown together - not least the medieval eras up to the end of the Second World War were already interesting topics for me in history lessons when I was at school. This video has managed to pick me up and engage me on several levels in a very amusing way. Thank you for that!
Even our German language has evolved over the centuries, with "evolved" meaning, to use Jules' playful wit, that we still can't even agree on what to call a damn Berliner. Is it a pancake? A doughnut? A Kreppel? Depending on the region, a harmless bakery order can lead to a diplomatic incident - I experienced this myself when I ordered a pancake from a bakery in Bonn...
But there was one point in particular that triggered me: I thought about what, at least in my environment at the time, was the most important thing for us. Kids was foreign and fascinating: English! Not the language per se, but ultimately the former GDR kids were confronted with quite a few new impressions - especially on TV, radio and magazines.
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But the core of my thoughts is development - my personal development... and even if Jules' video doesn't really have anything to do with where I actually want to steer you, his satire hits exactly this core and has opened up many questions in me. Where do I want to develop? Or rather: what do I want to do to develop myself further?
My problem...
English was a necessary evil for me for a long time - I avoided it wherever possible and got by with the bare minimum. Of course, in my job at Marketing English has always played a role, but I had somehow come to terms with it. I understood the written content for the most part, emails could be written with a little effort, and if in doubt, there was always Google Translate or DeepL. However, speaking, understanding and explaining were very problematic. And then came the moment when everything was no longer enough: a job interview, partly in English. I was stammering, desperately searching for words and realized that my lack of language skills was actively slowing me down.
Even outside of work, English has become more important to me than continuing to avoid it. My partner speaks fluent English as well as German and Twi (a Ghanaian language), and switching between the latter languages is the norm in her family. While she converses effortlessly, I could often only follow in fragments. I no longer wanted to just stand by and nod, but to be able to join in the conversation with confidence, even if my level is still low at the moment... It's not the destination, it's the journey.
To the solution with Preply
After researching on the Internet, I not only found what I was looking for with Preply perfect opportunity I found a great teacher who understands me and works with me on my weaknesses. Stefan is originally from Germany, has lived in the USA since his youth and worked as a teacher at a school until a few years ago. I'm also learning a lot of new things about the history of the USA and many things I've never heard before. Especially after my trip to the USA in September 2023, I really enjoy the lessons, as I can link my impressions on site with the topics Stefan suggests to me.
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One thing is clear: I'm not going to become a language genius in this life, not least because I've always had my problems with learning languages. But if I stick with my "learning English" project, then I will have taken a big step in my personal development. And when I think about how much further this step can take me, it motivates me all the more to continue on this path.