Greetings to my Nairaland family. I want to use this opportunity to update the house on my experience living here in Germany.
The following is my opinion about life here in Germany and also trying to learn the language on my own without attending a German language school after two years:
1. Most Germans are private people. They usually take time to make friends even among themselves (by this I mean native German to native German
friends). They are very much committed and straight forward with their friends and the relationships they enter into. Sometimes their friendships
date back to their elementary school days . I personally know of someone from India that study a course in a sister university in my city (The
programme is conducted in German). He told me he is feeling very lonely because he can not seem to be able to make friends in his class because
his classmates are mostly Germans. On the order hand, English taught programmes in Germany have mostly foreigners with few or no native
Germans in attendance as they mostly will prefer German taught programmes. It is easier to make friends in English taught programmes than in
German taught ones. But you could have a few acquaintances (Most times the relationship ends immediately you leave the school premises and
continues after you meet yourselves again in school). This young man from India also said he had to open up to one of his classmates who is a
native German about his loneliness Germany considering that in his home country they live mostly a communal life and it is a cultural shock for
him. The German guy had to sit him down to explain to him that it had little to do with him being a foreigner and more about the private life of
most Germans.
2. Most Germans I have met and asked for help have been very helpful. I mean very very helpful. I met a young lady who I wanted to show me the
tram stop after work. She walked with me to the tram stop waited for me in the early hours of the day (about 4:30 am) at the tram stop for about 10
minutes until the tram came and I boarded it then she went away. The second experience was in Hamburg I needed direction to the airport and I
asked another German lady who was walking on the street. She turned around and walked with me until the airport was visible from where we
where standing then she left. I have many other examples. Also there are crazy people in Germany just as we have here in Nigeria. In my opinion
the good far outweighs the bad even in East Germany where I live. Do not allow any body to poison your mind with stereotypes. Just try to
experience things first hand. As long as you are straightforward yourself and adhere to rules, you will have little or no problems living in Germany.
3. Germans are among the most hard working people in the world if not the most hard working. These guys do not get tired. You will think you work
hard until you encounter a German at work. Little wonder all the national teams of Germany do well in most world competitions because work is
their motto. What most German ladies in their forties and fifties do in factory even some young men from other countries will find it very difficult
to beat that output. I think that quality is worthy of emulation.
4. Some Germans will not want to share a seat with you in bus or train at least in my city: do not be surprised if you seat alone on a seat for 2 or more
people often . I have stated it before that Germans are mostly private people and take time to warm up to people. I also do not think that
everyone who does this is a racist. In every land there is the good, the bad and the ugly.
5. Learning the language: A lot of foreigners enroll in language programmes to help learn the language quickly. I will recommend this if you have the
means. But for some of us on a tight budget, there are a lot of avenues to learn the language for free. You can learn from people on the street,
from YouTube German language channels, television channels like cartoons and documentaries. All you need to do is learn something new
everyday.

You can see how well I am doing trying to learn the language in the second part of the attached YouTube video .

Conclusion is that Germany is a wonderful country with amazing people and opportunity. I will recommend it for anyone who wishes to come and study.

Auf wiedersehen!
[url][/url]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g95XdXLWO5w

This is quite informative... thanks!

All you said is an European thing. They are nice but not friendly unlike Americans.

dawnomike:
This is quite informative... thanks!

I am glad you find the information useful.
Cheers!

jesmond3945:
All you said is an European thing. They are nice but not friendly unlike Americans.

You have a point.

yes best thing is to enroll in a language school so you can speak the language and connect with locals, even though most Germans below 40 all speak English fluently, its the older generation that may have language issues (aka dont speak English)...

i am quite sure if you had asked these women to go for a beer someday and tell you a bit more about the beauty of Germany, they would have gladly accepted....thats how you create a circle of friends. they would probably come over with friends or invite you to come over where they hang out with their friends....within no time, you have a few people with whom to socialize. Germans are very friendly, even though many will be quick to try to paint them as racist bla bla bla

i lived for a short while in Tubingen, a student city so most people there were outsiders so very easy to meet people, but the only sad part is that during the holidays, city was a ghost town

danke

When going to a foreign country just have in your mind that it is I, myself nd me Except you have a partner,White people mind their business alot
Nice,straightforward nd informative write-up
Hadampson food is ready o

I doubt it's my device but you need to be audible next time. Nevertheless, informative and thoughtful video. Can we say you're lonely because you have a YouTube channel? On the other hand, I believe you need to learn the language if you really desire to work in Germany and get PR. Unless you intend returning to Nigeria to make it great again with Buhari and his cohorts.

This thread just reminded me of something that happened to me last year.

On the day I was to be introduced to my new colleagues at work, I got lost in a remote Village on my way�. I then approached two ladies outside a cafe nearby, explained myself and asked for direction.

You know what these German ladies did ? They gave me a ride and dropped me off in front of my office building. It was out of their way too.

integrator:
Greetings to my Nairaland family. I want to use this opportunity to update the house on my experience living here in Germany.
The following is my opinion about life here in Germany and also trying to learn the language on my own without attending a German language school after two years:
1. Most Germans are private people. They usually take time to make friends even among themselves (by this I mean native German to native German
friends). They are very much committed and straight forward with their friends and the relationships they enter into. Sometimes their friendships
date back to their elementary school days . I personally know of someone from India that study a course in a sister university in my city (The
programme is conducted in German). He told me he is feeling very lonely because he can not seem to be able to make friends in his class because
his classmates are mostly Germans. On the order hand, English taught programmes in Germany have mostly foreigners with few or no native
Germans in attendance as they mostly will prefer German taught programmes. It is easier to make friends in English taught programmes than in
German taught ones. But you could have a few acquaintances (Most times the relationship ends immediately you leave the school premises and
continues after you meet yourselves again in school). This young man from India also said he had to open up to one of his classmates who is a
native German about his loneliness Germany considering that in his home country they live mostly a communal life and it is a cultural shock for
him. The German guy had to sit him down to explain to him that it had little to do with him being a foreigner and more about the private life of
most Germans.
2. Most Germans I have met and asked for help have been very helpful. I mean very very helpful. I met a young lady who I wanted to show me the
tram stop after work. She walked with me to the tram stop waited for me in the early hours of the day (about 4:30 am) at the tram stop for about 10
minutes until the tram came and I boarded it then she went away. The second experience was in Hamburg I needed direction to the airport and I
asked another German lady who was walking on the street. She turned around and walked with me until the airport was visible from where we
where standing then she left. I have many other examples. Also there are crazy people in Germany just as we have here in Nigeria. In my opinion
the good far outweighs the bad even in East Germany where I live. Do not allow any body to poison your mind with stereotypes. Just try to
experience things first hand. As long as you are straightforward yourself and adhere to rules, you will have little or no problems living in Germany.
3. Germans are among the most hard working people in the world if not the most hard working. These guys do not get tired. You will think you work
hard until you encounter a German at work. Little wonder all the national teams of Germany do well in most world competitions because work is
their motto. What most German ladies in their forties and fifties do in factory even some young men from other countries will find it very difficult
to beat that output. I think that quality is worthy of emulation.
4. Some Germans will not want to share a seat with you in bus or train at least in my city: do not be surprised if you seat alone on a seat for 2 or more
people often . I have stated it before that Germans are mostly private people and take time to warm up to people. I also do not think that
everyone who does this is a racist. In every land there is the good, the bad and the ugly.
5. Learning the language: A lot of foreigners enroll in language programmes to help learn the language quickly. I will recommend this if you have the
means. But for some of us on a tight budget, there are a lot of avenues to learn the language for free. You can learn from people on the street,
from YouTube German language channels, television channels like cartoons and documentaries. All you need to do is learn something new
everyday.

You can see how well I am doing trying to learn the language in the second part of the attached YouTube video .

Conclusion is that Germany is a wonderful country with amazing people and opportunity. I will recommend it for anyone who wishes to come and study.

Auf wiedersehen!
[url][/url]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g95XdXLWO5w

Hallo
If one decides to learn A1 in naija before leaving.And when one gets to Germany,he enrolls in a language school.What proficiency level can one reach in two years??

I have dumped Deutsch for now.Because what i learnt isn't useful here in naija.Nobody to speak with.I learn verbs,nouns,adjectives etc, it's all in my head and i can't speak with anyone so i forget what i learn.
Also,i'm self taught via youtube but my learning pace is slow.Sometimes i dump it and Later pick it up.No teacher to give me assignments and deadlines, no teacher to put me through.Sometimes i feel I'm not learning it in proper order.

Since 2018,I haven't gotten A1.Any advice for me cos i really want to learn.
Danke schön

MrBrownJay1:
yes best thing is to enroll in a language school so you can speak the language and connect with locals, even though most Germans below 40 all speak English fluently, its the older generation that may have language issues (aka dont speak English)...

i am quite sure if you had asked these women to go for a beer someday and tell you a bit more about the beauty of Germany, they would have gladly accepted....thats how you create a circle of friends. they would probably come over with friends or invite you to come over where they hang out with their friends....within no time, you have a few people with whom to socialize. Germans are very friendly, even though many will be quick to try to paint them as racist bla bla bla

i lived for a short while in Tubingen, a student city so most people there were outsiders so very easy to meet people, but the only sad part is that during the holidays, city was a ghost town

Ich stimme zu (I completely agree). Thanks

Petyprincess:
When going to a foreign country just have in your mind that it is I, myself nd me Except you have a partner,White people mind their business alot
Nice,straightforward nd informative write-up
Hadampson food is ready o

Thanks I appreciate your comment.

Gerrard59:
I doubt it's my device but you need to be audible next time. Nevertheless, informative and thoughtful video. Can we say you're lonely because you have a YouTube channel? On the other hand, I believe you need to learn the language if you really desire to work in Germany and get PR. Unless you intend returning to Nigeria to make it great again with Buhari and his cohorts.

Apologies for the quality of the audio. Yes I am trying to learn the language. I became more serious with it quite recently. I try to learn something new everyday to improve my fluency. Thanks for your reply.

gistme24:
This thread just reminded me of something that happened to me last year.

On the day I was to be introduced to my new colleagues at work, I got lost in a remote Village on my way�. I then approached two ladies outside a cafe nearby, explained myself and asked for direction.

You know what these German ladies did ? They gave me a ride and dropped me off in front of my office building. It was out of their way too.

.
That is amazing. People must know that there are exceptionally nice people in Germany. We have to do away with negative stereotypes.

Albertone:
Hallo
If one decides to learn A1 in naija before leaving.And when one gets to Germany,he enrolls in a language school.What proficiency level can one reach in two years??

I have dumped Deutsch for now.Because what i learnt isn't useful here in naija.Nobody to speak with.I learn verbs,nouns,adjectives etc, it's all in my head and i can't speak with anyone so i forget what i learn.
Also,i'm self taught via youtube but my learning pace is slow.Sometimes i dump it and Later pick it up.No teacher to give me assignments and deadlines, no teacher to put me through.Sometimes i feel I'm not learning it in proper order.

Since 2018,I haven't gotten A1.Any advice for me cos i really want to learn.
Danke schön

If you have A1 proficiency, it will be of help to you. How far you go with the language within two years depends on you. There are people who have spent donkey years in Germany with no appreciable knowledge of the language. I think first is that you must have interest in Germany and its people. This will make you like the language and put in the required effort to learn it. Who learns what they do not like? Most of the people always complaining of life in Germany understand little or nothing about the language because they do not like the language hence little or no effort to learn it. You can learn a lot in 2 years even up to B2/C1. But your school also has to be given priority so B1 is not bad if you can get to that level.

integrator:


If you have A1 proficiency, it will be of help to you. How far you go with the language within two years depends on you. There are people who have spent donkey years in Germany with no appreciable knowledge of the language. I think first is that you must have interest in Germany and its people. This will make you like the language and put in the required effort to learn it. Who learns what they do not like? Most of the people always complaining of life in Germany understand little or nothing about the language because they do not like the language hence little or no effort to learn it. You can learn a lot in 2 years even up to B2/C1. But your school also has to be given priority so B1 is not bad if you can get to that level.

Thanks for the replies

integrator:

You have a point.

Americans are fake.

ProudBiafran:


Americans are fake.

Why did you say so?

Petyprincess:
When going to a foreign country just have in your mind that it is I, myself nd me Except you have a partner,White people mind their business alot
Nice,straightforward nd informative write-up
Hadampson food is ready o

Lol.. I don come

Thanks for the mention

Wow, another thread about Germany.. Yippee

Integrator

Danke dir sehr for correcting the negative stereotypes about Germans. Whenever people hear 'German' what comes to their mind is 'racists'

I always say this, racism is everywhere in the world, even in the so called greatest country in the world (USA)

Hadampson:
Integrator

Danke dir sehr for correcting the negative stereotypes about Germans. Whenever people hear 'German' what comes to their mind is 'racists'

I always say this, racism is everywhere in the world, even in the so called greatest country in the world (USA)

Bitteschön und viel Spaß.

integrator:

Bitteschön und viel Spaß.

Gleichfalls

@mamajj17 es ist lange hier, hope you are okay ma'am?!

[quote author=Hadampson post=88313308]


Gleichfalls

@mamajj17 es ist lange hier, hope you are okay ma'am?!
Thanks Bruh am good, l decided to read rather than Comment !!! So much SADDIST Readers out there, sometimes their Comment could leads to Depression. Happy Easter Celebration and Stay Safe.

[quote author=mamajj17 post=88343839][/quote]

You should not take their words serious. They are pessimists, most of the time, they don't see good in things you are doing if it is not being done by them or ideas you have if it isn't theirs. This is just their way and you need to know that ma'am. Once you know it as a fact, their comments won't bother you anymore.

No celebration here for Easter ma'am

BTW how are you coping in the lockdown?!

Hadampson:


You should not take their words serious. They are pessimists, most of the time, they don't see good in things you are doing if it is not being done by them or ideas you have if it isn't theirs. This is just their way and you need to know that ma'am. Once you know it as a fact, their comments won't bother you anymore.

No celebration here for Easter ma'am

BTW how are you coping in the lockdown?!

Eya CoronaVirus causes most Boredom these days dear.....Happy Easter and more of its ahead IJMN dear. Amen

mamajj17:


Eya CoronaVirus causes most Boredom these days dear..... Happy Easter and more of its ahead IJMN dear. Amen

Lol.. Yes, everywhere looks like graveyard here, very silent. I find it difficult to believe that everywhere can be silent like this More people now spend most of there time on social media. The number of users on facebook has risen exponentially. What about twitter, more people have joined the frustrated keyboard warriors. This pandemic period should just end abeg, e don tire me walai but wetin i wan do.

@bolded... Happy Easter to you too. May the power of resurrection be at work in your life ma'am. Amen

Hadampson:


Lol.. Yes, everywhere looks like graveyard here, very silent. I find it difficult to believe that everywhere can be silent like this More people now spend most of there time on social media. The number of users on facebook has risen exponentially. What about twitter, more people have joined the frustrated keyboard warriors. This pandemic period should just end abeg, e don tire me walai but wetin i wan do.

@bolded... Happy Easter to you too. May the power of resurrection be at work in your life ma'am. Amen

Thanks dear, l just gave an insult to a Goat now on NL....Most people out there are frustrated, the guy just insulted on a Comment l wrote jare!!! Its well dear. Even mind ahome tire me with 3Boys.... They are always hungry, needed to cook and bake everyday wetin Man go do!!! Hopefully soonest things go better again. Schönen Nachmittag vom Hamburg

mamajj17:


Thanks dear, l just gave an insult to a Goat now on NL....Most people out there are frustrated, the guy just insulted on a Comment l wrote jare!!! Its well dear. Even mind ahome tire me with 3Boys.... They are always hungry, needed to cook and bake everyday wetin Man go do!!! Hopefully soonest things go better again. Schönen Nachmittag vom Hamburg

Lol.. Honestly you shouldn't have replied him or her. It's no news that nairaland is full of haters and frustrated people. It is a platform where people come to vent their frustration about life generally. It's not new and that's the reason why most people are afraid to express themselves because of criticism.

mamajj17:


Thanks dear, l just gave an insult to a Goat now on NL....Most people out there are frustrated, the guy just insulted on a Comment l wrote jare!!! Its well dear. Even mind ahome tire me with 3Boys.... They are always hungry, needed to cook and bake everyday wetin Man go do!!!
Hopefully soonest things go better again. Schönen Nachmittag vom Hamburg

Lol.. Na everywhere oo
Even my mom dey complain cos my younger brother don become glutton. He dey eat anything eatable all in all, tout est bien

mamajj17:


Thanks dear, l just gave an insult to a Goat now on NL....Most people out there are frustrated, the guy just insulted on a Comment l wrote jare!!! Its well dear. Even mind ahome tire me with 3Boys.... They are always hungry, needed to cook and bake everyday wetin Man go do!!! Hopefully soonest things go better again. Schönen Nachmittag vom Hamburg

Es. ist. abend. hier. viel. spaß. an. diesem. besonderen. Tag.

Hadampson:


Lol.. Honestly you shouldn't have replied him or her. It's no news that nairaland is full of haters and frustrated people. It is a platform where people come to vent their frustration about life generally. It's not new and that's the reason why most people are afraid to express themselves because of criticism.

Sometimes it good when being written bk jare, thou when it gest more insultive, l change my insult to German language ....Me self dey fear insults sometimes Bruh....l go try to close Eyes. Okayoooooo l don hear. Vielen Dank für die schnelle Info.