GERMAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

by Caleb Mapatha 

The ideas, customs and social behaviour of people are what sets them apart from each other. It is the latter that makes each one of us unique. Rita Mae Brown once said: “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” 

It is through German language classes that I got the privilege to acquaint myself with German culture and learn about where it comes from and where it is going. Being in a country like Germany where German is the most spoken language among the locals, it can be difficult for an outsider or international student to integrate into society. 

Consequently, attending German classes was an eye-opening experience; filled with fun activities which challenged my knowledge of the language. The pronunciation of words, the construction of sentences and the etymology of words gave me an insight into German culture and history. 

Moreover, classes were interactive, and every person had to participate in class. Thus, the lack of preparation for the course could lead one to a very embarrassing event (LOL).  Be that as it may, German language classes were stressful, fun, and informative but most importantly I learned a lot about German people through their language. 

In conclusion, although it was hard learning Deutsch, I enjoyed it and learned a lot about interacting with Germans and their culture. Consequently, Nelson Mandela states the following about the importance of communicating with a person in his language:  'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.’