That story in Southern Bayern reminded me of my first time there. I was taking the U bahn and it was pretty packed...I saw an elderly lady get on and there wasn't a seat available. So I kindly offered her mine. My German wasn't that great and I'm really self conscious but I mustered up the courage to say " Ich bin neu in München" and to my surprise she replied "I'm old in Munich" in English. We had a laugh and I got off the next station and wished her a good day.
I will say tho it's not easy being open/vulnerable about how you sound in a foreign language you've not fully mastered so to those making the effort to meet the Germans in the middle kudos to you ❤
I agree 100% with your advice. I went to work in the former east Germany in the early 1990’s with no German at all. I managed to learn basic German on the baustelle and managed to get by with a lot of help from the people where I lived Leipzig and Greifswald. Now when I visit quite regularly I start using my baustelle Deutsch and in no time at all I find the conversation is in English. The only time it doesn’t is with some people my own age 72. Like me they were never taught language’s at school but I can get my way through I probably sound like a 3 year old but people listen and smile and we get there. I love your videos girls keep up the good work 😊
I am moving to Germany and I love your channel. I have learnt so much about the winters, house search, essentials, language tidbits and just simple tips just from watching your videos. Please keep sharing these videos. Thank you so much!
This is such an eye opening tip. Thank you 🙏🏼 Luckily I never faced a reject situation asking "Entschuldigung, Sprechen Sie Englisch?". I always approach people with this and they reply "A little bit" then proceed speaking pitch perfect English. I gotta say, I love this. German people too cute and humble 😁
Since I came to Germany I always try to use this approach and it has always been successful. Even in Finanzamt, everybody was telling me that going there to ask something didn't make sense, but as soon as I started talking in German they were super nice all smiley and super helpful. And I myself felt so accomplished that I continue this in all my interactions, I try my best to talk in German as much as I can and I see that they are entirely open with talking in English as soon as I start to struggle.
Often we evaluate if I think my English is better than your German we are confident to switch to English. So maybe we try to choose the lesser struggle
"May I try to say it in English?" Saying it like that IMHO could be a way to avoid putting pressure on the person opposite. Great video. Thank you. 👋😎🎉
I also mostly use that phrase 'Sprechen Sie Englisch?' and some say no and then some say a little bit. This is so true, I also started to ask questions or for help in german with what I know and they give a good response.
Exactly what I experience, I do not live in Germany but do visit as a tourist and never open a conversation with, Sprechen Sie Englisch,. I have been learning some German but like most I struggle a little with everyday conversations. However I always start a conversation in polite German and most people are happy to continue in German with a bit of English thrown in if they feel you are struggling.
Hi it’s me again, I honestly think this is your best video yet. The way you explained how to start the conversation and don’t worry about the grammar and construction just relax and try but also listen to reply people will help👍
Just returned from 2 weeks in western Germany. Had a wonderful time without knowing many words in German. Citizens were very understanding and helpful!
I will be in Munich in 2 weeks! I am from the US. I think "bitte" will be my favorite word! Both my sons learned German in school, I learned French some 50 years ago, no good now. Love your videos. You guys are great!
I basically start every conversation with the good old "Entschuldigung, mein Deutsche is nicht so gut, aber _____". Most people will be at least cordial, small exception here in Bayern(Nuremberg) is occasionally that some older Germans will start speaking VERY fast, in what I like to call 'Challenge Mode!' due to heavier Bayern accents being extra difficult to follow for my clumsy language skills. I do love the "Konnen wir Denglisch?", I will definitely have to try adding that to the mix! In my experience, most people automatically switch to English ~80% of the time, for better or for worse in terms of getting to practice German for me.
This is a 100% true. I tell that I’m not great at German yet, try my best in German and ask for Denglisch. Most of the time it works great 😅 Although, about 80% of the time even if I ask «Können Sie Englisch?”» people say “Yes”. And he level of English is incredibly high. I live in Hessen btw
I'm in American living in Munich for almost two years, and my German is probably A2 level. Learning phrases ahead of time has also been really helpful for me ("Ich muss ein Paket abholen" at DHL or "Ein Maß, bitte" at Wiesn 😉). If I'm stuck mid-conversation, I will usually say "Ich weiss nicht, was das Wort auf Deutsch heisst, sorry" or "Entschuldigung für mein Deutsch. Ich lerne noch. Darf ich Englisch sprechen?" (and I will keep stumbling in German if the answer to the latter is "Äm...." or nervousness). Your advice about saying "please" and starting the conversation in the native language -- even if it's just "hello" -- is great for any country, IMO.
yes!!! I have also noticed that if you start with german, the germans are sooo excited that you're trying and are sooo much more helpful! Even if you struggle, they will eventually always offer to switch if they know english. I've always left such conversations with compliments about my german (even though im only at a2 😂 and dont have the greatest german)
I mistakenly sat in the 1st class section on the Deustche Bahn, and the ticket controller came and said something to me then said 1st class only, then the people setting next to me said something to the controller, and told me to ignore them, you’re with us in English. Now knowing what I know, I’m surprised I wasn’t given a fine. I guess I got lucky that day.
some time ago, i was looking for jeans in a local clothing store after being away from Germany for 17 years. though i was surprised that i said words that i knew i've probably forgotten, i was able to express myself a bit still. i've shared that experience to someone i know where i lived before coming back and was told why not just speak in English. i responded with a LOL. and if you know, you know. :)
I heard these things about people going to Germany and not liking the attitude or personality, the language. I find it so odd for someone to go to the country and not care (and not want to) learn the language. Germany much have something good. The other thing is, I feel that I already have the attitude and politeness level as what is told, and I love the language (which I’m learning now). I really would love to check out Germany. Thanks for the video.
Well, there are different situations why people move to other country. Do you think Harry Kane (English national football team capitan and one of the best players of generation who is playing for Munich team now) should go to language school instead of his football trainings?
@@Vic_242 I can’t speak for him. Also, I’m not saying people should learn German. I’m simply stating that I’ve heard that people refuse to learn it. Therefore Germany must be great for someone to still go there (genuinely). You are going against me yet the video creators are the ones telling us to learn German, not me.
Apparently, it's not just about speaking English or German here-oh no, it’s about having the right ‘supportive mindset.’ You know, like how even people with disabilities manage to communicate just fine. It all comes down to the will to help, right? But the real magic is in the double standards. This society loves to do business with the world, but the moment people from around the globe show up here, they’re met with obstacles and given a hard time. Imagine this: if a foreigner came up to me and spoke in my native language with a heavy accent, I’d at least try to understand them and do what I can to help. But here in Germany? Nah, it’s not enough to just know German-you’d better sound like you were born in Munich too! How do they expect a foreigner to magically erase their accent, even after learning the basics? It’s like they're saying, ‘Welcome to Germany! But only if you sound exactly like us.
Sorry you have that experience. We disagree, no one ever said you need to speak German accent free and the amount of other comments expressing the welcoming and helping nature they have experience states the same. Of course you can always encounter exceptions, but we would say Germans embrace accents and may even find them cute (Jen gets that comment quite often) 😊
@@simplegermany Thanks for your thoughtful response! It’s heartwarming to hear that accents are seen as 'cute’ :- if only that matched my experience. From what I've seen, it’s not so much about charming accents as it is about the impatience that kicks in when you don’t pronounce things 'just right.' But hey, maybe I’ve just been lucky enough to meet all the exceptions! Of course, neither of us can speak for every migrant, but as someone who’s part of that community, I’d say I’ve had enough encounters to spot a pattern. And let’s be honest, there’s this idea that Germans can be as rude or 'direct' as they want because it's just their way. But when others try to stand up for themselves, suddenly it's a problem. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical, given that we all belong to the same human species? Others can be direct too, but they’re not because that’s not what they’ve been taught. So, while it’s great that some have had a smoother experience, I’m just sharing what I’ve observed.
But yes, I have met a few people who were genuinely helpful, though they are quite rare. I tried the approach you mentioned, like at Vodafone, but it took me 20 attempts just to get through. Often, you don’t even make it past the IVR system because it starts entirely in German. Of course, everyone should make an effort to learn the local language, but I’d just ask German citizens to be a bit more lenient with migrants in these situations. There are many other important challenges in life that we’re trying to navigate, and mastering German is just one of them, not the ultimate goal. Any these remarks not for you making video. You are doing good to educate people.
This is an interesting perspective! Yeah, I usually just go ahead and ask in broken German or have it translated beforehand in everyday life situation (like in the supermarket and so on), but it is a bit different when I am dealing with the bureaucracy. In that situation, I would prefer writing them an email rather than speaking on the phone if they refuse to speak English.
Here in Hamburg, I find some people can be insulted by assuming they don't speak English as well. At most stores and restaurants I will start with "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" And if there is any hesitation at all, I quickly say, "Kein Problem!" And then do my best with Deutsch. When speaking to someone who is not in a service role, I definitely think it's a bad practice to start by asking if they speak English though. I've actually never heard the word Denglisch before, but I'm going to start using it now!
I find Germans truly helpful and courteous .They are eager to help if you have a problem . They are not false . I have a German name, but comes from another continent.where English is spoken . The best classical music , castles and art galleries . I decided to live here because of the culture..
I totally agree with your point. From my experience everyone in Germany knows English very well but they will not start conversation in English. If we start the conversation with minimal Deutsch then we realise that how much helping mindset people are they.
I was in Germany last year and didn't have any problems. I'm Australian so, when speaking English, I always start with a, "Hi." or "Hey." In Germany I heard people saying, "Hallo." I thought, that sounds a bit funny but it must be how they do it. I think this acknowledging the person makes a big difference. I would start with, "Hallo." wait for the responding, "Hallo" then "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" The response varied from "Nein" to "Yes", mostly it was, "A little." The most daunting was a woman at a DB help desk while asking about my missed connection. "A little" then a few sentences of German ending in "Gleis drei, Funfzehn drreizig." Fortunately, I had done some Duolingo before arriving in Germany and could recognise numbers!
I live in Dusseldorf for 1 year and never ever got problems with English (even with Russian in many situations). Even homeless people can ask you about some money in English here. Shops, Doctors, Pharmacy, Banks, Burgerburo, O2 support - no problem. Sure, I will not ask to switch to English in German, I can say "Hallo" or "Moin" and after the reply in German (I hope they say "How can I help you?"), I just say: Sorry, I don't speak German and we always continue in English. I can remember maybe 2 or 3 cases when DHL couriers didn't speak English. For me it is quite comfortable to speak with Germans in English: I love temp, intonation - quite easy to understand vs English-native people.
I've noticed that the best way to get a German to speak English, is for me to speak terrible German 😂😂 But on a serious note, great video Jen and Yvonne! I look forward to your content every week and I always love watching your videos.
Ok guys. First of all. very very good video and topic. In my openion as an expat, if you are facing a person under age of 30, I can say 90% of the time you can start the conversation in English, No problem, they will also appreciate it because, they want to improve their english. in other cases maybe with older people, it is better to start with basic German and slide to English.
La mayoría del tiempo es desgastante. Soy latina hace dos años que vivo en Alemania. Mi experiencia sobre el tema es que existe una actitud peyorativa y poco empática sobre cominicarse en inglés con los alemanes. Señalo este punto porque aprender inglés también es demandante para los latinos y al menos ese sería un punto medio para lograr el objetivo final que es comunicarte con el interlocutor. Sería maravilloso que pudiéramos decirle a Morfeo descarga el software de alemán en mi cabeza y ya está, problema resuelto pero todavía no estamos en ese punto. Es innegable que existe una resistencia por motivos culturales a hablar en inglés con un extranjero más allá de lo polite or not que uno pueda comportarse. En las instituciones ni que contar historias de terror a montones con la exigencia de que 5 minutos después de aterrizar seas un germano parlante cuando su trabajo es directamente con extranjeros y además de tener muy marcado en su Lebenslauf fließend Englisch. La misma experiencia si necesitas de un médico. En fin espero que todos encontremos el punto medio para lograr el objetivo que es comunicarnos.
I have been living in Berlin for almost 5 years now and I struggled a lot because of not knowing German. I experienced every step you explained in this video and I didn't know solution was this easy. I can only figure it out after 4 years by chance. So, I was making jokes when I get back to my country: when they ask if I can start speaking in German, I always tell the same story (joke)... Well I can speak a bit.. I get there, I tell them I cannot speak German, I ask them can you speak English.. And that's all.. This was my story for the first 3 years. Btw I am getting lang. courses but only 3 hours a week and it is not enough. In the beginning (A1) I can only say: hallo, guten tag.. bitte.. Ich heisse.. Ich komme, ich bin jahre alt.. and ich verheiretet. some colors and numbers.. None of these help or enough for a question in daily life. So I started with guten tag, ich spreche ein biesschen Deutsch, sprechen sie English? - Nein.. and it is over just as you said. I wasn't ready, I wasn't confident. And after 4 years and with a break between course, I managed to finish A2 2nd time. Now I have more courage to say a few more words. This time again just you said, I try speaking german. Obviously I cannot. Then they immediately switch to english without even asking. And I start giving the same advice to my friends now. Start talking in German. They will understand that they cannot communicate with you and they switch over. Another experience I had, of course in formal places like applications in bürgeramt like anmeldung or driving license.. I know I am lucky, they really help, try to talk in English although they don't need to. And in Berlin 80% you can talk and live in English. Many expats and many foreigners in the city, so everyone get used to it. But still if you ask in english or for english they don't want to help. I transpolate this as, maybe I can speak English but this is a formal office. If you understand me wrong or if I say something wrong, I don't want to be the reason of this. If you cannot understand me, it is your problem. But if you misunderstand me because of my english it will be my problem. So they try not to talk in English. Still they are super polite in Berlin. Most of the time I can get things done in English. But it wasn't easy. Now I can also understand those people. If I can speak german, much bigger world is open to me. I am trying.. But I must also add this last piece here. There is a contradiction for us: bluecard holders. Government accepts and invites some people who has spesific expertise. But it is not written or accepted anywhere after you start living in Germany that you can communicate in English. Officially you are expected to speak and understand German. But invitation wasn't like that. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining but trying to state something obvious. In most of the cases, I have seen German government did a very good job for expats. There are language schools even supported by the government. They try to integrate every expats to the culture and society. (btw: some of our friends allowed to take free german courses but we are not allowed. We couldn't understand why we are not eligible and they are in very similar conditions.. anyway) If you are not trying enough, it is your fault. But from our side as I said there is a contradiction. People are accepted without any german into the country. And in the first day when you go to Anmeldung, you realize you cannot live without German. It is different in the Netherlands. One of my friends told me, if you want to receive official letters in your mother lang. you can even request it as your preferred lang. for formal letters. Ok, you can say then go to NL. As I said, I am trying, I am trying to learn German and every rule and the social life here. I am trying to integrate. And I am gratefull for your Video's because you are helping us to start living here more SMOOOOOTHLY :))) Bitte :)
Wow!! Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your experience and feelings! We can totally relate and can only applaud and encourage you to keep on learning the language and finding your way 😊💜
@@simplegermany I wish we were in the same city so I would have chance and honour to meet you. Thank you for your supportive reply. I will keep following you. Who knows? Maybe someday we will meet 😉
As an Indian in Spain this is also true in Spain, mostly for the middle aged section of society that I perceive to have a fear of English. Whenever I used to start with “Habla/s inglés?” they say “No” and then conversation ends. Whereas if the salesman is a Latin American/ other ethnicities they are like you can use google translate, “yo se un poquito…”. The Gen-Z is doing quiete well in this regard here. Also goes to finding things in the supermarket, the Spanish would in most cases “ Si hay, hay, si no hay no hay” but others especially Indians & Latin Am would generally go far to suggest other similar products, explain a bit etc.
I would say the difference in english knowledge/confidence for people of different age is because the younger people have more recently learnt english and exposed to more english culture (songs/TV shows) than people in 30s-40s who have forgotten most of the english they studied
This happened to my wife in Heidelberg. Although it´s an international city due to the University, she would hear "Nein" a lot when she approached workers in stores if they spoke English. Now that she is learning B1 German, she starts with something like "Können Sie bitte mir helfen. Ich spreche nicht so gut Deutsch" and almost 100% of times people are friendly and speak slowly.
Oh when I was just there 2 weeks ago I would always start my conversations in German, but sometimes it would meander to places I've never learned, and then the English would come out 😅 everyone was so nice and helpful though but some people didn't know much which was fine!
My honest opinion is: 1. Learning a new language overnight is not possible, it takes few years specially when you are taking full time Bachelor's or Master's course 2. I have faced very rude behaviour even after starting the conversation in German, but failing to fully explanining myself. 3. Not helping someone just because he/she can't properly speak a language is a pretty lame excuse. 4. Helping someone just needs goodwill, nothing else.
I mean in sales and consulting it can of course be very specific, what I mean are technical terms, or not knowing what the products are called in English / American.
@simplegermany I meant foreign customers and German consultants, salespeople in banks, stores, telephone companies, mistakes and misunderstandings are inevitable. Then the legal situation here is also different from that in the USA. It can be difficult, as you are also bound by promises.
7:51 "and I haven't said 'guten Tag oder Bitte'" Yeah, as a older German (almost 60) I can confirm your chances of getting help increase if you're polite. If you approach me with "yo, bro...." or "digga" I would probably turn around and walk away.
I think it's pretty obvious that if you live in Germany and want to start a professional career here (or studies, etc) you need at least to show the locals your interest in the german language and not just start a conversation with "sprechen Sie Englisch?". They want us (inmigrants) to embrace their culture or at least trying to speak their language in the first place. From my point of view is very understandable. And yes, you will find all kinds of people here, some of them will start the conversation in English without asking them to switch while others might be a bit rude... It is a matter of attitude :)
It's always important to create bridges instead of raising walls. Some of us don't speak the German language (yet!) so even a bit of humor helps "mein German ist unterwegs".
For 2 years 80% reply "a little" and are actually very good, but if keep going in English remaining 10% actually understand and reply something, and next 10% really don't know it. Cool video, more phycological thing😄 (Worth mentioning, I live rural north-west Germany)
I always go with "es tut mir leid, ich kann kein deutsch" and normally every german tries to help me at least. Because I am letting my guard down and making the other feel like that I need help
"Bitte" is definitely the magic word. I remember once I asked a friend's mom to pass me something at the dinner table and she just looked at me puzzlingly until I said "bitte". Was kinda funny then
More often than not, my experiences have been that Germans will quickly switch to English as soon as they realize that I don't speak good German, or I just pretend that I understand and say vielen Danke with smile on my face and end the interaction myself to save further embarrassment and misery. lol Also, when I look lost at a cash register, a clerk usually approaches me first and starts offering help either in German or English. Younger ones tend to start speaking English from the start assuming I don't speak German, which is very convenient on my part.
As an opposite example: in South Korea on the question “do you speak English” everyone answers “yes, a little” but in most cases this “a little” is all they know 🤦♀️
I live in Germany for 1.5 years and speak german B2, and when I go to big cities like Munich or Hamburg, I start speaking in german asking for help and they answer in English lol
I've lived in Germany 20 years. I speak German but no matter what, it's not good enough. When meeting someone, they often tell me that my German is pretty good. But to my friends and family, it's never right. They expect for me to speak as good as a native speaker with no accent & grammar mistakes.
The heating in my apartment hasn't been working since last winter. I called and asked for someone to come and fix it. However, I didn't understand what's going to happend. To this day, no one has come and I'm afraid to call them again. ＞﹏＜
First of all assuming you don't own a house your landlord is responsible for the repair. If you can't communicate with them via phone try to talk to them in person. Ask someone (friends, neighbors) for help but you definitively need to get this fixed.
On the other hand, when you speak bad German and in the middle of the conversation you ask "Do you speak English?" in the hope of switching - you get a positive answer, but no one switches to English 😊
Then maybe your German is good enough to be understood. Or the other person’s thinks their English isn’t better than your German. Then there is no reason to switch
tbh i've not experienced this kind of thing for my not so long period of living in Germany, except a couple of very rude responses, one of which was "Deutcshland ist fur Deutsch". I live in Frankfurt though, maybe that makes the difference
I imagine situation when I’m tourist and don’t know a single word in German but need to ask for help to someone having heart attack nearby. I’d love to see “the wall” and “why should I?” Lol
I hv lost all my confidence and ability after moving to Germany. Having a very good well paid job, recognition and freedom to do things my way, I have lost all of it after moving here and inviting hurdles complications and challenges for myself at the age of 40 😢 not being able to express myself at workplace has forced me to zip my lips and feel ashamed n frustrated. Aftr having left an established career in my home country now struggling to begin from scratch
May we ask what your motivations were to move to Germany in the first place? How do you perform your role if you can't express yourself at work? In our experience, anyone getting hired needs to speak the language the team operates in (regardless of whether that is German, English or another language).
If I may share some more perspectives on this matter of language without an intention to invite a retort from readers. : 1. The foreigner who starts with "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Already made a little effort at the German language. 2. The foreigner may have read/heard that families/schools in developed countries like Germany are interracial/multilingual, perhaps that's why they hoped to get a 'yes' or a 'a little bit' or 'i can try' as a response for the above question instead of a close ended response like 'nein'. 3. Plentiful of Germans study English as a compulsory subject in their schools for years. So it is fair for the foreigner to expect the responses in point 2. If, for instance, this foreigner had studied German as a compulsary subject in school in their home country or in Germany then most likely this foreigner would have not initiated the talk with that seemingly awkward question. 4. Foreigners, especially those coming from so called third world countries have a lot to process and go through (e.g. a police case, hospital treatment in the in-patient ward) when they come to Germany. Perhaps that's why they put familiarising with even the rudimentary level German language at the backseat during their initial phase in Germany. 5. Some foreigners receive nothing like a formal/casual/voluntary/mandatory training/integration course when they arrive here, however, they are expected to be knowing basic system to get by in daily lives. Making an attempt at speaking in German language on top of this may lead to the burnout. 6. Some Germans do make unfriendly facial expressions (as if they are trying to suggest "how dare you consider yourself worthy of living in this country if you can't even speak a decent level Deutsch?" when foreigners try to speak in German language at a poor level. 7. Some Germans notice a foreigner struggle with German language, they still respond by speaking several sentences at a stretch in a fast faced manner, without guaging how vast or little the foreigner's vocabulary is in German language and without making sure how well that foreigner has received the first fast-spoken sentence. That may seem a bit inconsiderate to the foreigner. 8. Germany doesn't strictly ask for a language certificate in Deutsch from some Foreigners before letting them enter Deutschland as a Skilled worker or as a student, therefore foreigners may think that English would be as well received here as German once they land here. 9. Some Germans appreciate and applaud when they notice foreigners speak German language (with just a few days of formal training and/or self learning) way better than Germans could ever dare to speak English language. That could be suggestive of how miserably Germans failed at finding the opportunities to put the English language into practice despite the fact that they studied it during some of their formative years of life. It can be perceived unfair by foreigners because then they are compensating for the failure of this bunch of Germans. 10. Perhaps foreigners see their people in the home country showing amicable nature to those who are not the citizens. For instance in India, people my grandparents age would consciously put efforts at making an English speaking tourist feel comfortable by speaking in English, even if they know just 50 words in English. Perhaps foreigners expect that kind of reciprocation when they land here if they observed similar scenario in their home country.
it's true that this works, but still, it's really sad that this is the reality of the country. When going to the Netherlands it's such a unstressfull experience to just be able to speak english freely. This country is really behind in so many areas.
@@simplegermany come on girls, it's true, but Germany would be great if there was more openness to English, like scandinavian countries. Life would be much easier and it even helps to concentrate in a good way to learn German in a smooth way. I mean, learning under pressure is really stressful and unpleasant…
I think Germans are over all just not confident about their ability to speak English. And from my experience thats grounded in the school system. If you are a pupil with bad maks in school you are still able to communicate and help with finding the way to the trainstation. Most Germans really undestimate their English
But one question for the non German lady, my question is why aren't you confident in speaking German so far? As I know you've been in Germany for what? 8 , or 9 years? and you have a German partner ! Is it really that difficult or you didn't put the effort to learn it ? Because I just arrived to Germany and I don't know what to expect as I am hearing from a lotta people that it's a difficult language ?
👋 hm…I don’t remember what I specifically say in the video, however - I am confident now to speak German. I wasn’t confident when I got here 12 years ago. For some the language is more difficult than others. I’d say focus on your learning journey and don’t compare to others 😀
I have no trouble starting interactions in German, it’s when they have followup questions or statements that I didn’t prepare for in advance in my mind that I’m having problems with 🥲 Like there were many situations where I answer followup questions that are supposedly multiple-choice with a “Ja” and they look at me confused 😅
In Nuremberg I was going to pick piano stand and was confused between 2 streets and curiously looking to the street sign boards and my google maps simultaneously… And then a beautiful young lady was passing by me asked me in English ” do you need help?“ and she helped me in finding the address. By the way at first I thought she likes me and that’s why wants to interact🤣🤣 Same thing happened to me in U Bahn Station where a German guy found me curious and confused so asked to help me So generous♥️🫶🏻
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That story in Southern Bayern reminded me of my first time there. I was taking the U bahn and it was pretty packed...I saw an elderly lady get on and there wasn't a seat available. So I kindly offered her mine. My German wasn't that great and I'm really self conscious but I mustered up the courage to say " Ich bin neu in München" and to my surprise she replied "I'm old in Munich" in English. We had a laugh and I got off the next station and wished her a good day.
I will say tho it's not easy being open/vulnerable about how you sound in a foreign language you've not fully mastered so to those making the effort to meet the Germans in the middle kudos to you ❤
Hahaha what a super cool interaction! 🤩
😂😂😂😂😂
My experience is entirely different. They typically say “a little bit” and proceed to speak decent English
Yes, because of school experience most think there English is is insufficient. But In daiely conversation it is totally fine
It depends on what kind of education someone has, older people quite often speak English well.
Edit: older people often don’t speak English well.
@@claudiakarl7888 on the contrary younger people speak better English in my experience
@@dekev7503 You‘re right, I forgot the negation.
I agree 100% with your advice. I went to work in the former east Germany in the early 1990’s with no German at all. I managed to learn basic German on the baustelle and managed to get by with a lot of help from the people where I lived Leipzig and Greifswald. Now when I visit quite regularly I start using my baustelle Deutsch and in no time at all I find the conversation is in English. The only time it doesn’t is with some people my own age 72. Like me they were never taught language’s at school but I can get my way through I probably sound like a 3 year old but people listen and smile and we get there. I love your videos girls keep up the good work 😊
I am moving to Germany and I love your channel. I have learnt so much about the winters, house search, essentials, language tidbits and just simple tips just from watching your videos. Please keep sharing these videos. Thank you so much!
Super Video! So helpful. My experience with my own family is one of appreciation for anyone making an effort to speak German. Vielen dank!
This is very good advice. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed this video. 😊❤
This is such an eye opening tip. Thank you 🙏🏼
Luckily I never faced a reject situation asking "Entschuldigung, Sprechen Sie Englisch?".
I always approach people with this and they reply "A little bit" then proceed speaking pitch perfect English.
I gotta say, I love this. German people too cute and humble 😁
Since I came to Germany I always try to use this approach and it has always been successful. Even in Finanzamt, everybody was telling me that going there to ask something didn't make sense, but as soon as I started talking in German they were super nice all smiley and super helpful. And I myself felt so accomplished that I continue this in all my interactions, I try my best to talk in German as much as I can and I see that they are entirely open with talking in English as soon as I start to struggle.
A very pertinent video that puts things into context / provides a good perspective - Thank you
Thanks for sharing this point 🙌
Some of my experiences were quite surprising. I asked questions in broken german and they answered it in English. :D😛
Often we evaluate if I think my English is better than your German we are confident to switch to English. So maybe we try to choose the lesser struggle
Sometimes I've asked questions on broken English and they replied on perfect Russian even if they talked before on perfect German :)
Thank you for the content!! ❤❤
Nice to know about this, very helpful thank you everymuch
Very good advice.
"May I try to say it in English?"
Saying it like that IMHO could be a way to avoid putting pressure on the person opposite. Great video. Thank you. 👋😎🎉
I also mostly use that phrase 'Sprechen Sie Englisch?' and some say no and then some say a little bit. This is so true, I also started to ask questions or for help in german with what I know and they give a good response.
Thank you for sharing 🎉❤ love your channel 🌻✨️
wow Sehr hilfreich, vielen Dank!
Exactly what I experience, I do not live in Germany but do visit as a tourist and never open a conversation with, Sprechen Sie Englisch,. I have been learning some German but like most I struggle a little with everyday conversations. However I always start a conversation in polite German and most people are happy to continue in German with a bit of English thrown in if they feel you are struggling.
Very true. Good advice.
Great tip! Makes perfect sense.
Hi it’s me again, I honestly think this is your best video yet. The way you explained how to start the conversation and don’t worry about the grammar and construction just relax and try but also listen to reply people will help👍
Just returned from 2 weeks in western Germany. Had a wonderful time without knowing many words in German. Citizens were very understanding and helpful!
I will be in Munich in 2 weeks! I am from the US. I think "bitte" will be my favorite word! Both my sons learned German in school, I learned French some 50 years ago, no good now. Love your videos. You guys are great!
I am sharing this one, very good tip! ❤
I basically start every conversation with the good old "Entschuldigung, mein Deutsche is nicht so gut, aber _____". Most people will be at least cordial, small exception here in Bayern(Nuremberg) is occasionally that some older Germans will start speaking VERY fast, in what I like to call 'Challenge Mode!' due to heavier Bayern accents being extra difficult to follow for my clumsy language skills. I do love the "Konnen wir Denglisch?", I will definitely have to try adding that to the mix! In my experience, most people automatically switch to English ~80% of the time, for better or for worse in terms of getting to practice German for me.
haha love that 'Challenge Mode!'. Oh yeah, the southern accent can be quite difficult to follow along. Kudos for trying, though! :)
This is a 100% true.
I tell that I’m not great at German yet, try my best in German and ask for Denglisch. Most of the time it works great 😅
Although, about 80% of the time even if I ask «Können Sie Englisch?”» people say “Yes”. And he level of English is incredibly high.
I live in Hessen btw
I'm in American living in Munich for almost two years, and my German is probably A2 level. Learning phrases ahead of time has also been really helpful for me ("Ich muss ein Paket abholen" at DHL or "Ein Maß, bitte" at Wiesn 😉). If I'm stuck mid-conversation, I will usually say "Ich weiss nicht, was das Wort auf Deutsch heisst, sorry" or "Entschuldigung für mein Deutsch. Ich lerne noch. Darf ich Englisch sprechen?" (and I will keep stumbling in German if the answer to the latter is "Äm...." or nervousness).
Your advice about saying "please" and starting the conversation in the native language -- even if it's just "hello" -- is great for any country, IMO.
für meinEN Deutsch 🤔 sieht falsch aus
@@dmitryvk It probably is. Because I’m still learning. 😉
Fixed it. Thanks!
yes!!! I have also noticed that if you start with german, the germans are sooo excited that you're trying and are sooo much more helpful!
Even if you struggle, they will eventually always offer to switch if they know english.
I've always left such conversations with compliments about my german (even though im only at a2 😂 and dont have the greatest german)
I mistakenly sat in the 1st class section on the Deustche Bahn, and the ticket controller came and said something to me then said 1st class only, then the people setting next to me said something to the controller, and told me to ignore them, you’re with us in English. Now knowing what I know, I’m surprised I wasn’t given a fine. I guess I got lucky that day.
some time ago, i was looking for jeans in a local clothing store after being away from Germany for 17 years. though i was surprised that i said words that i knew i've probably forgotten, i was able to express myself a bit still. i've shared that experience to someone i know where i lived before coming back and was told why not just speak in English.
i responded with a LOL. and if you know, you know. :)
I heard these things about people going to Germany and not liking the attitude or personality, the language. I find it so odd for someone to go to the country and not care (and not want to) learn the language. Germany much have something good. The other thing is, I feel that I already have the attitude and politeness level as what is told, and I love the language (which I’m learning now). I really would love to check out Germany. Thanks for the video.
Well, there are different situations why people move to other country. Do you think Harry Kane (English national football team capitan and one of the best players of generation who is playing for Munich team now) should go to language school instead of his football trainings?
@@Vic_242 I can’t speak for him. Also, I’m not saying people should learn German. I’m simply stating that I’ve heard that people refuse to learn it. Therefore Germany must be great for someone to still go there (genuinely). You are going against me yet the video creators are the ones telling us to learn German, not me.
Apparently, it's not just about speaking English or German here-oh no, it’s about having the right ‘supportive mindset.’ You know, like how even people with disabilities manage to communicate just fine. It all comes down to the will to help, right?
But the real magic is in the double standards. This society loves to do business with the world, but the moment people from around the globe show up here, they’re met with obstacles and given a hard time.
Imagine this: if a foreigner came up to me and spoke in my native language with a heavy accent, I’d at least try to understand them and do what I can to help. But here in Germany? Nah, it’s not enough to just know German-you’d better sound like you were born in Munich too! How do they expect a foreigner to magically erase their accent, even after learning the basics? It’s like they're saying, ‘Welcome to Germany! But only if you sound exactly like us.
Sorry you have that experience. We disagree, no one ever said you need to speak German accent free and the amount of other comments expressing the welcoming and helping nature they have experience states the same. Of course you can always encounter exceptions, but we would say Germans embrace accents and may even find them cute (Jen gets that comment quite often) 😊
@@simplegermany
Thanks for your thoughtful response! It’s heartwarming to hear that accents are seen as 'cute’ :- if only that matched my experience. From what I've seen, it’s not so much about charming accents as it is about the impatience that kicks in when you don’t pronounce things 'just right.' But hey, maybe I’ve just been lucky enough to meet all the exceptions!
Of course, neither of us can speak for every migrant, but as someone who’s part of that community, I’d say I’ve had enough encounters to spot a pattern. And let’s be honest, there’s this idea that Germans can be as rude or 'direct' as they want because it's just their way. But when others try to stand up for themselves, suddenly it's a problem. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical, given that we all belong to the same human species? Others can be direct too, but they’re not because that’s not what they’ve been taught. So, while it’s great that some have had a smoother experience, I’m just sharing what I’ve observed.
But yes, I have met a few people who were genuinely helpful, though they are quite rare. I tried the approach you mentioned, like at Vodafone, but it took me 20 attempts just to get through. Often, you don’t even make it past the IVR system because it starts entirely in German. Of course, everyone should make an effort to learn the local language, but I’d just ask German citizens to be a bit more lenient with migrants in these situations. There are many other important challenges in life that we’re trying to navigate, and mastering German is just one of them, not the ultimate goal. Any these remarks not for you making video. You are doing good to educate people.
This is an interesting perspective!
Yeah, I usually just go ahead and ask in broken German or have it translated beforehand in everyday life situation (like in the supermarket and so on), but it is a bit different when I am dealing with the bureaucracy. In that situation, I would prefer writing them an email rather than speaking on the phone if they refuse to speak English.
Here in Hamburg, I find some people can be insulted by assuming they don't speak English as well. At most stores and restaurants I will start with "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" And if there is any hesitation at all, I quickly say, "Kein Problem!" And then do my best with Deutsch. When speaking to someone who is not in a service role, I definitely think it's a bad practice to start by asking if they speak English though.
I've actually never heard the word Denglisch before, but I'm going to start using it now!
Super, Danke!
I find Germans truly helpful and courteous .They are eager to help if you have a problem . They are not false . I have a German name, but comes from another continent.where English is spoken . The best classical music , castles and art galleries . I decided to live here because of the culture..
I totally agree with your point. From my experience everyone in Germany knows English very well but they will not start conversation in English. If we start the conversation with minimal Deutsch then we realise that how much helping mindset people are they.
I was in Germany last year and didn't have any problems. I'm Australian so, when speaking English, I always start with a, "Hi." or "Hey." In Germany I heard people saying, "Hallo." I thought, that sounds a bit funny but it must be how they do it. I think this acknowledging the person makes a big difference.
I would start with, "Hallo." wait for the responding, "Hallo" then "Sprechen Sie Englisch?"
The response varied from "Nein" to "Yes", mostly it was, "A little."
The most daunting was a woman at a DB help desk while asking about my missed connection. "A little" then a few sentences of German ending in "Gleis drei, Funfzehn drreizig." Fortunately, I had done some Duolingo before arriving in Germany and could recognise numbers!
I live in Dusseldorf for 1 year and never ever got problems with English (even with Russian in many situations). Even homeless people can ask you about some money in English here. Shops, Doctors, Pharmacy, Banks, Burgerburo, O2 support - no problem.
Sure, I will not ask to switch to English in German, I can say "Hallo" or "Moin" and after the reply in German (I hope they say "How can I help you?"), I just say: Sorry, I don't speak German and we always continue in English. I can remember maybe 2 or 3 cases when DHL couriers didn't speak English.
For me it is quite comfortable to speak with Germans in English: I love temp, intonation - quite easy to understand vs English-native people.
I've noticed that the best way to get a German to speak English, is for me to speak terrible German 😂😂
But on a serious note, great video Jen and Yvonne! I look forward to your content every week and I always love watching your videos.
Ok guys. First of all. very very good video and topic. In my openion as an expat, if you are facing a person under age of 30, I can say 90% of the time you can start the conversation in English, No problem, they will also appreciate it because, they want to improve their english. in other cases maybe with older people, it is better to start with basic German and slide to English.
La mayoría del tiempo es desgastante. Soy latina hace dos años que vivo en Alemania. Mi experiencia sobre el tema es que existe una actitud peyorativa y poco empática sobre cominicarse en inglés con los alemanes. Señalo este punto porque aprender inglés también es demandante para los latinos y al menos ese sería un punto medio para lograr el objetivo final que es comunicarte con el interlocutor. Sería maravilloso que pudiéramos decirle a Morfeo descarga el software de alemán en mi cabeza y ya está, problema resuelto pero todavía no estamos en ese punto. Es innegable que existe una resistencia por motivos culturales a hablar en inglés con un extranjero más allá de lo polite or not que uno pueda comportarse. En las instituciones ni que contar historias de terror a montones con la exigencia de que 5 minutos después de aterrizar seas un germano parlante cuando su trabajo es directamente con extranjeros y además de tener muy marcado en su Lebenslauf fließend Englisch. La misma experiencia si necesitas de un médico. En fin espero que todos encontremos el punto medio para lograr el objetivo que es comunicarnos.
Como latina estoy 100% de acuerdo!
I have been living in Berlin for almost 5 years now and I struggled a lot because of not knowing German. I experienced every step you explained in this video and I didn't know solution was this easy. I can only figure it out after 4 years by chance.
So, I was making jokes when I get back to my country: when they ask if I can start speaking in German, I always tell the same story (joke)... Well I can speak a bit.. I get there, I tell them I cannot speak German, I ask them can you speak English.. And that's all.. This was my story for the first 3 years. Btw I am getting lang. courses but only 3 hours a week and it is not enough. In the beginning (A1) I can only say: hallo, guten tag.. bitte.. Ich heisse.. Ich komme, ich bin jahre alt.. and ich verheiretet. some colors and numbers.. None of these help or enough for a question in daily life.
So I started with guten tag, ich spreche ein biesschen Deutsch, sprechen sie English? - Nein.. and it is over just as you said. I wasn't ready, I wasn't confident.
And after 4 years and with a break between course, I managed to finish A2 2nd time. Now I have more courage to say a few more words. This time again just you said, I try speaking german. Obviously I cannot. Then they immediately switch to english without even asking. And I start giving the same advice to my friends now. Start talking in German. They will understand that they cannot communicate with you and they switch over.
Another experience I had, of course in formal places like applications in bürgeramt like anmeldung or driving license.. I know I am lucky, they really help, try to talk in English although they don't need to. And in Berlin 80% you can talk and live in English. Many expats and many foreigners in the city, so everyone get used to it. But still if you ask in english or for english they don't want to help. I transpolate this as, maybe I can speak English but this is a formal office. If you understand me wrong or if I say something wrong, I don't want to be the reason of this. If you cannot understand me, it is your problem. But if you misunderstand me because of my english it will be my problem. So they try not to talk in English. Still they are super polite in Berlin. Most of the time I can get things done in English. But it wasn't easy.
Now I can also understand those people. If I can speak german, much bigger world is open to me. I am trying.. But I must also add this last piece here. There is a contradiction for us: bluecard holders. Government accepts and invites some people who has spesific expertise. But it is not written or accepted anywhere after you start living in Germany that you can communicate in English. Officially you are expected to speak and understand German. But invitation wasn't like that. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining but trying to state something obvious. In most of the cases, I have seen German government did a very good job for expats. There are language schools even supported by the government. They try to integrate every expats to the culture and society. (btw: some of our friends allowed to take free german courses but we are not allowed. We couldn't understand why we are not eligible and they are in very similar conditions.. anyway) If you are not trying enough, it is your fault. But from our side as I said there is a contradiction. People are accepted without any german into the country. And in the first day when you go to Anmeldung, you realize you cannot live without German. It is different in the Netherlands. One of my friends told me, if you want to receive official letters in your mother lang. you can even request it as your preferred lang. for formal letters. Ok, you can say then go to NL. As I said, I am trying, I am trying to learn German and every rule and the social life here. I am trying to integrate. And I am gratefull for your Video's because you are helping us to start living here more SMOOOOOTHLY :))) Bitte :)
Wow!! Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your experience and feelings! We can totally relate and can only applaud and encourage you to keep on learning the language and finding your way 😊💜
@@simplegermany I wish we were in the same city so I would have chance and honour to meet you. Thank you for your supportive reply. I will keep following you. Who knows? Maybe someday we will meet 😉
As an Indian in Spain this is also true in Spain, mostly for the middle aged section of society that I perceive to have a fear of English. Whenever I used to start with “Habla/s inglés?” they say “No” and then conversation ends. Whereas if the salesman is a Latin American/ other ethnicities they are like you can use google translate, “yo se un poquito…”. The Gen-Z is doing quiete well in this regard here. Also goes to finding things in the supermarket, the Spanish would in most cases “ Si hay, hay, si no hay no hay” but others especially Indians & Latin Am would generally go far to suggest other similar products, explain a bit etc.
I would say the difference in english knowledge/confidence for people of different age is because the younger people have more recently learnt english and exposed to more english culture (songs/TV shows) than people in 30s-40s who have forgotten most of the english they studied
This happened to my wife in Heidelberg. Although it´s an international city due to the University, she would hear "Nein" a lot when she approached workers in stores if they spoke English. Now that she is learning B1 German, she starts with something like "Können Sie bitte mir helfen. Ich spreche nicht so gut Deutsch" and almost 100% of times people are friendly and speak slowly.
Oh when I was just there 2 weeks ago I would always start my conversations in German, but sometimes it would meander to places I've never learned, and then the English would come out 😅 everyone was so nice and helpful though but some people didn't know much which was fine!
great video, they should teach you that at the "Anmeldung" 😂
oh yea, this happend to me the 1st month in frankfurt. Now i just enter with german and ask for help in english, works better
My honest opinion is:
1. Learning a new language overnight is not possible, it takes few years specially when you are taking full time Bachelor's or Master's course
2. I have faced very rude behaviour even after starting the conversation in German, but failing to fully explanining myself.
3. Not helping someone just because he/she can't properly speak a language is a pretty lame excuse.
4. Helping someone just needs goodwill, nothing else.
Exactly.. I learned this after 4 years :)
Can you please make a video on groceries in Germany in 2024? Your videos are very helpful
What are your questions about groceries in Germany in 2024? 😊
I mean in sales and consulting it can of course be very specific, what I mean are technical terms, or not knowing what the products are called in English / American.
Totally! On the job language is again a different ballgame. We are more referring to everyday interactions here 😊
@simplegermany I meant foreign customers and German consultants, salespeople in banks, stores, telephone companies, mistakes and misunderstandings are inevitable. Then the legal situation here is also different from that in the USA. It can be difficult, as you are also bound by promises.
Next time you should ask: Do you speak German , they will deny it . " And then you say "OK then we speak English" 🤣🤣
🤪
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Fabulous idea 👍
7:51 "and I haven't said 'guten Tag oder Bitte'"
Yeah, as a older German (almost 60) I can confirm your chances of getting help increase if you're polite. If you approach me with "yo, bro...." or "digga" I would probably turn around and walk away.
I think it's pretty obvious that if you live in Germany and want to start a professional career here (or studies, etc) you need at least to show the locals your interest in the german language and not just start a conversation with "sprechen Sie Englisch?". They want us (inmigrants) to embrace their culture or at least trying to speak their language in the first place. From my point of view is very understandable. And yes, you will find all kinds of people here, some of them will start the conversation in English without asking them to switch while others might be a bit rude... It is a matter of attitude :)
It's always important to create bridges instead of raising walls. Some of us don't speak the German language (yet!) so even a bit of humor helps "mein German ist unterwegs".
That’s an awesome sentence! 😋
Yes I do agree. We Germans only say we speak English when we are almost fluent.
Add to my list to memorise - "Guten Tag können sie mir helfen, ich brauche hilfe bitte"
For 2 years 80% reply "a little" and are actually very good, but if keep going in English remaining 10% actually understand and reply something, and next 10% really don't know it.
Cool video, more phycological thing😄
(Worth mentioning, I live rural north-west Germany)
I always go with "es tut mir leid, ich kann kein deutsch" and normally every german tries to help me at least. Because I am letting my guard down and making the other feel like that I need help
"Bitte" is definitely the magic word. I remember once I asked a friend's mom to pass me something at the dinner table and she just looked at me puzzlingly until I said "bitte". Was kinda funny then
Hahaha yes that reminds me (Yvonne) of my childhood 😉
Sooooooo true 👍
More often than not, my experiences have been that Germans will quickly switch to English as soon as they realize that I don't speak good German, or I just pretend that I understand and say vielen Danke with smile on my face and end the interaction myself to save further embarrassment and misery. lol Also, when I look lost at a cash register, a clerk usually approaches me first and starts offering help either in German or English. Younger ones tend to start speaking English from the start assuming I don't speak German, which is very convenient on my part.
As an opposite example: in South Korea on the question “do you speak English” everyone answers “yes, a little” but in most cases this “a little” is all they know 🤦♀️
🙈
To me it might sound a little presumptuous to ask someone in Germany right off the bat if they speak English.
Totally agree. Most Germans are willing to help if you meet them halfway.
I live in Germany for 1.5 years and speak german B2, and when I go to big cities like Munich or Hamburg, I start speaking in german asking for help and they answer in English lol
Yeah! We feel the same in Berlin 🙈
The Dutch do the same. I think it's a cross between practicing England and speeding up what they perceive as likely to be a painful conversation 😂
I've lived in Germany 20 years. I speak German but no matter what, it's not good enough. When meeting someone, they often tell me that my German is pretty good. But to my friends and family, it's never right. They expect for me to speak as good as a native speaker with no accent & grammar mistakes.
The heating in my apartment hasn't been working since last winter. I called and asked for someone to come and fix it. However, I didn't understand what's going to happend. To this day, no one has come and I'm afraid to call them again. ＞﹏＜
Please call them again - you need to have a functioning heater. Be persistent 😊
First of all assuming you don't own a house your landlord is responsible for the repair. If you can't communicate with them via phone try to talk to them in person. Ask someone (friends, neighbors) for help but you definitively need to get this fixed.
Send them a letter or an email if the complaints are not in writing, some landlords will wait to fix it.
If you write you could use Google Translate to add a German translation.
avoid doing that everywhere, basic good traveling etiquette
On the other hand, when you speak bad German and in the middle of the conversation you ask "Do you speak English?" in the hope of switching - you get a positive answer, but no one switches to English 😊
Some do, some don't 😊
Then maybe your German is good enough to be understood. Or the other person’s thinks their English isn’t better than your German. Then there is no reason to switch
It's because Germans are so helpful, helping you to practice German.
tbh i've not experienced this kind of thing for my not so long period of living in Germany, except a couple of very rude responses, one of which was "Deutcshland ist fur Deutsch". I live in Frankfurt though, maybe that makes the difference
Uff, that type of comment is so narrow minded
I haven’t yet found an unhelpful German after saying "bitte"
Imagine a German going into a store in the US and asking a store employee, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
just start conversation by your question in English, or "do you speak English?". "Sprachen Sie English?" sounds weird IMO
This is NOT typical for German.
I imagine situation when I’m tourist and don’t know a single word in German but need to ask for help to someone having heart attack nearby. I’d love to see “the wall” and “why should I?” Lol
That’s an extreme example, plus the video is not targeted to tourists 😁
@@simplegermany yeah, thanks for the video anyway. It's good to know the reality
I hv lost all my confidence and ability after moving to Germany. Having a very good well paid job, recognition and freedom to do things my way, I have lost all of it after moving here and inviting hurdles complications and challenges for myself at the age of 40 😢 not being able to express myself at workplace has forced me to zip my lips and feel ashamed n frustrated. Aftr having left an established career in my home country now struggling to begin from scratch
May we ask what your motivations were to move to Germany in the first place? How do you perform your role if you can't express yourself at work? In our experience, anyone getting hired needs to speak the language the team operates in (regardless of whether that is German, English or another language).
If I may share some more perspectives on this matter of language without an intention to invite a retort from readers. :
1. The foreigner who starts with "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Already made a little effort at the German language.
2. The foreigner may have read/heard that families/schools in developed countries like Germany are interracial/multilingual, perhaps that's why they hoped to get a 'yes' or a 'a little bit' or 'i can try' as a response for the above question instead of a close ended response like 'nein'.
3. Plentiful of Germans study English as a compulsory subject in their schools for years. So it is fair for the foreigner to expect the responses in point 2. If, for instance, this foreigner had studied German as a compulsary subject in school in their home country or in Germany then most likely this foreigner would have not initiated the talk with that seemingly awkward question.
4. Foreigners, especially those coming from so called third world countries have a lot to process and go through (e.g. a police case, hospital treatment in the in-patient ward) when they come to Germany. Perhaps that's why they put familiarising with even the rudimentary level German language at the backseat during their initial phase in Germany.
5. Some foreigners receive nothing like a formal/casual/voluntary/mandatory training/integration course when they arrive here, however, they are expected to be knowing basic system to get by in daily lives. Making an attempt at speaking in German language on top of this may lead to the burnout.
6. Some Germans do make unfriendly facial expressions (as if they are trying to suggest "how dare you consider yourself worthy of living in this country if you can't even speak a decent level Deutsch?" when foreigners try to speak in German language at a poor level.
7. Some Germans notice a foreigner struggle with German language, they still respond by speaking several sentences at a stretch in a fast faced manner, without guaging how vast or little the foreigner's vocabulary is in German language and without making sure how well that foreigner has received the first fast-spoken sentence. That may seem a bit inconsiderate to the foreigner.
8. Germany doesn't strictly ask for a language certificate in Deutsch from some Foreigners before letting them enter Deutschland as a Skilled worker or as a student, therefore foreigners may think that English would be as well received here as German once they land here.
9. Some Germans appreciate and applaud when they notice foreigners speak German language (with just a few days of formal training and/or self learning) way better than Germans could ever dare to speak English language. That could be suggestive of how miserably Germans failed at finding the opportunities to put the English language into practice despite the fact that they studied it during some of their formative years of life. It can be perceived unfair by foreigners because then they are compensating for the failure of this bunch of Germans.
10. Perhaps foreigners see their people in the home country showing amicable nature to those who are not the citizens. For instance in India, people my grandparents age would consciously put efforts at making an English speaking tourist feel comfortable by speaking in English, even if they know just 50 words in English. Perhaps foreigners expect that kind of reciprocation when they land here if they observed similar scenario in their home country.
We can also try speak like Italian hand language why not
Ja ich spreche sehr gut Englisch
it's true that this works, but still, it's really sad that this is the reality of the country. When going to the Netherlands it's such a unstressfull experience to just be able to speak english freely. This country is really behind in so many areas.
And have you learned Dutch yet? We believe that when living in a foreign country one should make the effort to learn the language 😊
@@simplegermany come on girls, it's true, but Germany would be great if there was more openness to English, like scandinavian countries. Life would be much easier and it even helps to concentrate in a good way to learn German in a smooth way. I mean, learning under pressure is really stressful and unpleasant…
I think Germans are over all just not confident about their ability to speak English. And from my experience thats grounded in the school system. If you are a pupil with bad maks in school you are still able to communicate and help with finding the way to the trainstation. Most Germans really undestimate their English
Sprechen sie Englisch never works. Even when I say, " es tut mir leid, meine Deutsch ist nicht gut" before
They have to evaluate if their English is better than your Deutsch. If so, some will switch to English
Maybe it would help for you to speak German. You choose to move to Germany, then you at least should try and learn the language.
Well, that is exactly what we are saying 😉
Sprechen sie Türkish?
Denglisch made my life way easier 😂
That is why Netherlands is WAY more attractive than Germany.
Of course, Netherlands is completely different! Better in every aspect
Until I have to pay tuition...
But one question for the non German lady, my question is why aren't you confident in speaking German so far? As I know you've been in Germany for what? 8 , or 9 years? and you have a German partner ! Is it really that difficult or you didn't put the effort to learn it ? Because I just arrived to Germany and I don't know what to expect as I am hearing from a lotta people that it's a difficult language ?
👋 hm…I don’t remember what I specifically say in the video, however - I am confident now to speak German. I wasn’t confident when I got here 12 years ago. For some the language is more difficult than others. I’d say focus on your learning journey and don’t compare to others 😀
@@simplegermany Alright, thanks for explaining 🙆♂🙆♂🕺🕺
If there is an Olympic of rudeness, I swear, Germans will win every single medals as long as the game goes on.
Wie’s argue only if you meet them with rudeness in most cases.
I have no trouble starting interactions in German, it’s when they have followup questions or statements that I didn’t prepare for in advance in my mind that I’m having problems with 🥲
Like there were many situations where I answer followup questions that are supposedly multiple-choice with a “Ja” and they look at me confused 😅
That's great! The more you do it, the more you learn and will be able to answer with more than a Ja 😉
In Nuremberg I was going to pick piano stand and was confused between 2 streets and curiously looking to the street sign boards and my google maps simultaneously… And then a beautiful young lady was passing by me asked me in English ” do you need help?“ and she helped me in finding the address.
By the way at first I thought she likes me and that’s why wants to interact🤣🤣
Same thing happened to me in U Bahn Station where a German guy found me curious and confused so asked to help me
So generous♥️🫶🏻