24 Reasons for Learning German – Cycling along the Mosel

Advent Calendar Day 18

Today’s post comes from Richard H. Thank you, Richard!

I started to learn German at School in 1970 and initially enjoyed it because the language seemed much easier than French, with many German words the same as English. However after a couple of years I started to struggle with the more complex Grammar and decided I would put all my efforts into my French lessons, at the expense of my German Lessons. What a big mistake.
At the time I thought I would never travel abroad (nobody did in those days) so could not really see the point of learning a foreign language  that I would never use .
Fast forward to 2009 and I went on my first holiday to Austria. Surprisingly I could still remember quite a few German words and really enjoyed speaking it to the locals. Since then I have been back to Austria 4 times and have also been to Germany 3 times. On each visit I have learnt more words and improved my conversation skills, and particularly like visiting places where English is not spoken at all because I learn so much more.
I am now aged 54. My ambition is to speak German fluently by the time I am 60, and I plan to visit Germany or Austria at least twice every year in future because I love the culture of both countries. This year I cycled the length of the River Mosel from the French border to Koblenz and the Rhine. Phantastisch!

1 thought on “24 Reasons for Learning German – Cycling along the Mosel”

  1. Thanks, Richard, it sounds like you’re having great fun on your travels.
    I’m glad you’ve mentioned going to places where they don’t speak English. People always assume ‘everybody in Germany speaks English’. many do and most have learnt it at school, but just because they had English lessons doesn’t mean they can speak it.We only need to ask all English speakers who learnt a foreign language at school ……….

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