What’s the difference between hiking on a snowy mountain and learning German?

What's the difference between hiking on a snowy mountain and learning German?

I haven’t written a ‘what’s the difference between (a sport) and learning German’ post  for quite a while. So when I spent the weekend in Sofia, Bulgaria with my son and daughter and we went hiking on the snowy Vitosha mountain I knew this would make another blog post ☺

So, what is the difference between hiking on a snowy mountain and learning German?

This is what happened on Vitosha mountain:

  1. My daughter suggested the three of us should spend some quality family time while hiking in the snow. I saw some pictures and thought ‘wow, that looks brilliant’ and agreed.
  2. We went there armed with extra clothing and walking poles for support and a guide.
  3. When we arrived, the view was fantastic and the start of the hike was easy.
  4. The walking poles helped us walking in the snow and it was fun.
  5. As we got higher and higher it started to get a bit more difficult. But we made sure we followed our guide who knew where to go.
  6. At one stage I took some wrong steps and sank with both my legs deep into the snow and couldn’t move. It took both my children to help me out again.
  7. But we reached the peak and felt great.
  8. It was sooo worth the walk!
  9. On the way back we had to walk against a very bitter and cold wind.  The walk was very hard and we were aching. Surely the way back should have been easy!?
  10. Finally we made it back tired, aching but feeling great because we did what we wanted to do!
Angelika, Katie and Martin on Vitosha mountain

Okay, so how can we possibly compare that to learning German?

  1. Somebody suggests that you should learn German, and because you always wanted to do it, you agree.
  2. Armed with a dictionary, pen and paper and a textbook or online resources for support, you start learning with a tutor (on or offline).
  3. You start your first lesson, German seems easy enough and you’re enjoying your lessons.
  4. Using those extra online resources help you along and many are fun games to complete.
  5. As your German progresses, it’s also getting more difficult, but you ask  your tutor for help and with that help you continue.
  6. There may be a time when you get things completely wrong and can’t get out of the German grammar mess. But your tutor and fellow students whether at evening classes or in online communities, will be able to help you out.
  7. And then you reach the end of the course or book and you feel great!
  8. Being able to understand everything in the book is sooo worth the effort!
  9. Then you want to move on and find that, despite having learned so much, new obstacles are thrown in your way. And even things you have already learned seem to be difficult in a different content.
  10. Finally you overcome those obstacles and you feel great because you have achieved what you wanted to achieve!Well done, you can now read those German books or watch those German films or talk to your German friends, or whatever your goal was!

 

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