If this is your first time reading my blog you’re probably wondering about the strange title, but if you’ve read some of my posts before you know I do make those comparisons.
So, let me tell you about my crochet experience:
Many years ago, in the 70s, I used to do a lot of crocheting. Then it got out of fashion and I wasn’t really interested anymore either.
Fast forward to last December and I saw a crochet workshop advertised. Looking to learn something new I thought, why not, and enrolled. As I turned up I was quite worried. Would I still remember what to do? I did, but only bits and pieces!
But under the guidance of the instructor I gradually remembered all the steps and managed to crochet my first piece for a long time (see heart picture above). Since then I attended another workshop and now I thoroughly enjoy crocheting again.
So, where is the connection to learning German?
Easy! A long time ago you may have learned some German. Maybe at school or in evening classes. You may have been ‘rubbish’ at it or you enjoyed it, but you gave up and now you can’t remember anything. Then you see a beginners’ course advertised and you enrol…
What will happen then will be similar to my crochet experience. You learn your first basic sentence – like the slip stitch in crocheting:
Then you learn to put those sentences together, like I did during the crochet workshop.
Gradually you realise that, actually, you do remember quite a bit of German and you start putting more and more things together – yes, like I did 🙂
Then, with the guidance of your German tutor you’ll add to what you once learned and you will be able to hold conversations in German.
So, even if you were (apparently) rubbish at school or you have forgotten everything, don’t panic. Somewhere, hidden in your memory, there is some German left which is just waiting for you to use it again!
As for my crochet, I’m not there yet, but I’m working on getting as good as Sara Huntington who did the crochet workshops:
That’s a really good analogy, Angelika. I love crochet but haven’t done any for some years. My German is almost non-existent, however. Time to do something about both!
Thanks, Suze! I can’t help much with the crocheting but have you seen my ’30 Day Holiday German Challenge’ for next month? (It may, of course, be far too easy for you)
+JMJ+
I enjoyed this post because I’m both a German learner and a crocheter! =D And I agree that memories of old lessons can come back stronger when we summon them.
I have also recently started watching crochet tutorials in German. Don’t you think that “Luftmaschen” (literally, “air stitch”) is much more poetic than the English “chain stitch”? 😉
Oh yes, Luftmaschen, as so many other German words, explain so beautifully what they are.
Good luck with your crocheting and learning German, and thanks for commenting!