OMG, I'm in an English-speaking country!

Surprise, I'm home! Just for the hols though and not even for Silvester. Phooey. And what did I do as soon as I landed? I indubitably got myself a Tim Horton's coffee. French Vanilla to be precise. The morning after I landed, I indulged in this luscious bowl of steaming hot oatmeal topped with maple syrup and berries. It's so damn good to be home, man. Don't get it twisted though: I've missed my mom's homemade cookin' more than I've missed Timmie's. #keepinitreal



Whenever I fly back into Toronto, I'm always overcome with a strange yet familiar sensation. I mean I'll always consider Tdot "home" but when you're gone for such long periods of time, you just can't help but look at the city differently whenever you visit again. As much as I love my city, I can't picture myself living here in the next while (if ever). The reason being that there's too much of the world I still need to see! Plain and simple as that.

I don't know if anyone can relate to what I'm about to say... but I'll divulge anyway. I've lived in Germany for almost two years now and I have English-speaking friends in BS but all of that ain't nothin' compared to being surrounded by English 24/7. I'm so used to being surrounded by German, I was thrown off-kilter upon arriving at YYZ. Suddenly, I was forced to switch to English with the snap of a finger. I didn't panic but it felt strange at first.

Above all, I consider it a treat to be able to freely communicate with everyone around me (even if it's only for another 1.5 weeks). Not that my German's bad at all, but of course one communicates best in his or her native tongue. I'll cherish the brief time I'll have in my home and native land because I can speak a level of English I'm not used to speaking. This observation is not meant to offend because it's the truth. In light of all this, I've come to realize that there are so many nuances, idioms, phrasal verbs, etc in the English language. How refreshing it is to be able to hear/use these words and phrases again without getting a befuddled look from someone!!!!!!!!

Ich spreche noch nicht fließend Deutsch.

There are a million reasons why one chooses to learn a new language. I myself have chosen to learn German because I live in Germany. In order to fully integrate into society, I find it imperative that I learn the language of the people here. Not to mention, in wanting to be able to meet new people and make new friends, communication is key.

I've chosen to go freestyle with it, opting out of taking a course and rather, learning on my own and at my own pace. So far, despite all the ups and downs, I don't speak fluent German yet... but progression has definitely been made. My goal? To be able to speak basic conversational German within a year. And because I love the challenge of learning a new language so much, here's some insight for ya'll......



5 Tips: How to Learn a New Language

1. Get over your self-consciousness, and get over it quickly.
2. Get the #@&% out there! Talk to people! Make mistakes! Accept feedback! Speak freely!
3. Join language groups/organizations where you can practise speaking in an informal atmosphere.
4. Immerse yourself completely. Watch films (with subtitles). Be observant. And read, damnit, read!
5. There will be plateau stages, but don't worry. The learning process can only go in one direction: uP.

5 Awesome Things about Learning a New Language

1. You exercise a different part of the brain. Who wouldn't want that?!
2. It opens doors and increases opportunities, whether for traveling, working or studying purposes.
3. Anybody can do it! You just gotta be a go-getter. Be passionate. Be persistent.
4. The revelation moments when things start to make sense will make you feel high on life all day.
5. I promise, it'll be unlike anything you've ever done before. And the outcome? Highly rewarding.