1. Domestic training
It is recommended to study German for at least 100 hours before going abroad, focusing on basic vocabulary and everyday language. First, I am confident that I can speak a few words when I first arrive in Germany. Second, lay the foundation for future German classes, because all German classes are taught by Germans in pure German. If it is difficult to learn from scratch, listening to the class basically depends on guessing.
2. College language courses
After entering the university, you can apply for German courses in the language center (sprache zentrum), choose your own suitable level from A 1-C 1, and attend classes twice a week, so that you can meet some friends from all over the world without delaying the study of professional courses.
3. Off-campus training courses
If there is a time conflict between language courses and professional courses in universities, you can also report to off-campus training courses and attend classes in winter and summer vacations; Or go to Volkshochschule (citizen school) in your city. In addition to some skills training and interest training courses for citizens, there are also German courses for foreigners. Because of government subsidies, the courses here are much cheaper than special language training courses, and the time is more in the evening, which is more suitable.
When the German level is high, you can also enroll in some interest classes here, and learn cooking, yoga and martial arts once a week to continue to improve your German ability in an all-German environment.
If German is excellent and has some specialties, you can also apply to teach here, teach Chinese, calligraphy and Tai Chi, and earn some pocket money while practicing German.
4. German-speaking environment
The environment in Germany is not acquired naturally when you are in Germany. Many students usually use English in class and go home to brush American dramas after class. English is getting better and better, but German has not improved. The language environment is to be discovered and created by yourself. For example, you can share an apartment with Germans. Although it takes a little luck to meet a friendly roommate, you can spend more time chatting with people who already live in the house when looking at the house, and you can also see whether the other person is easy to get along with and biased against China people.
Bian Xiao was lucky to find a four-bedroom apartment. Two Germans and a Frenchman are very friendly. We usually do something together in the kitchen and have a party. It was a very pleasant experience.
Of course, students who live alone can also participate in some activities with German students, such as classmates' birthday parties, barbecue parties and so on. If you feel that the pure German environment is not good for communication, you can also participate in the activities of international students. General universities have international student organizations that hold interesting activities for students from all over the world. It is much easier to speak German with other foreigners. Everyone has a limited German vocabulary, and simple German words mixed with body language can communicate freely.
The best way is to find a German partner who wants to learn Chinese. It is also interesting for them to learn from each other. Bian Xiao saw someone posted a small note on the information wall of the library, and wanted to learn Chinese, so he contacted him decisively. They meet every week, have coffee and chat, and correct each other's language mistakes, which is pleasant and efficient. Bian Xiao met a handsome guy with pure blue eyes. Now that I think about it, my heart is still pounding.
5. Learning tools
Radio is a good learning tool. Germans are used to listening to the news when they eat in the morning. You can listen to it often. If they don't understand, the background music is playing. Being listened to for a long time will produce a sense of language.
I bought a second-hand TV for 20 euros. You can guess more than half of the TV content by looking at the images. Later, when I was studying intermediate German, I downloaded the German ZDF TV application and began to try watching TV series. The advantage of APP is that it can open subtitles and pause replay at any time, which is more convenient than TV.
In fact, there are many ways, and you can explore them yourself. Libraries and websites have inexhaustible information. What you lack is often not the method, but the action. As long as you make up your mind and start learning, you have already succeeded half.
The three-year after-school period from A 1 to C 1 is actually an ordinary progress, making steady progress without too much pressure. The best example I have ever seen is the senior. In one year, I got excellent grades in specialized courses, and passed DSH with zero basic German, which requires strong self-discipline and determination.
In short, students studying English in Germany should never give up learning German, no matter how busy they are. If you learn German well, you will find that life is very pleasant and convenient, just like opening a door: there are more opportunities for work and internship, more friends, and maybe you can meet a foreign love. Why not?