1 German in the World - First Encounters

1. German in the World  - First Encounters

German is spoken in many parts of the world but primarily the three main countries where it is used on a daily basis are Germany itself, Austria and Switzerland.

There are many dialects in these three countries and it is well possible that a native speaker in North Germany will not understand the language used in the south of the country. Pronunciation and vocabulary used in the respective parts of the German speaking world vary enormously and this can create massive problems for a learner of the language. More about this later!

The standard language of the German speaking world is Hochdeutsch (literally High German) but its name doesn't come from the fact that it is of high standard but from the geographic location of its origins in the highlands of the south. Locals also refer commonly to Hochdeutsch as Schriftdeutsch, or Written German. This is the language taught in schools, used in newspapers and in the media generally. Hochdeutsch came into being when Martin Luther translated the Latin bible into German so the people in Germany could learn about it in their own language and not in the language of the scholars of the day.

I started learning German in an Australian high school at the age of 12. A couple of years later, a phone call to my parents one night from a native born German speaker, Kurt Herzog, changed my life. He had heard I was studying German for my high school final exams (Leaving Certificate in those days) and wanted to know if I might be interested in learning to 'speak' German once a week. "Your fee?", my parents enquired. "Nothing (kostenlos - costless)! We would just like to get to know some Australian families."

German has been an integral part of my life ever since.

Berlin - Brandenburg gate side view from tourist bus