I have now lived in Germany for three months. During that time, my German has massively improved, but I am still nowhere near fluency. While I agree with the notion that immersion is the best way to learn a language, immersion is not enough on its own. Practicing on your own time, like playing Duolingo or listening to Disney songs in German, is necessary as well. Unfortunately, language learning has always been challenging for me, and despite my best attempts, I am still stuck in B1 (intermediate).
I’ve found that attending yoga classes has been a surprisingly effective way to learn German. During class, the instructor speaks slowly and enunciates clearly, giving me enough time to fully process and understand what they said. Because the instructor is usually the only one speaking, I can listen without feeling stressed about formulating the correct response. In addition, since I’m already familiar with most yoga sequences and poses, the instructions are easy to follow and an excellent way to learn new vocabulary, especially words relating to the body. Yoga is also a nice way to meet new people and chat with them before class begins, but without the expectation of holding a lengthy conversation. Finally, if I don’t understand something, I can simply look to the other participants and match their movements. It’s a relaxing environment where I don’t worry about being “found out” as a foreigner.
To those who want to improve their language skills, I recommend taking a yoga class!
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