Introduction

We live in a world where a lot of things go on at a very fast pace. Even language acquisition is often approached in a hurry. Well, if you’re one of those people who need to learn some German quickly, this is the book for you. It doesn’t matter if your goal for your new language is travel or business or just a personal interest in German. What’s important is that you have the desire to learn, because that kind of attitude breeds success.

You’ll find that the concepts contained in this book are presented in simple and clear language. Grammatical and linguistic terms are kept to a minimum and are fully explained when needed. You’ll be briefed on the German alphabet and the sounds that are identical to English and the ones that are different. You’ll be made aware of basic spelling rules, which in German are not complicated, because the language is—for the most part—written as it is pronounced.

Since German and English are brother and sister languages, you’ll find many similarities between them, which is a distinct advantage when learning a new language. You probably don’t even need the English translation to know what the following words mean.

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 finden (find)

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 Auto (auto)

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 braun (brown)

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 mein (mine)

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 singen (sing)

Il_9781598695496_0007_001 Winter (winter)

This doesn’t mean that you’ll breeze through everything though. It’s just that the similarity between German and English make the learning process a little smoother and far less frustrating.

If you apply yourself and take the book seriously, you’ll end up with the basics for spoken and written communication. The vocabulary you’ll encounter are the essentials you need for travel, dining, shopping, and getting by in an urban setting in Germany. You’ll have enough skill with the tenses to make sense when you talk about things that happened yesterday or things that will go on today and tomorrow. In general, you’ll know enough German to form the basis that will allow you to communicate as an educated foreigner and that will be the first building block for further German study.

Viel Spaß! Have fun!