I've been studying German in an intensive course for nine months now, but realized last week that I've been wasting my time. We've started a new chapter about the workplace and heard two dialogues about essential job skills. An important qualification is "Sozialkompetenz, oder so sagen wir auf neu Deutsch: soft skills." (Social competency, or as we say in new German: soft skills.)
That's right. New German = English. Not only that, but in our next listening exercise, half a dozen English phrases were sprinkled in: brain storming, mind mapping, etc.
On the one hand, I have apparently wasted my time. On the other hand, I had an interview last week for a job as an English teacher. Germans have also heard that the new version of their language is English, and there is a great demand for native speakers. And although I don't have a degree in education, I think that I could make a good English teacher. Sometimes I explain and correct the English of my classmates. Like the other week, Chila was talking about the new song by Akon, "Sexy Birch." She was pretty sure that was the name of the song, but I explained that a birch is a type of tree in English. Of course, maybe I am wrong. That would add another level to the lyrics.
2 comments:
Haha... How about Manager, Testing, Computer, Team and the list continues :-) I find this mix of English and German makes it harder to know whether or not the word you have said in class actually exists or if it's just something you made up... Germanising the English... last week I spoke about "der Progress" haha
You have just confirmed that I need not feel guilty for aspiring to nothing in my German learning. I have lived here for 3 years and have survived very well with English only. It almost gives one star quality when they are a native English speaker. As long as an "attempt" to speak German is made before throwing in a few English words, and some how the Germans, they love you for it.
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