| Whether you're going to move abroad for a fixed | | | | are almost the same for these particular |
| amount of time for school education, business | | | | cognates. |
| issues or simply for a better/new type of | | | | The first thing that you could do in this case is |
| lifestyle, you're going to be hit by what most | | | | grab a list of English – German cognates |
| people call the "cultural shock". This involves hitting | | | | off the Internet and give them a read-through so |
| yourself to a new lifestyle, new ways of handling | | | | you can recognize them in a text or spot them in |
| issues, sometimes a new type of currency, but | | | | a conversation. This will also help in dealing with |
| most importantly, a new language. Actually, the | | | | the so called "false cognates". False cognates are |
| biggest shock will be this language barrier, | | | | words that look alike and sound alike in both |
| especially if you're moving to a country where the | | | | languages, but actually have a different meaning. |
| mother tongue is no where near your own | | | | For example: the German word "eventuell" might |
| language's lexical foundation. For example, | | | | seem like the English word "eventually", however |
| switching from an Anglo-Saxon based language to | | | | the meaning in German is quite the opposite. |
| a Slavic, or Latin one (or vice versa) can be | | | | Eventuell means "possibly" or "perhaps". Another |
| extremely unpleasant, since you won't be able to | | | | good example of these false cognates is "brave" |
| understand any bits of a conversation. What this | | | | – "brav". You would thing that the German |
| article will aim for, is try to give you a few tips | | | | "brav" means "brave" in English, however its |
| and tricks on how to start learning this new | | | | correct meaning is "well behaved". The German |
| language faster and how to adjust to the new | | | | word for "brave" is "tapfer". |
| culture through language. | | | | As you can see, this is a starting point for your |
| Let's say your native language is English and you | | | | cultural shock adjustment in what regards the |
| move to Germany (the German language is of | | | | language of the foreign country. Of course, the |
| the same lexical foundation as English). Even | | | | example above is very particular, but it applies to |
| though you might not know the slightest thing | | | | many other situations. And since language is such |
| about the German language when you move | | | | an important step in understanding a new culture |
| there, you will still be able to take out bits and | | | | and adjusting to it, it is advised that you start |
| pieces out of writings, conversations (well | | | | learning it even before you move abroad if |
| admittedly, maybe less from conversations, at | | | | possible. Even if you don't have time to take |
| least not until you get used to the local accent, | | | | some local courses, the Internet can be a good |
| talking speed, etc). The reason for this is that | | | | source to start learning. There are several learning |
| many words are quite common in both German | | | | websites out there that can help you do so and |
| and English. Take "house" for example, which is | | | | some of them offer quality free online language |
| translated as "haus". Although the spelling is slightly | | | | courses that can give you a heads up on a |
| different, the pronunciation and the morphosyntax | | | | language in a matter of days. |