I’ve spent years telling you how great life in Frankfurt is. So when I read that my beloved home abroad was ranked second worst city to live for expats in a survey – better than Johannesburg but not as bad as Paris – I was shocked to say the least. Especially as the number of... Continue Reading →
I find working in a foreign language to be a chicken and egg situation: If your professional German (for example) isn't sufficient, then you won’t get a job where you need to use German, but if you don’t have a job where you need to use German then you won’t be able to improve your... Continue Reading →
Learning German is not easy. I am fully with you if you're struggling to remember the random genders, master the pronunciation of umlauts, and move one part of the word to the end of the sentence - sometimes. A languages degree provided me with a solid foundation, but is by no means the sole reason... Continue Reading →
I used to find it quite cool that people could just dip in and out of different languages when speaking. But one language degree and 6 years abroad later, I now realise that this ‘ability’ is actually an incompetence to think in only one language. Joking. But it does sometimes take an extra effort not... Continue Reading →
It's fair to say that I have fully embraced learning languages. Especially German. It could be an intrinsic passion, it could also be that if I hadn't enjoyed a school trip to Berlin when I was 14, I wouldn't have given languages a second thought. But I loved that trip. So I visited Berlin again.... Continue Reading →
I initially sought out German platforms to help improve my German skills. For me, this was the most practical and convenient way to integrate language learning into my everyday life. If you've not yet tried it, I can highly recommend this. I would find one account that I could relate to, and then scroll through... Continue Reading →
Quick tips, rather than long-winded lessons, that can be used on the go. "I like ice-cream because it sweet is.""I am tired if I early get up." Ok, reading that sentence didn't feel natural, right? That's because the verb has been booted to the end of the sentence, just like it is in German. However,... Continue Reading →
It's only natural that you want to know more about the person behind the blog posts - I'm exactly the same! After years of sharing my experience of living in Frankfurt and being in touch with so many of you, I've put together your FAQs, so that the answers are all in once place 😊... Continue Reading →
Quick tips, rather than long-winded lessons, that can be used when on the go.Saying just a basic sentence in German can be a nightmare! The words awkwardly roll off your tongue and even though you know that you have to shift one of the words to the start of the sentence instead of saying it... Continue Reading →
There's no better way to learn a language than from the locals themselves. As someone who has lived in two different countries to improve their languages skills, I've found different locals tend to have different approaches towards your language efforts.. Here's a few of the personalities I've come across: The Understanding Local Us foreign language learners... Continue Reading →
I definitely had an advantage when I moved to Germany. In hindsight being able to speak German before I got here was actually a huge advantage and I wasn't quite aware of how much my German language skills contributed to the ease of settling in in Frankfurt. Yes, there were times when I needed to look... Continue Reading →
Germans are so direct that the term 'small talk' doesn't even exist in their language. Why? It's just not something they do. Regardless of whether it's a touchy subject or not, Germans jump straight to the point in conversation, rather than beating around the bush and facing confrontation as indirectly as possible, as do the... Continue Reading →
One of the beauties of speaking another language is that it allows you to express yourself through different words and concepts that don't exist in your native tongue. Never did I think though, that it could make me (loud, outgoing and laughs all day Alisa) appear to be shy and reserved. Why is it so... Continue Reading →
“Memorise the definite article table!” Yes, everyone says that, but the question is how? At first, I avoided learning the ridiculous number of definite articles in the hope that I’d just pick it up over time, but I soon gave in when I realised that my optimism wasn’t getting me anywhere! 15 years of speaking... Continue Reading →
Alisa Jordan Writes 