Germany calling

27 April 2009

One day at school in 1998 after I’d made my A Level subject choices – History, English Literature and Theatre Studies – I was leaving our empty classroom when my German teacher, Mrs Utting, said to me that I could do A Level German if I wanted to, I was good enough to do so. It was nice to hear that, but it wasn’t for me. Languages never came naturally to me at school and the idea of another two years of German lessons just didn’t appeal.

Yet for the past eight and a half years I’ve been running a website about an Austrian musician. It is translating German articles about him, singing his songs and corresponding with German-speakers over this time that has brought my German way beyond what it was in 1998. I’ve re-taught myself the grammar and have picked up a much larger vocabulary, though it’s now somewhat more centered on the exploits of my musician than on asking for directions, or buying a stamp.

Since so much of my German has come from reading and writing I’ve been somewhat shy when it comes to speaking, as I’d had no practice. But it’s something that I’m now improving and so when the phone rang this morning at 8.30am (a time at which I’m not exactly “at the office” yet) I was so pleased with myself for handling the unexpected call from Germany. I was able to understand the lady calling without the slightest problem and talked almost effortlessly to her, these strange foreign words tumbling out of my mouth, not just in the right order and with the right meaning, but also giving my opinion on the subject at hand.

I think Mrs Utting would have been proud … because, dammit, I know I was!

Now if I could just teach those guys over there about the one hour time difference…