Learning to speak another language can be intimidating. After learning the pronunciation, tenses, word order, and other intricacies of the language, its simplest function can often be the most challenging – conversation. I’ve always had a great interest in language, and after studying German for nearly six years I’ve had plentiful practice with reading, writing, and listening comprehension. Speaking with others, especially native speakers, however, was a rare if not impossible occurrence.
Previously, I had immersed myself in the language through film and books, but I always felt that the social aspect of language learning was absent. After all, one of the best ways to learn and gain fluency in a language is not only by lingual immersion, but also by social interaction, by meeting new people and conveying ideas. Despite my passion for German, I sometimes felt as if my effort to learn the language was in vain.