Who's in Germany or planning to come over?

Amtmann · 26-03-2010 3:16pm

Actually, scratch that - a big storm has just arrived: wind, rain, lightning. No cycle this evening!

murphaph · 15-05-2010 5:09pm

Murphaph here in Berlin since early 2009. I like it, working away and doing German 2 evenings a week at the VHS (C2 Oberstufe). I did intensive German lessons at the start to bring me from B1 to C1 and then bailed to an evening course. I speak German mostly with the GF so that helps more now than classes, though I like being kept on the straight and narrow vis a vis grammar! Having experienced both a private school and the VHS I can say I find the standard similarly high in both...will never fork out for lessons outside a VHS in future. My GF does Hungarian at the VHS and her teacher is actually a Hungarian lecturer from Humboldt University, top notch.

A mate of mine is doing intensive lessons with the VHS now and he's coming on in leaps and bounds having started at A1.

John C · 22-05-2010 10:01pm

Location: In the S-Bahn Gebiet of Munich. [rapid transport area]
German: intermediate German with the Cork German Society.
Evening classes in Germany.
Sprachdiplom von Goethe Institute.

John C

mashling · 21-09-2010 9:00pm

I've just made the move from Galway to Freiburg.

I don't speak German (yet) so it's going to be a bit of a challenge!

scopper · 26-09-2010 11:33pm

mashling wrote: »

I've just made the move from Galway to Freiburg.

I don't speak German (yet) so it's going to be a bit of a challenge!

I'm moving to Freiburg in Nov. Moving over to the GF once I finish my PhD here (submitting in a week or two). Must admit I am a bit worried as I have no German and no money to do a course. I have a loan to cover rent and living for two months (3 at a stretch) so really need to find a job once I get there. Has anybody found this difficult? I know there are two Irish bars there, but I imagine jobs are not easy to find there as it is a student town already. Stressful stuff!

Amtmann · 26-09-2010 11:55pm

scopper wrote: »

I'm moving to Freiburg in Nov. Moving over to the GF once I finish my PhD here (submitting in a week or two). Must admit I am a bit worried as I have no German and no money to do a course. I have a loan to cover rent and living for two months (3 at a stretch) so really need to find a job once I get there. Has anybody found this difficult? I know there are two Irish bars there, but I imagine jobs are not easy to find there as it is a student town already. Stressful stuff!

Post on the Freiburg section of www.toytowngermany.com and ask for tips (it's an English-language website). Go to the Irish pub; someone may be able to point you in the direction of a job somewhere...

mashling · 28-09-2010 10:56am

scopper wrote: »

I'm moving to Freiburg in Nov. Moving over to the GF once I finish my PhD here (submitting in a week or two). Must admit I am a bit worried as I have no German and no money to do a course. I have a loan to cover rent and living for two months (3 at a stretch) so really need to find a job once I get there. Has anybody found this difficult? I know there are two Irish bars there, but I imagine jobs are not easy to find there as it is a student town already. Stressful stuff!

Hi Scopper,

I've only been in Freiburg for a week but I have to say that nearly everyone I've met has English so it's easy enough to get by.
I haven't had to search for a job over here as my lovely boss is letting me work from home, but I have seen a good number of ads up on windows for work (I think I saw one up in the Irish pub O'Kellys for a waitress the last day), and the local paper has a large classifieds section http://www.badische-zeitung.de/lokales/freiburg/ which is available online and can be translated with google translate (thanks google!)

One great thing about Freiburg is that the cost of food here is much cheaper, I got a massive pizza in a nice restaurant the last day for 5 euro, and there are Aldis and Lidls everywhere that are much cheaper than Ireland.

Another Irish head in Freiburg, excellent!

Orla_inka · 01-10-2010 12:05am

I hate language schools. They are a rip off both for people working there and students.

If anyone asks about learning German I tell them that there are Germans crying out for tandem partners in most universities.

I see some have mentioned Freiburg. Freiburg has a university and a PH (Teacher training college) I am sure you will find someone willing to teach you German for your English. Also, I think it is a good way to meet lots of young people. Just post a message on the boards.

scopper · 01-10-2010 12:07am

Thank you all for the advice. It is making me feel much better about moving

Patricide · 01-10-2010 12:09am

Aachener here. Moved over about 5 months ago with zero german. Have enough to get by now but my grammer is far from perfect, but I have a job and im settling in nicely.

Orla_inka · 01-10-2010 12:10am

I miss my Club Orange and Finches orange.

If anyone was driving over and could bring some over, I would be in seventh heaven.

I also miss Brunches, but I guess driving over with a load of ice cream is asking too much

I live near Heidelberg at the French boarder.

Amtmann · 01-10-2010 6:46pm

Orla_inka wrote: »

I hate language schools. They are a rip off both for people working there and students.

If anyone asks about learning German I tell them that there are Germans crying out for tandem partners in most universities. .. Also, I think it is a good way to meet lots of young people. Just post a message on the boards.

It's the best method in my opinion as well, provided you have some basics first.

I lived in Erlangen and used this website, which is also good for the Nuremberg area.

I gave the first three months of my time in Germany with barely anyone to talk to. It was miserable! I stubbornly avoided Irish pubs as I felt I'd just get into a lazy habit of hanging out solely with Anglophones and learn no German. I discovered the Spachduo website, created a profile, and received loads of emails from Germans. Orla is right: many are really eager to find native speakers to practice with. It's a great way to make friends too. I made some brilliant ones.

My only problem with tandempartnership is that if a big disparity exists between the level of skill that you and your partner possesses (and this often happens because the Germans that go for it usually have very good English), then this can lead to you using more English than German. If you start off in English and are having a brilliant conversation, it can be really hard to switch to German. That's just what I found, but then again, I lack will power

I also told my tandempartners that I was doing it to make friends as much as anything else and for the most part that worked too. I also met a group of Americans from Toy Town, great guys, and I managed to get them and my tandempartners to meet regularly for some brilliant evenings out.

In short, I couldn't recommend the method highly enough if you're looking to get to know people and practice German.

Orla_inka · 01-10-2010 11:57pm

Nice link, there. Yes, I didn't think about the disparity of language levels.

When I came to Germany first, I was passing through ... that was years and years and ye...ago. I avoided speaking German as much as I could, only speaking it when the other person could not speak English.

After a year and I was still here: I thought that I really had to do something about the language. That is where I hit my first (of many) stone wall. Unfortunately, Germans want to practice their English at every chance. And they are so fookin' hartnäckig (persistent)

How often did I hear someone suggest that I speak German and they would speak English to me? Well, I am not really here for you to speak English to me.

I still hear the same over again. Others in the same boat. "You speak German and I speak English". :mad:

You need that all-important willpower to answer, you need to speak/learn the language of the country.

It is very hard not to come across as being rude. I just am.

Empire o de Sun · 03-10-2010 5:33pm

I have good days and bad days with my german. The best thing to do is to stop reading english websites, i find this hard to do, but maybe try it for a week.

But if you are a beginner, get a childrens book. Maybe one you remember from your childhood and start there.

Immersion is the key to learning. Put yellow stickies on thing in your flat, such as the doop, press, room, knives etc. Learning by association is easier.

use whatever german you have, even if it's just numbers at the start. If will build up your confidence and over time more vocab will come.

Amtmann · 03-10-2010 9:02pm

Empire o de Sun wrote: »

But if you are a beginner, get a childrens book. Maybe one you remember from your childhood and start there.

Something like this is ideal.

munchkin_utd · 08-10-2010 1:37pm

scopper wrote: »

I'm moving to Freiburg in Nov. Moving over to the GF once I finish my PhD here (submitting in a week or two).

Must admit I am a bit worried as I have no German and no money to do a course.<snip>

You should relax about the language.
You have the best teacher at home by moving in with a german chick IF you try and speak the lingo with her at home.
Most people I know with excellent german have german boyfiriend/girlfriends.
(the others are Dutch or freaks of nature that speak 15 different languages)
And being german they have a network of german friends where the social language is German (as opposed to international folks who speak English amongst themselves)

I even noticed some of my mates coming on in quantam leaps just after moving in with a german, especially with the accent.

The main thing is not to give up and persevere with it. Its not as hard as you think.
BTW- you will just ignore the worst of the grammar after a while anyhow. Once you have the vocab and the sentence structure, you'll be able to communicate 100% and THAT is what matters, not having your der die das ****e right in every last case. (Although for written german you do have to be pretty spot on, but you cant get a job as a paper pushing civil servant as a foreigner anyhow i dont think!)

TonythePony · 16-11-2010 3:03pm

What kind of job opportunities are on offer in Germany for someone who has only a very basic grasp of the language. What job sites did you guys look at?

Patricide · 16-11-2010 8:23pm

Dish washer(spüler), Waiter(kellner) or warehouse worker(lagerhaus arbeiter).

If you have a degree the skys the limit though.

munchkin_utd · 18-11-2010 10:37am

the job centre has currently 641,507 job positions open.
and some specifically for english speakers.

i.e. by searching with "english" as my term and "München" i.e. munich as the city, 100+ results came and as an example heres a callcentre looking for NATIVE speakers in munich

english speaking call centre job in munich

German jobcentre job database main homepage
http://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de/

EDIT: or search for jobs scrubbing floors and cleaning the bogs as mentioned above!!

Empire o de Sun · 20-11-2010 1:24pm

So glad I'm in germany now and not at home. Working again and have a shoooot load of holidays compared to what I had in Ireland.

mahamageehad · 20-11-2010 2:02pm

I'm living in Darmstadt! Again, as has been said previously if i try and speak german (i'm here 8 weeks, didn't have a word of german when i arrived) germans immediately pick up on the fact that i'm struggling and answer me in english which is the last thing i want! Also i'm here with other irish people so the social language is always english and I study in English! I also agree that language courses are a waste of time!

murphaph · 01-12-2010 5:21pm

Furet wrote: »

My only problem with tandempartnership is that if a big disparity exists between the level of skill that you and your partner possesses (and this often happens because the Germans that go for it usually have very good English), then this can lead to you using more English than German. If you start off in English and are having a brilliant conversation, it can be really hard to switch to German. That's just what I found, but then again, I lack will power

My tandem partner is the missus. We were having this trouble at the beginning as well as her english was farrrrr better than my German (she's a translator) so we made a rule: We speak alternating months only english or German. We switched to German for December this morning, just like that. We speak, email and skype in the requisite language so we get a good month of "immersion" (though I speak german at work these days now as well so it's less critical).

It's a stereotype that Germans follow the rules doggedly, but it's not far from the truth, so if anyone is having trouble with a tandem partner, make it a rule that you only speak x language this week/month and alternate. It's fair on both parties. Worked for me anyway. Oh, I did intensive German classes when i first arrived here, and I wouldn't dismiss them as quickly as some on here, with the right school/teacher of course.

Amtmann · 11-12-2010 4:16pm

murphaph wrote: »

It's a stereotype that Germans follow the rules doggedly, but it's not far from the truth.

Yesterday in Nuremberg I was with a few Americans and we came to a pedestrian crossing where the pedestrian light was red. The road we wanted to cross was little more than a lane and there was no traffic in sight. We were four, and there was also a woman with a small child at the crossing waiting for the light to go green. One of the American guys looked left and right, saw that there was nothing coming, and crossed the road, though the light was still red. Suddenly the woman called angrily after him "Hallo!!! Die ist eine kleine Kind!". In other words, "how dare you set such a bad example to my child". It was an eye opener!

opinion guy · 11-12-2010 4:23pm

Furet wrote: »

Yesterday in Nuremberg I was with a few Americans and we came to a pedestrian crossing where the pedestrian light was red. The road we wanted to cross was little more than a lane and there was no traffic in sight. We were four, and there was also a woman with a small child at the crossing waiting for the light to go green. One of the American guys looked left and right, saw that there was nothing coming, and crossed the road, though the light was still red. Suddenly the woman called angrily after him "Hallo!!! Die ist eine kleine Kind!". In other words, "how dare you set such a bad example to my child". It was an eye opener!

Yeah they can be a bit crazy like that. You were corrupting the little tykes whole world view with that breech of protocol. Still thou if you think thats bad just don't let on that you pee standing up or you will really here all about it!!!!:eek::eek::rolleyes:

Patricide · 11-12-2010 6:44pm

Furet wrote: »

Yesterday in Nuremberg I was with a few Americans and we came to a pedestrian crossing where the pedestrian light was red. The road we wanted to cross was little more than a lane and there was no traffic in sight. We were four, and there was also a woman with a small child at the crossing waiting for the light to go green. One of the American guys looked left and right, saw that there was nothing coming, and crossed the road, though the light was still red. Suddenly the woman called angrily after him "Hallo!!! Die ist eine kleine Kind!". In other words, "how dare you set such a bad example to my child". It was an eye opener!

Yup. I know guys that got 25 euro for crossing the road at a red light. Even though no cars were coming. Its madness, but thats germany for you!

Orla_inka · 07-01-2011 9:02am

I confess, I will cross the road if there is no traffic. I will look, however, to see whether there are children (or police) around. Anyone who speaks disparagingly about the need to set a good example for children, is just plain ignorant.

A couple of years ago I was on my bike. I crossed the road to go home just as the lights were changing. It was a close shave. A police car was at the lights and followed me to my door. They took down my details. Asked me to open the door - making sure it was my house.

I waited for the fine - but none came.

liah · 07-01-2011 9:12am

Oh crap, nobody told me it was actually illegal (or about that example-setting thing, for that matter!) :eek: I've been jaywalking all over the place for the last six months!

Will have to pay more attention next time. I'm so used to it, I don't even think about it anymore; if there's no cars I just go. And here I was thinking the Germans were odd for waiting even though there were no cars! :pac:

Micamaca · 08-01-2011 10:48am

Hee, hee have a look at the link here, I'm sure you've seen these signs near traffic lights before. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ampelfreund/4496554613

Vorbild means role model, so no more excuses

I mus admit I do the same as Orla, have a good look around for kids or cops and then leg it! But I have no problem waiting if there are any kids around. I respect the efforts they make. We probably all know of someone or heard some story of kids who got killed crossing the road when/where they shouldn't have and it's just too sad.

So be a good role model folks

opinion guy · 09-01-2011 11:30am

liah wrote: »

Oh crap, nobody told me it was actually illegal (or about that example-setting thing, for that matter!) :eek: I've been jaywalking all over the place for the last six months!

Will have to pay more attention next time. I'm so used to it, I don't even think about it anymore; if there's no cars I just go. And here I was thinking the Germans were odd for waiting even though there were no cars! :pac:

Hahaha - you picked up too many bad habits since your time in Ireland. We Irish are notorious jay-walkers.
Seriously to the Germanic mindset its such a faux pas. Its the equivalent to walking down the street naked in a very Catholic town in Ireland.

Other thing to realise in Germany. You will notice alot of germans curse in English. And they curse vehemently in English. They throw around really strong/harsh f-bombs with abandon - seemingly not realising how strong this is to a native english speaker. This is not just down to MTV Europe however. Apparently cursing in German is actually against the law and can get you fined etc. Cursing in English however is fair game.
Or so I was told anyway

peasant · 09-01-2011 11:49am

opinion guy wrote: »

Apparently cursing in German is actually against the law and can get you fined etc. Cursing in English however is fair game.
Or so I was told anyway

Naaah ...cursing is not illegal in Germany in whatever language ...but insulting somebody (= Beleidigung) is.

So be careful flipping the bird to other people, especially when in your car, as the numberplate makes it easy for someone (with witnesses) to report you and have you fined. Insulting a police officer or any other official (in the heat of the moment for example) can get really expensive (Beamtenbeleidigung)

Patricide · 09-01-2011 3:56pm

Cursing in Germany is a lot more serious. If you go around calling someone a schlampa or a möze(not sure if I spelled either right) people will usually react with a dropped jaw.

I havent done it myself but I did once make the mistake of saying möze instead of mütze to my girlfriend in public. Based on the looks on there faces they didnt care that I was a foreigner.

peasant · 11-01-2011 7:34pm

Patricide wrote: »

Cursing in Germany is a lot more serious. If you go around calling someone a schlampa or a möze(not sure if I spelled either right) people will usually react with a dropped jaw.

You wouldn't call someone a sl*t or c*nt to their face here either, would you? In public or not ...

That's not cursing ..that's insulting in either language

Lawrence1895 · 11-01-2011 8:46pm

After 34 years living in Germany, I can say, that cursing as such is not seen as an offence against the law.

But there is still a difference between a curse and an insult, and if you insult a cop or somebody belonging to a so called disadvantaged group (people with a disability, people from a foreign country, etc) you are in serious trouble.

squishykins · 12-01-2011 1:15am

I don't think the jaywalking rule over there is that ridiculous, the traffic system over there is way better too which means you're not waiting long anyway...

I'm hoping to study in Germany for a year the after next, not sure where yet though

I've been to Aachen many times visiting family, Konstanz for 5 weeks doing a school exchange, and day trips to loads of places.

I was hoping to go to Rock am Ring in the Nurburgring this year, but the plans have fallen through the rafters

Patricide · 12-01-2011 10:24am

peasant wrote: »

You wouldn't call someone a sl*t or c*nt to their face here either, would you? In public or not ...

That's not cursing ..that's insulting in either language

Ah in Ireland you can insult someone in a joking manner and people get it. In Germany its always serious.

Orla_inka · 15-01-2011 9:40pm

Regarding cursing:
I once cursed in English within earshot of a traffic warden (ok I was certainly loud) and I was fined a hefty amount of money. This, even after an apology letter written by my husband. My expletive was only fractionally directed at her - also at me and the car. (It was free parking. I had put the clock with arrival time on the wrong side. I was angry with the world. My annoyance cost me €250.)

Years and years ago a pal was fined 1500DM for saying: "Du Arschloch" to a policeman. 500DM for the "Arschloch" and 1000DM for the familiar "Du".

I have heard people say "****" on German TV - never bleeped out!!!

Edit: Hahaha but I see that it is bleeped out here. (was the f-word.)

Patricide · 16-01-2011 1:00am

Orla_inka wrote: »

Regarding cursing:
I once cursed in English within earshot of a traffic warden (ok I was certainly loud) and I was fined a hefty amount of money. This, even after an apology letter written by my husband. My expletive was only fractionally directed at her - also at me and the car. (It was free parking. I had put the clock with arrival time on the wrong side. I was angry with the world. My annoyance cost me €250.)

Years and years ago a pal was fined 1500DM for saying: "Du Arschloch" to a policeman. 500DM for the "Arschloch" and 1000DM for the familiar "Du".

I have heard people say "****" on German TV - never bleeped out!!!

Edit: Hahaha but I see that it is bleeped out here. (was the f-word.)

Wow, 1000dm for du. Thats nuts!

liah · 16-01-2011 1:03am

Orla_inka wrote: »

Regarding cursing:
I once cursed in English within earshot of a traffic warden (ok I was certainly loud) and I was fined a hefty amount of money. This, even after an apology letter written by my husband. My expletive was only fractionally directed at her - also at me and the car. (It was free parking. I had put the clock with arrival time on the wrong side. I was angry with the world. My annoyance cost me €250.)

Years and years ago a pal was fined 1500DM for saying: "Du Arschloch" to a policeman. 500DM for the "Arschloch" and 1000DM for the familiar "Du".

I have heard people say "****" on German TV - never bleeped out!!!

Edit: Hahaha but I see that it is bleeped out here. (was the f-word.)

From your husband? Why not from yourself? What difference would it make if it's from you or your husband?

Orla_inka · 16-01-2011 1:16am

liah wrote: »

From your husband? Why not from yourself? What difference would it make if it's from you or your husband?

Because my written German is crap.

Empire o de Sun · 16-01-2011 2:21pm

Orla_inka wrote: »

Because my written German is crap.

ditto!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit.
By the way, I found the "du" thing hard, but you get away with it most of the time as an Auslander, but I'm pretty much using Sie now 80% of the time I supposed to, and 10% when I not, which is even more annoying and embarassing. I did dutz a police man once, by accident, he wasn't too happy, but my german was really bad at the time.

I recommend germany to anyone who is thinking of it. Best thing I've done for years.

Lawrence1895 · 16-01-2011 4:44pm

The story with 'Du' and 'Sie' is a bit strange indeed

Usually, the 'Sie' applies to anyone, who does not belong to your family and who is not your friend/school mate/colleague in work.

Cops, teachers, your boss. somebody, who is older than yourself or the priest might take it quite serious, if you address them with 'Du'.

And funny things happen in school: Let's say, you go all the way to university, you have to spend 13 years in school (it was like that when I was young anyway), the first 10 years, the teachers says 'Du' to the pupils. Once you are in 11th class (16 years of age approx), pupils have to be addressed with 'Sie'...some teachers fail big time

Amtmann · 16-01-2011 11:43pm

Just on that, the German 'du' is actually the same as 'thou' in English, and 'dein' is 'thine' or 'thy'.

Today when we hear thou, thine, thee or thy in English (as in, 'how art thou'), we tend to associate it with lofty, elevated speech. But actually 'you' in English used to be considered as formal as Sie is in German.

It's not clear why thou fell out of use; but one theory is that it began to be used in a disrespectful way to people when the formal 'you' really should have been used.

One famous example of such disrespectful use of the word thou occurred during the trial of Sir Walter Raleigh. Edward Coke, the prosecutor, hated Raleigh and fumed at him: I thou thee, thou traitor! In this case, Coke used thou as a verb, just as dutzen is a verb in German today, meaning to use 'du' when addressing someone.

munchkin_utd · 18-01-2011 10:36am

only Dieter Bohlen (similar type of alpha male talent show jurior as yer man off x factor) gets away with using "du" to a cop.

It was considered as unmanerly rather than a directed insult.
http://de.wikinews.org/wiki/Gericht_erlaubt_Dieter_Bohlen_das_Duzen_von_Polizisten

A quirk of the german system is that your fine is in days wages.
Feckin good idea though to be fair.
The rich get rightly shafted, and unlike in Ireland, they cant hope to get off with a 100 euro fine to the court poor box that anyone of means can easily afford, but a person more strapped for cash would find very very hard to afford.
(NOTE: the irish and british legal system was concieved in a time 100s of years ago when the landlords and gentry, i.e. the rich, were the only people who could vote or become judges. The system was invented by them to protect their interests. Its basically a system to keep the poor in their place! Fixed rate fines are chronic punishment for the poor, but an irrelevance for the rich!! )

Anyhow, Beleidungen, insulting someone gets you a fine of 10 to 30 days wages, and more if a cop.
For Bohlen that would have been 100's of thousands for a simple "du".
A LITTLE harsh to be fair. Which probably also weighed on the mind of the judge.

for the punishments for insulting someone:
http://www.internetratgeber-recht.de/Verkehrsrecht/frameset.htm?http://www.internetratgeber-recht.de/Verkehrsrecht/Straftaten/aa02.htm

Complete tangent, but kinda relevant.
A lad in switzerland was doing 200+ kmh on a 120kmh limit road. He got fined according to his income so 800,000 Euro fine!!!
No escape for the rich there!!

Wilde86 · 20-01-2011 12:13am

Hello. I have already posted this on another thread but it might be best suited here. So here it goes.

Myself and my boyfriend have been considering moving to Germany. A city like Berlin, Munich or Düsseldorf. We have previously visited Frankfurt and loved it and a mutual friend studied and lived in Germany for a couple of years.

Life here in Ireland at the moment has been quite depressing. No need to explain why. I have a part time job and my boyfriend has been struggling to find work for over a year now. We have basic German but not great. I was hoping someone might be able to shed some light on the job situation over there and if it's a huge hindrance to not speak fluent German while looking for work?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Amtmann · 20-01-2011 4:32am

It is generally a hindrance in my experience. But! There is always hope. Take a good look at this here website. It lists a range of jobs for English speakers in various cities around Germany. Its discussion forums will also be a great resource if you do move there.

I know a lot of American engineers working in Nuremberg who never needed German. Also, working in Irish pubs etc., you don't really need it. But for most other jobs, I think you will unless explicitly stated otherwise.

opinion guy · 20-01-2011 11:50am

Tremelo wrote: »

It is generally a hindrance in my experience. But! There is always hope. Take a good look at this here website. It lists a range of jobs for English speakers in various cities around Germany. Its discussion forums will also be a great resource if you do move there.

I know a lot of American engineers working in Nuremberg who never needed German. Also, working in Irish pubs etc., you don't really need it. But for most other jobs, I think you will unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Agreed - great website. Sort of the boards of expats in Germany. But great for finding jobs, accommodation etc etc etc.

Wilde86 · 20-01-2011 12:51pm

Thanks for the replies and the link.I must do more research but I do want to go

munchkin_utd · 20-01-2011 2:40pm

the job office in germany has a database with 640,000 jobs.

SURELY theres one there for everyone in the audience!!

Lawrence1895 · 20-01-2011 3:12pm

I don't know, in which branch you are looking for a job. But in the tourism industry, the IT branch or transport industry, you are required to speak English...and somebody fluent in English is more than welcome.

And, since English is a compulsory subject in every school in Germany, the majority in Germany has at least a basic knowledge in English, so I see no difficulties in communicating at all.

jb-ski · 20-01-2011 6:34pm

Wilde86 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies and the link.I must do more research but I do want to go

I would definitely recommend Germany as a country to move to, my personal bias would be for Munich, but any of the bigger cities are worth trying.

HOWEVER, it depends on what your expectations are; is it a short term move for 6-12 months or open-ended.

To properly partake in German life you need to have a reasonable command of the language. I know all the ‘I have a mate who doesn’t speak German & is earning 20zillion per annum etc’ stories, but to PROPERLY enjoy the whole LIFE experience language skills are essential.
(also unless you have very specific skills or education, this also affects career/job opportunities).

‘Good’ accommodation can be difficult to find, and generally comes unfurnished, with high broker commission & (often) hefty deposit required.
This applies to longer term stay, obviously for shorter duration, you can be more flexible,less choosy.

I would also suggest (controversially maybe), get out of the English Speaking
(Irish Pub!) scene a bit, and try to fit into local life, (rather than craving Tayto crisps, Barry’s tea and such B….SH..T).
Accept that some things are different, not better, not worse, just different!
(your perception of better/worse will evolve the longer you’re there:) )

And remember it’s only ever a 2 hour flight away, which allows for trips home & lots of friends visiting!

Who's in Germany or planning to come over?

Comments