Have you ever wanted to live in Germany but don’t know German? It’s well known that many Germans can speak very good English, which may lead you to believe that you don’t need to know German to live in Germany. You would be right – knowing German isn’t vital to living in Germany, BUT if you want to integrate yourself into the German way of life, it is.

Although it may be possible to live in another country such as Germany without knowing the language, your overall experience will be much better if you learn the language. If you’re already in the country, you have almost unlimited access to native speakers who can help you improve your German.

Some parts of German life, for example, bureaucratic departments and processes are much more difficult without being at least somewhat knowledgeable in German. For example, registering appointments about VISA documents may not be possible without either yourself speaking German, or someone who can speak German assisting on your behalf.

Can I Get A Job In Germany If I Don’t Speak German?

There are definitely jobs that are available for speakers of little or no German in Germany, however, these are few and far between. You may be able to find unskilled labor jobs without knowing much German, and if this is your goal, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Besides this, your ability to find work as a non-German speaker will be affected by your prior skills and experience. For example, if you’re a teacher, or have teaching qualifications, you may find you can actually teach your subject in English, in a German school. One of the things that makes German students generally better English speakers than English students, is the way they go about learning languages in schools.

You will probably find that most office-based jobs will require some level of German to make sure your communication skills match the job position, as of course, you will need to communicate with your co-workers. If you are already living in the country, this shouldn’t take too long to reach if you put your mind to it.

If you’re not sure if you want to move to Germany to work or not, you may be able to travel to Germany for work as a taster first. Many businesses in America and the English-speaking world look favorably upon people who can speak more than one language, as this can help their careers even if they don’t use it every day for work. If you express interest in perhaps learning but want to see what the country is like first, you may find there are opportunities to travel to Germany, or another country, first. This might help you make up your mind about working in Germany even if you can’t speak the language.

Consider The Social Implications Of Not Knowing The Local Language

To get the best out of any living situation, it is best to know the main language being spoken in that area. You are never too old to learn a language, so there is no reason to not give it a shot.

Imagine going shopping or sitting in a cafe and listening to people speaking a language you can’t understand. This may be perfectly fine if you were a traveler, in fact, it may even seem quite quaint and refreshing.

Your perspective on the local language may change over time, particularly if you continue to visit the same cafes and shops and are no closer to knowing what is being spoken. Even more so, the number of people you can interact with on a day-to-day basis is lowered purely because you are not able to speak the same language.

Many people believe that German is an aggressive language and not a ‘pretty’ language, but I think they are quite incorrect. If you were to spend some time in the country, or around German speakers, I believe you’d find that it is quite a lovely language.

Not All Parts Of Germany Are As Easy To Live In Without German

Make sure you research the part of Germany you will be living in to gauge how much of an issue not knowing German could be. Some areas, such as those that contain large universities or have large numbers of tourists coming through will be much easier to live in than smaller, more rural-type towns and cities.

Your best bet would be to learn a little bit of German before traveling, or if this isn’t possible, to travel to an area of Germany that is more likely to have English-speaking Germans so that you can still do the things you want to do. You might find you enjoy the language after starting to learn it!

If you find that you do want to learn the language after all, now is a great time to start! There are many ways to go about learning the language. If you’re already in the country and want help with specific topics, I would recommend finding someone in the area to be your tutor. Tutors are quite useful, particularly if you can meet face to face, and ask them specific questions about culture or language to help in your situation.

If you want to learn the language from home without speaking to a tutor, that is also completely fine! Learning a language from home has become easier and easier, so you won’t be disadvantaged by going about learning in this way.

If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend that you start with the language learning app called Duolingo. Duolingo is known for its easy method of teaching a language and getting new learners involved in the learning process. This is a great starting point that will give you a taste of the language before you decide what else you want to do to learn the language.