From Frustration to Fascination: My Journey Learning German

I didn’t like German at first. Yes, you heard me!

Back in school, we had the option to study either Italian or German as a foreign language, and believe me, I was all set on learning Italian. But at the age of 14, I already had a feeling that my future lay somewhere in the humanities. Friends and teachers advised me to pick German instead, and it made sense given our history. Slovenia, after all, was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and much of our older literature and historical documents are in German. So, I went with the “wise” choice and dove into German.

It didn’t take long before I started regretting it. In class, I was one of many, lost in a sea of students, with almost no chance to practice speaking. Our lessons were structured around endless grammar rules, one after another, which only made German feel like a distant, cold language. Each day, I found myself enjoying it less, convinced that any meaningful connection to the language was light years away.

And then, one year later, something unexpected happened. I went to Prague and visited the Kafka Museum. While I was there, I spotted an excerpt from The Trial - in German. I read it. And everything changed.

In that moment, I discovered something beautiful about German. The sound, the rhythm, the words - it was suddenly captivating, intriguing, mysterious. I could feel that the language held secrets, stories, worlds that I wanted to be a part of. And for the first time, I felt a pang of regret, wishing I had learned enough German to fully appreciate Kafka’s words.

In that moment, learning German became my mission.

With this new purpose, I finally saw why it was worth my time, and, fortunately, the teaching approach at school began to shift as well. We were split into smaller groups, which made learning a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Fast forward to today, and here I am—many years later, teaching German and still savoring the works of Kafka. (And, funny enough, I’ve also added Italian to my language repertoire.)

Today, I feel deeply committed to making sure my students feel connected to German. I understand how hard it can be to learn a language that feels distant or irrelevant. Without connection, the process feels like trudging through an endless maze, and motivation fades fast.

If you’re struggling with German right now, try changing your perspective. Search for something that makes it relevant to you. Is it helpful for your career, meaningful for your life, or maybe intriguing to your soul?

Think of a lack of motivation like being cooped up in the same room for too long—sometimes, you just need to open the windows, get outside, and explore. You never know what you’ll find, or who you’ll meet along the way.

Whatever you do, don’t give up! You might miss out on so much.

Are you currently learning German? What parts do you enjoy, and what challenges are you facing?