Languages Are [Sometimes] Fun!

So for all you sorry souls out there wondering just how hard it is to learn a foreign language, here's a little update on my boss German skillz (apologies for the z but I'm still convinced it makes me look more gangsta).

As most of you will or will not be aware, in March I took my one and only intensive German course. That means I did 5 weeks of school, 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. This was what is commonly known as the A1.1 course. As in, super basic beginners course, which was a tiny bit too easy for me after about 1 month here in Germany.

Fast forward a few months, it's now November, and next weekend I'll have been a whopping 10 months in Germany. Today I went to the school to do the 'test' to see which course they should put you in.

What I learned from this test:
1. I am a problem child (tell us something we don't know)
2. The reason I am, in this particular instance, a problem child, is that I speak SUPER GOOD GERMAN, but have SUPER BAD GRAMMAR.
3. This means for my speaking skillz (see? Gangsta!) I wouldn't even bother doing another course, but for my Grammar skillz (you saw it that time) I should start from the very beginning.

PROBLEM???

YES!

The lady was nice though and told me a few things about previous students with similar problems and such and ended up saying B2, which is more than I expected, and then she said "I hope you don't find it TOO boring" (talking about the speaking skillz), which was really nice of her.

However, I'm not paying that much money to be bored, I know plenty of places I can get that for free! So, I went out and bought 2 German Grammar help books and from now on until I finish the books I'll be doing 1 hour every day of German grammar work at home. This will include not only the grammar books, but reading every day a short article in the newspaper, and reading some German novels. Gritta said she would help me choose some that were well written and fairly simple. So that's good.

If my grammar improves, I'll sign up for a special course that prepares me to take the German as a Foreign Language Test, and if not, I'll sign up for the course they wanted me to take, then prepare myself for the German as a Foreign Language Test.

This test, not if, but when I pass, will give me:
1. An internationally recognised certificate that says I can speak German
2. The ability to work and, more importantly,
3. ... Study here in Germany.

(I can also work without the certificate, but having it helps).

So thats where it's at, yo (another gangsta reference for those keeping up)