Why you will struggle to live in Germany and why I don’t (anymore)

You don't need german to survive in Germany, but you need german to thrive in Germany.

Denmark here. You can get by with English well enough if you're a tourist or a visiting professional, but unless you learn the language, there's a social glass ceiling you'll never break, a secret level, and you might never even know it's there. Failing to learn the language is by far the biggest reason expats throw in the towel and go home.

I once knew a Canadian guy, who had lived in Germany for two years and didn´t bother to learn the language. He defended his not learning of German by " I will not live here forever, so it is not worth while." Apart from being very intelectually lazy, it also is English language chauvinism to expect and force everyone around you to speak English ( I am not talking about tourists of course, I will gladly speak English to them). When the Canadian complained that he had only international and no German friends I told him honestly that it is no wonder : Imagine a group of several Germans talking to each other in Germany....and than a random Canadian comes along and wants them ALL to talk in English, so he would understand....that means Germans talking English to other Germans. No country in the world would accept this.

Thanks a lot for this video. I am German, living in Germany, and it helps to be reminded from time to time on how “external” people view Germany and its culture. And: Your English is so pleasant to listen to. I understood every word clearly, and I was feeling like sitting in front of you having an interesting and mindful conversation. Thanks again and have a good day.🦋

As a foreigner, in my opinion, you might be able to survive in Germany without speaking german but you won't be accepted fully as a member of the society and can face quite alot of struggles. It's totally understandable cause german is still the official and native language of the country and I or we have to adjust as someone trying to live in a foreign country(cause it's our choice). But still it's quite a challenge cause learning a new language especially being fluent with it takes time.

I cannot stand it when I go into a restaurant, want to order, and the waiter does not speak German. It is simply disrespectful. If someone wants to live and work here they f*cking need to learn the language. This coming from a english mother tongued immigrant

German here and thank you for still recommending to learn the language. Great video!

I've often seen that, for us Americans here in Germany, being able to manage your own personality is key to thriving. I had one American colleague whose job performance was average and his German language skills were below average, but he understood the value of humility, modesty, respect and fitting in, and everyone in the department liked him. Then I had another American colleague who spoke German like a native after only one year and whose technical skills were among the best in the department, yet no one liked her because she was abrasively competitive and always had to win at everything. She ended up going back to the USA before 2 years were up, whereas the guy made Germany his permanent home.

Have a great Sunday and being German I mean it.😁

All good points, and I concur. As a German who lived more than 2 decades in the US and returned, I am flabbergasted at how much the Germans in Germany complain about things, totally oblivious to how much better things still are, compared to other comparable places. 🙄😅 And yes, German and British humour are quite similar - in the US I often got blank stares whenever I made sarcastic jokes, and I even got told that they were unsure if I was being serious or not. Germany sure has changed during the time I was away. I indeed noticed the changing demographic and lingual variety you mentioned.

Cynicism vs. Sarcasm: Cynicism is the irony of the attacker, sarcasm is the irony of the victim. The latter is ok, the former isn't.

Maybe it's what you meant, but I want to heavily underline, that you should learn German If you plan to have a social life here. You can easily work and live here, just speaking English or very basic German. But a get-together of will be held in the Language of the majority. A group of international students may all be speaking English, but if you want to integrate into a group of Germans, you have to at least understand German - no one will care if you anser in English, this is fine, but they will talk in German. Of course there will be occasions where a small group or a short meeting will be held in English just for you. And for a chance some Germans like to use their English skills. But doing it for a long period is exhausting. At work I have very complicated topics to talk about, doing it in English won't make it easier for me. And in personal settings doing smalltalk in English is fine, but Germans generally do not like small talk and our English might not be trained enough to talk about deep personal feelings - heck, the topics I like to talk about even are too complicated for my German - let alone my English. And understanding German on a social level means Phrases, jokes, cultural things as well as understanding it when it is talked fast and over each other in a group with several conversation side by side. Otherwise you will be perceived as "a bit slow" This is of course the end goal of living in Germany as a foreigner, and anyone may chose, what their expectations of integration is. All I want to say is you will get along without German, but you will miss out on so many things. And it ist WAY more important to understand German than to speak or write it perfectly. So if you can, tell Germans to answer in German even if you ask something in English.

I tried to stay in Britain for awhile, only speaking german: "Guten Tag! Wie geht's? Ich möchte zehn Brötchen, bitte!" All I got as a response: "Go home Fritz!"

I'd like to visit Germany for holiday purposes only. I've been teaching myself German for about three years and still haven't been there. Probably won't need to use it, but it's still nice to know it's there should I need it.

Great overview of moving to Germany from an English speaking country/culture. Very similar experience moving from Australia to Germany 9 years ago.

Lovely scenery included in your video:face-red-heart-shape:

You have a beautiful voice. So calming.

Kia ora Brother, I really loved this creation of yours. The filming is skillful and very interesting. I have been watching numbers changing constantly here and I am amazed at how many views there have been in such a short period of time (2 or 3 hours). What you have to say is really well thought through and I truly love your delivery. It is really helpful having the headings and not feeling there is a lot to take in at great speed...maybe my brain is slowing down, but I found this video perfect. This topic is extremely interesting to me. I appreciate you being up front... that going into that culture is not for everybody, and that Germans are abrasive. It is a wonderful thought that the younger people are more chilled out than some of the older people. It is actually very helpful to know. I really enjoy your quality creations.

Benjamin is an excellent advertisement for both cultures. Considered, experienced, fair, erudite and contemplative. A balm for the soul - please keep it up. His comments on being an expat are always on the mark. I will say as a British bloke whose best mate is a German (who I met in China) he is also right about the direct, superficial lack of introspection innate to most Germans - perhaps until the beers start flowing.....and then the questions of destiny rear their head - at least that is my experience.

From 'Ein Engländer' the last thing I wish to see is 'British Pub', 'Full English Breakfast', for example / zum beispiel, Spain is much like Bolton with sun, and therefore a lot of Brits, understandably feel at 'home', which is probably why that country is awash with Brits! Germany is a breath of fresh air, different, but not so different. The saying that the English are too polite to be honest and the Germans are too honest to be polite, probably holds water, but so what? However, part of the difference is the 'Muttersprache', and it should remain the core language. Good review of the country though.