I quit learning German (after three years)

Time for new games

This is a free version of Woody’s World. As always, thank you for reading.

Really — I stopped learning German

For three years, one desire has shaped my life— speak fluent German. Now, I’ve quit learning German. Of course, I’m still exposed to it here in Germany, but I’m no longer actively improving. Here is why.

First time in Germany

Pareto principle (80/20 Rule)

The Pareto principle roughly states eighty percent of the result comes from twenty percent of the effort. This is the case with language learning. Although the Duden, the premier German dictionary, contains 145,000 words, the first two thousand suffice for general fluency.

Therefore, I memorized the first two thousand German words— while constantly reading and listening— and became fluent. The downside is filling in the technical and specialized holes in my German, i.e. the last twenty percent requires an outsized effort.

Seedlang — The best place to learn German vocab (soon French and Spanish)

At the Bike Shop

For example, when I came home from Paris, my bike had a flat tire. I went to the repair shop but I didn't know how to say that. When the lady noticed, she started speaking English.

Situations like this are rare for me but they do happen. Theoretically, I could learn that vocab, but considering the omnipresence of English and the uncertainty of my long-term residency, I’m not willing to put in the effort.

English content is too good

Further, almost all the content I like is in English. My favorite podcasts— Tim Ferriss Show, Huberman Lab, Naval, are all in English. YouTube is the same. When I consume German content, it is to improve my German. Further, I like reading philosophy and technically specific books. These titles are either beyond my level or inaccessible in German.

There are some authors I would like to read in the original German, like Nietsche and Schopenhauer but at the end of the day, it is hard for me to understand complex texts and the English translations are excellent.

Time for new Games

I used to lose track of time while learning German, now I lose my train of thought. I never thought I would stop learning German but the time has come. Maybe I will start again if I get another job here, or if my American in Germany videos keep blowing away my other YouTube content, but for now, I will be putting my limited time and energy elsewhere.

Top Videos — all about Germany

New languages and new games are calling my name. Specifically, I feel inspired to learn French because it sounds beautiful and I want to create more content, like this newsletter. Beating German into the ground would hold me back.

Fluency cannot be (completely) forgotten

I will never forget how to speak German. It is a skill I developed over multiple years and thousands of hours. We hardly forget things learned in this way. And I will never forget the lessons I learned along the way, but more on that in our next post.

Wait, but why?

When I found myself stressing about my stagnating German, I stopped and asked:

"Wait but why?"

I started learning German to explore the country of my ancestors and reach fluency. It's over; I won that game. Learning German was a personal mission and I don’t have to impress anyone with perfection.

Don't forget to ask, "Why?"

It is too easy to forget why we are doing something. If we forget our intentions, we are often led astray. The best solution is to ask, “Why?”

"Wer ein Warum zum Leben hat, erträgt fast jedes Wie."

“He who has a why can bear almost any how.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

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P.S. How I learned German