Yeah, but not so well.
It’s pathetic, because I have a degree in German, but I haven’t spoken it seriously for about eleven years. And that’s bad. My language skills have atrophied.
I went to a German-speaking meetup yesterday, complete with German expats and locals who just want to practice their language skills. We met at a local brewery.
If you ever meet me in person, I’m quite awkward. Quiet. Weird. I don’t know why I put myself in social situations with strangers AND speaking another language. It’s beyond me, but I want to be more outgoing, make new friends, and practice a skill that I let go.
When I did speak, my spoken language skills were atrocious, mostly because I was nervous. But, on the positive side, I did understand a lot of the conversations around me.
I’m taking steps to get better. Not only will I go back to this meetup, but I also bought a Conversational German book on my Kindle and am practicing. I’m determined. Weird thing, this morning on the elevator, I thought it was funny that people were speaking English. Wait a second! I guess some of my German skills are buried in my brain after all if I’m think in German again.
In an effort to tie this in with knitting, I suppose that’s why I keep chugging along with knitting. I want to keep learning. I want to keep my skills sharp. And I’m going to do that with my German now.