The Awful German Language

The author who wrote an essay with this title was the famous Mr. Marc Twain. You may read the delicious original at this site:

http://www.bergerwerbung.at/files/Potpourri/The_Awful_German_Language_by_Mark_Twain.pdf 


He is talking about written German of course, which he tried to master. Perceiving it as a single and unique language with some dialects, which still is the leading opinion.


Though using English is always something that places myself at the mercy of someone who really speaks it I never thought it awful. Though the nice Brazilian lady in the bakery puts words with and without endings together in a very personal creative way I never thought she would not master German or the local variety. She masters being understood and that's the important thing. Though my favorite German writing author is Heimito von Doderer not only because of his very special talent to describe human relationships and interdependences, societies, locations and the whole scenery and athmosphere that is in the background but also explicitly because of his outstanding perfect use of Standard German involving the specific diction of members of most different groups of society I would never blame anyone for not doing the same. Thus it seems to be the approach again, that makes something more delightful than distressing or vice versa. If you really want to learn a language for some personal reason enjoy learning it as much as possible. Be curious, find characteristics, allow yourself to be not perfect. Well, if you still want to be you may write an essay similar to the magnificent one of Marc Twain ;)