Sprechen Sie Deutsches?

One of my favorite bloggers asked me if I learned to speak German when we lived in Germany.  We learned enough German to get by.  I don't know what it is like today, but in the '70s and '80s, most Germans knew how to speak English.  If we went somewhere and no one knew English, they would look for a young person to translate.  English was taught in German schools.  Sometimes when shopping, I would say something and the person would get a tiny grin.  I think it was amusement at my attempt to speak the language.  It also may have been my southern accent.  When I think about it, it probably was pretty amusing.  

Thank goodness for the International road signs, which made driving a lot easier.  And, when we went to a restaurant and couldn't say what we wanted, there was always the reliable stand-by of pointing your finger at the menu. 

During our second tour in Germany, we took a class in conversational German.  The class included the basics, like greeting people, asking for directions, and reading a menu.  I remember one time that I asked where the rest room was in German.  I must have sounded really good because the man rattled off the directions so fast that I couldn't understand!  I think I said something like, "Huhhhh??"  He then pointed toward the rest room.

My most used phrases were, "Wieviel kostet das?" (What does this cost?) and "Wo ist die Toilette?" (Where is the toilet?).

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Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
Psalm 145:6