I am a total beginner, and am doing a very low level hoch Deutsch course. I can't speak yet (bar some VERY basic stuff), but I carry around a Wörterbuch and rifle through it.

I make a point when communicating with people that I'm learning, and I ask them things, like "is it Wir war, or Wir waren?" and they have been, in 100% of cases, very helpful. They see me trying, and are wiling to help.

I read in here yesterday about some old grizzly bloke who called someone worthless for not knowng the language. He'd receive a Wörterbuch tonk on the head from me.

For a beginner, it is a VERY difficult language to learn. "Ich rufen mein Freund an".. chopping words up? jezus give me a break!!