Hello, I've just arrived (on the site) and am seeking a native German speaker for English-German conversation exchange, or anyone/group of people interested in practising speaking German at a similar level. I'm studying at C1 level at the moment but conversation is always somehow defeating... So I would be very keen to get in some regular practice. Zürich area.

Further to (without meaning to sound overly desperate) I might add that this should preferably be over coffee/cake/beer/a walk and be fun...! My main aim is to improve fluency and meet friendly people so if you'd be interested, please do let me know! I am very chatty though possess not great German conversation skills. Nor forum skills. But I do like talking in general...

I might be keen but I am also a learner with very basic skills, say doing A2 currently. I could join once you find someone who could help.

Hi Timpy,

I think if a few people reply, perhaps we could initiate some kind of group... Perhaps!

My boyfriend is learning German at a similar level (B1) and might start searching for a conversation partner in May, so in any case perhaps I could direct him to you for a tandem exchange if you're both still interested then?

Best, Aimee

I am definitely interested , i know very little

Conversation skill does need work, and the only way to gain it is, well, to enter into conversations. When I first arrived here 20 years ago I had almost no German whatsoever. Take a course, find people who will speak German with you (surprisingly difficult actually - they usually prefer to practice their English!)

When I first arrived I took a 3Month half day course in High, or as the Swiss prefer "Written" German. One of my early experiences was going into a UBS and saying "Ich möchte 200 Franken von mein Konto, Bitte" and the teller replied "Would you like that in Fifties or in Hundreds, Sir?".

You may find it a bit drakonian, but I deliberately stopped speaking English when in public after I had just enough vocabulary to start to get around on my own. I also stopped reading English magazines and Newspapers. The problem at least in Zürich is you can actually get on very well without German - but if you want to feel at home here you will want to communicate in German.

And another hint. Once you start to read at a half decent level, read books you already know. If you've read John Grisham in English, get it in German. (My Degree in Canada was in Philosophy, so I reread Kant, Nietschze, and Schopenhauer - but that was a little bit over the top). Rereading stuff you already know means you don't have to keep grabbing a dictionary, as you can usually guess what a phrase, or a word means. (Children don't learn with a dictionary, do they?)

Andrew

Hi,

that's a great idea (initiate a group), lets it me know :-)

Cheers Alex Zurich

I would be interested in a meet up to practice speaking german also. My level is A2.

The group idea sounds good to me, too... I haven't done any German lessons since the four years I did in high school (almost 20 years ago now... and I still have the same dictionary I used then!), but have clawed my way back up to survival level. My biggest problem is vocab, my grammar tends to be tolerable but I am lacking a lot of words to put in the places I know they belong... :/

Since I am a very visual person, have found myself reading comic books to help with the language... having reasonable knowledge of German pronounciation rules helps there, and the pictures give reasonable context to fill in gaps. Also, as well as the kids' comics (reading Asterix in German is fun, since I've read almost all of them in English before!) there are also 'adult' comics (no, not those sort! Just comics with stories designed for adults rather than children...). Membership of the local library helps... and I'm almost at the point of rewatching movies in German now, which I can also get from the library.

Hello!!
Any luck with the idea?
Im trying to organize something like this in Bael too....
but can find the way to do this entry!!!

Want to make a conversation group to speak german, english, spanish and or french....

so if anyone can guide me in how to open this group in the forum let me know pls.....

thanks
Kory

BASEL not Bael

Im based around Zürich. I would propose a meetup in town for a beer and a chat (in german of course !)

Hi,

have you already find someone for the German-English conversation exchange?
I'm not a native German speaker but I speak German like one of them.
I' m doing my studies here in Germany, therefore I had to lern German as well as it was possible.
My English is unfortunately not so good any more and I would like to get some practice in speaking it.

So, if you have time, I would be glad to share my "language knowledge" with you.

Have a nice evening,

Andra

Hi folks,

Just joined the forum after reading this post. So did anyone off this post end up getting together for German speaking? ;-)

I've just (last week) moved to Zürich from Australia and have loads of free time and want to meet some people to speak German with... I'm about A2 level. I am taking a course at Migros but it seems to be all grammar! Bah.

Anyway, if anyone is still interested in getting together to practice German or if anyone knows of a group, please drop me a line! Thanks!

Hi All
I have my "one way" flight into Zurich on the 23rd July and would absolutely love to get together with a group to practice German. I am not sure that I will be up to the same standard as you all, but will catch up I am sure.
Annabel

Greetings All,

I'm up for some conversation in German! I'm level A2 and would like to get together over a beer and have a chat.

Hi everyone,

So it seems just from this thread that there are a lot of people bouncing around Zürich and wishing they had people to go out for a drink/snack with and practice speaking German.

In a bold, but potentially unsuccessful attempt to organise something, I have made a poll on doodle.com (which I have been told the Swiss are extremely fond of, teehee) to judge who might be interested in hanging out and attempting to speak German, even if badly. Badly is still practice, right??

Here is the poll, please fill it out if interested. Emails will be hidden, never fear. I guess I will leave it there for a week or so and see what happens if anything...

http://doodle.com/n66hz4vmncebeak2

just pop an event on here. I live around Zürich and see what kind of response we get. Im currently learning at B1 level.

I don't know a better way of assessing interest really -- I don't want to organise an event before I know if anyone is interested/responsive. I stuck up my poll as its own post in the forum: not sure what else to do aside from posting "hello, I shall be at such and such place on such and such date/time, please come talk to me in German"... -- that is almost guaranteed to not be successful, I would imagine! Was hoping to get just a few responses so that we could then mutually discuss where to meet up (I moved here less than 2 weeks ago so I'm less than familiar with places to go).

Hi Kirilisa
I am a Swiss woman, 48 years old, and looking for an exchange German-English. I would suppose to meet somewhere in the center of Zurich and drink a coffee together; just to take stock of each other and to see, if we are matching for a language exchange.
Possible meetings: Thu/Wed/Thur/Fri afternoon.
If you - or other people - are interested write a mail to noname@freemails.ch
Best
Itala