Day 446 of German

It was never my intention to learn German. I actually set out to study French—a far more useful language here in Canada. Not only is it an official language, but the legacy of the French empire ensures its utility across the globe.

My elementary school-aged child was learning French in school and didn’t enjoy the process. I encouraged him by trying to learn alongside him. We downloaded Duolingo and went through a few lessons, but the French language just never clicked for either of us. My child eventually switched to Spanish.

For fun, however, I turned on German in Duolingo, and once I started, I couldn’t stop. The initial spark came from Duolingo, but my obsession quickly led me to abandon the app for deeper study platforms.

I’ve always loved the way German sounds—for the exact reason many people dislike it. It’s a consonant-heavy language, and while much content online jokes about its perceived “harshness,” I can’t rationally explain why I’m drawn to it. It’s so different from the languages I already know, but every time I hear it, I feel an instant pull; I just want to listen more.

There is truly no good reason for me to learn German, especially at my age. Can one have a crush on a language, much like being infatuated with a person? Perhaps my German language learning is just an infatuation. But so far, that infatuation has lasted 446 days.