German Tutor | TELC C1 | Studied & Worked in Germany | A1 to B2 level

Find out more about Shafiq

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I speak the German language fluently because I did my tertiary education in Germany. I was born and raised in Malaysia, so I am able to speak Malay and English.
  After high school, I had the chance to further my studies in Germany, enrolling myself in Computer Science course in Aachen. Hence, I need to be able to converse and understand the language as the course is predominantly taught in German.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I wouldn't say a specific character but rather the products that the country has produced. If we look at German products, we always have the feeling that the products is well-developed, where every feature or character of this product is thoroughly and properly planned and executed.
  You know the being precise and being able to think out of the box matter which symbolises the German culture and their language as well.
  One always says that the German language is one of the hardest language to learn due to the structured grammar. Everything fits into a rule!

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  Phrase I would like the most is Jaein, which stands for Yes and No at the same time.
  This phrase has proven helpful in arguments where one partially agrees and disagrees with a statement.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Speaking German language helps me to live and adapt in Germany. Without knowing German, I would find myself hard to mingle around and get to know the culture.
  
  Of course, speaking another language opens the barrier to new knowledge where the understanding of the language and culture are needed to comprehend certain contexts that are unique to the German culture.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  As I have mentioned, German language is structured and there are many rules that one can obey.
  Just imagine, for English, the articles are just "a", "an" and "the".
  But in German, the articles can be "der", "die", "das", "dem", "den", "des" and so on.
  
  What helps me to learn and converse well in this language is just putting myself out there and try to speak the language as much as possible, with the mindset that I need to reflect what I said and fix it with the correct grammar, vocab and structure.
  Only attending German classes and scoring exams can only bring you to a certain level, but applying and using German in my daily life helps me to be better.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  Previously in high school, I don't really like to learn languages as I am quite maths/ science-inclined. Therefore, learning language is considered not that important for me. However, once I got to learn German, I know the power of mastering or at least be able to understand a certain language.
  When I learn German last time, the book itself is full with German culture and I can clearly see how Germans think or execute something.
  
  For instance, I know that in order to do something, Germans will argue and debate all the time, not because they want to prove who is right or wrong, but to make sure everything is justified and fair.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Of course travel helps me to increase the knowledge of the language. For instance, there are a few neighbouring countries that speak German as well like Austria and Swiss.
  
  When I was in Swiss, I couldn't understand a word they are saying because they are speaking with another dialect! Hence, I know that my German is considered the "Hochdeutsch" or the formal German language by the books.
  
  Same goes when I travel to Bavaria (southern of Germany). There, the people speak a different dialect of German as well. It is very interesting that even the Germans from other regions can't understand Bavarian German as well.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Not only have I spoken this language. formally in universities or informally in my daily life, I have also been conversing in German in business settings where I have work in German companies where the main communication language is German.
  Being able to be in these settings allow me to suit my German knowledge to the situation I am in, which makes me very well-versed in German and be the Superprof of German. With this knowledge and exposure, I wish to teach more people so that we can grow together as one community and other people can experience what I have experienced so far.