13/9/2020 How to buy The best for your baby!Every parent wants to always get the best for his/her child. Finding the best is not easy though! You have to do some research prior to every purchase. However, some testing agencies in Germany decided years ago to help customers make informed decisions before buying a product or a service. The good news is: according to their investigation reports, the best products are not necessarily the most expensive. So, you get to save money as well ;-) There are 2 main rating agencies in Germany. The oldest and most respected is Stiftung Warentest. It is a consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way. It was founded on 4 December 1964 by the Federal Republic of Germany as an independent foundation under civil law. It is based in Berlin. Stiftung Warentest is self-financing, selling its own magazines test and Finanztest (annual circulation around hundreds of thousands copies), books and special magazine issues, and also investigation results as paid-for content on its own website. The foundation also receives a subsidy from the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. This is a compensation for the fact that it does not carry any advertisements in its publications because this could compromise its independence. The classification of the evaluation results is based on the marking system used in German schools. This results in the following categories for the overall verdicts on the quality of goods and services:
The second agency is Ökotest is a consumer magazine that belongs to the media holding company of the political party SPD. It has been published monthly by the publishing house of the same name since April 1985. It’s based in Frankfurt. Unlike stiftung warentest, it doesn’t use exact numbers in its ratings verdicts. Many merchants advertise heavily any products rated highly by the agencies. They often print the rating seal directly on the product label or near the price tag. Wise shoppers should always look out for those seals and also follow the news for new ratings reports that are made publicly available for FREE, occasionally. Follow us on facebook to get updates on such reports ;-) Also, check out the video below for our handpicked recommendations of products rated highly by those agencies. CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ArticlesAnxiety, overweight and insufficient school knowledge: Even in the richest countries of the world, many children have to struggle with big problems. According to a UNICEF study, Germany is worse off than its neighbours. According to a UNICEF study, the life satisfaction of German children is lower than in other industrialised countries. According to the representative survey of the children's charity, 75 percent of 15-year-old girls and boys in Germany say that they are very satisfied with their lives. In the Netherlands the figure is 90 percent, in Switzerland 82 percent and in France 80 percent. The lowest value was measured in Turkey with 53 percent, followed by Japan and Great Britain. "75 percent is a good figure on the one hand, but you can also turn it around and say: one in four children is not very satisfied," said Rudi Tarneden, spokesperson for UNICEF Germany. "And that is just not so good by international comparison. He added that the fact that the parents of many German children are more driven by worry and fear than in other countries certainly played a role here. "If the adults don't convey much confidence, this is reflected in the children's attitudes. According to the study by the UNICEF research center Innocenti, Germany ranks 14th overall out of 41 OECD and EU countries studied in terms of child well-being. For the report, national data on children's mental and physical health as well as their school and social skills and the social framework conditions were evaluated. In the industrialized countries included in the report, children have to contend with mental problems as well as obesity and inadequate school knowledge. The proportion of children with obesity and overweight has increased in recent years: according to the study, about one in three children is either obese or overweight. In Germany, the proportion is 27 percent. About 40 percent of all children in EU and OECD countries do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills by age 15. Children in Bulgaria, Romania and Chile perform worst in this respect, while girls and boys in Estonia, Ireland and Finland perform best. UNICEF is also concerned about social skills: In most countries, one in five children has little confidence in their social ability to make new friends. Children in Chile, Japan and Iceland are the least confident in this regard. In Germany, only 72 percent of girls and boys say that they find it easy to make friends quickly. The highest suicide rate among young people - one of the main causes of death in the age group between 15 and 19 years in rich countries - is in Lithuania, followed by New Zealand and Estonia. Source: tagesschau.de CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related Articles25/8/2020 Pregnancy & Birth in Berlin!Pregnant women in Germany enjoy many protections by law. They are allowed to lie about it during job interviews and never get fired because of it (at least on paper!). They are not allowed to work at least 6 weeks before the due date while still receiving full salaries. Giving birth is covered up to 100% by the public insurance and the child can be added for FREE to the parents policy ;-) An unemployed parent can also be added to the working parent’s policy for FREE. Maternity Protection (Mutterschutz) Normally, the maternity protection period starts 6 weeks before birth and ends 8 weeks after. During which most mothers receive full salaries. When a child is born with a disability which in many cases involves special physical and psychological stress for the mother, then the mother can apply for an extension of the protection period with her employer to up to 12 weeks. If a woman suffers a miscarriage after the 12th week of pregnancy, she gets by law an automatic protection against dismissal until 4 months after the miscarriage. Also, if you are no longer allowed to work at your previous position because of maternity leave, your employer may transfer you to another reasonable position. In any case, you should NOT earn less by changing positions. If this is not the case, you can take legal actions against your employer and the law would be on your side. If you have legal protection insurance, that shouldn’t burden your budget. Household Assistance (Haushaltshilfe) You can get Household Assistance after and/or before birth if you have for example back pain, other kids, swollen feets, complications after birth, or no one to help at home. Basically, someone can come for a few hours for a few days each week. She helps with the housekeeping and takes care of the old kids (if any). You have to get approval from your doctor and your public insurance though! Unfortunately, most insurance companies are reluctant to approve such services. Their argument is that your husband should be able to do such tasks at home! But if you have another child at home, this would improve your chances significantly. Finding a midwife (Hebamme) Finding a midwife continues to be a challenge in Berlin. If you start looking early enough though, you should be able to find one! There are some online resources that may help:
A Midwife is a trained nurse (rarely a man) who usually works at a hospital and can help with the following services:
Beleghebammen is a self-employed midwife who has signed a contract with one or more maternity clinics, or works at a hospital with a so-called belege system. You can find the list on the hospital website. TIP: you can start by searching for a Beleghebamme. If you find one, you can easily register at the hospital that she works at (most Beleghebamme do the registration and all the paperwork by themselves). Main advantage: She will be with you during delivery. Some Beleghebamme can come to home after birth. Hebamme as well as Beleghebamme are both covered up to 100% by the public insurance. It’s more difficult to find a Beleghebamme one though! Prebirth courses There are courses that can be taken by expecting moms and dads. It’s covered 100% by public insurance for the mom. Some insurance companies cover the courses partially also for dads (e.g., HKK covers around 80% of the course fees). Some courses can be attended by couples or separately. Most courses are in German but some are also taught in English. Check online and compare prices before signing up. In the course, you get to learn about what to expect before and during birth.
Courses in English: How to choose a hospital? You are totally free to choose the hospital you prefer. However, keep in mind that the hospital district (Bezirk) NOT yours is responsible for issuing your baby birth certificate. So, you gotta choose wisely as the processing times vary widely. For example, Mitte is infamous for long processing times! So, if you are in a rush to receive the birth certificate (e.g., for Elterngeld or Kindergeld), just avoid going to Charite in Mitte for example. Some hospitals already have a small office to get the birth certificate paperwork started (e.g., Charite & Friedrichshain Vivantes). You may still need to go to the Standesamt responsible for the hospital district to finish up the paperwork though! After finishing the paperwork, you would receive 3 FREE copies (German version) by Post. It’s recommended to also request at least 3 extra more copies (international version) for your own records. You can still request more copies online later as well. You would need the birth certificate to apply for:
TIP: You would need to have the birth certificates of you and your partner as well as the marriage certificate translated to German at an authorized translation office for the baby birth certificate. NOTE: There is a lot of scam around in the translation business. Compare prices before you decide for a place. It usually costs around 25€ per document. Extras: Some hospitals offer some extra services. For example, Charite offers a FREE ride home (only during the week though). Register at your favorite hospital It's recommended that you register at your favorite hospital well before the due date. It's not a must though! It will just save you time and energy when you arrive at the hospital to give birth. Answering questions about your medical history while having contractions is not the best thing as you can imagine! Please note: being registered at a hospital doesn't guarantee a spot in the delivery room. You may end up waiting for a space to open up or going to a completely different hospital when time comes. The staff at the delivery room should help you out with this. TIP: register at more than one hospital just in case! During registration, you can request a family room (so the husband can sleep over) but it's not guaranteed though! If there is availability, you would have to pay out of pocket as the insurance doesn’t cover it. It’s not outrageously expensive though. New moms typically stay up to 3 days in the hospital. There is also extra private insurance (not too expensive) you can get if you prefer to have a single room (standard is usually 2 persons per room). This insurance can also get you treated by a senior doctor (Chefarzt). Prepare your hospital bag Before the 7th month of pregnancy, your hospital bag should always be ready just in case of an early delivery. The bag should contain at least the following:
See more at Vivantes hospital checklist. Fine diagnostics The public insurance covers what’s called fine diagnostics for your baby which produces advanced ultrasound images in color and can closely check the development of every organ in the baby’s body. Most gynecologists would be happy to give a referral to have it done at a few clinics in the city (e.g., https://www.bergmannstrasse102.de/) Birth (Geburt) When the contractions occur every 5 minutes, then it's probably the time to head to the hospital. If you are not sure, you could always call your favorite hospital to get advice (If you are lucky, an English speaker would pick up). If you decided to go, then you can call a taxi or Uber if you don’t have a car. You can call the ambulance of course if you feel like it but keep in mind that the ambulance will not take you necessarily to the hospital you want! The husband should usually be on your side during labor. TIP: There might be some restrictions because of Corona though, check beforehand with your preferred hospital. TIP: If you plan to do (Periduralanästhesie) PDA, we recommend requesting it as early as possible. It’s covered 100% by the public insurance. Milk pump (Milchpumpe) Already at the hospital, you can rent a milk pump machine from a provider such as https://www.milchwiese.de/. The public insurance fully covers the rental for 12 weeks which can be extended easily (even several times) by getting a new prescription from a gynecologist (Frauenarzt) or pediatrician (Kinderarzt). Selected English-speaking paediatricians in Berlin:
Websites to find a doctor in Germany:
Dealing with Stress after birth:
Enjoy your time with your baby ;-) CategoriesAll Family Finance Health SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives January 2021 Related ArticlesIn Berlin there are two main kinds of child care: Kita or nursery (Kindertagesstätte) or day care (Kindertagespflege: Tagesmutter or Tagesvater). Kita or Nursery (Kindertagesstätte) There are many Kitas in Berlin with different chains (Träger). Some of them are bilingual (English & Spanish are the most common). The majority of them are public and heavily subsidised from the state of Berlin (you only need to pay a small fee for lunch). You would need to pay probably much more for private Kitas as some don't cooperate with the state. The development of your child is documented in the language learning diary (Sprachlerntagesbuch). Day Care (Kindertagespflege: Tagesmutter or Tagesvater) Day care offers a legally recognised form of care all or part of the day, primarily for children under three years old. Your child should be cared for by qualified mothers or fathers in a family-like environment. One childminder looks after up to five children, usually in a small group of mixed-age children. Your child is either cared for in the childminder's apartment, in rented rooms or, in individual cases, at your home. As in the Kita, your child will be individually supported according to the Berlin Education Program. Day care can also be applied for as a supplement to a Kita spot or as a supplement to school care. Depending on the individual requirements, the daily time frame of care is:
From the age of one, every child in Berlin has a legal entitlement for a part time day care (up to 7 hours) regardless of whether or not the child could be looked after at home. Irregular working hours If you need longer care for your child due to your work situation, and the Kita, day care centre or school does not cover the entire care period, you can apply to your Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) for supplementary day care. The office will then check whether the additional hours of care are compatible with the welfare of the child. Your child can then be looked after in the evening and at night, at weekends or on public holidays, for example. How much does it cost? Since August 1, 2018, child care have been free of charge for all children in Berlin. You still have to pay a monthly fee of 23€ for lunch though! Please note: this fee is to be paid even if you took your child on vacation! For extra services such as additional sport activities, organic food or language lessons, daycare centres may charge limited extra payments under conditions from the state of Berlin, to protect you as a parent from unreasonable financial burden. You can find more details here. How to apply? If you want your child to go to a Kita or day care centre you will need a Kita-Gutschein (Kita-voucher). You can redeem the voucher at any facility of your choice if there is a spot available. The Kita-Gutschein is used to determine your child's need for care. How many hours a day your child can be cared for in the Kita depends, among other things, on its age: From your child's first birthday onwards, the voucher is valid for at least one part-time childcare session (5 to 7 hours a day) without the need to be assessed. For extended care needs or for children under 1 year of age. You have to provide a proof that you cannot look after the child yourself, for example:
You will also need the following documents, you can find the detailed list here:
The Kita-Gutschein can be applied, nine months at the earliest or at two months at the latest, before the desired start of care at the Jugendamt in your district of residence (Bezirk). You can find more details here. When to apply? Before or after finding a Kita/Day care spot? If you prefer to go to work as soon as possible, then you should apply for Kita-Gutshein when the Baby is 3 months old at the latest. Some Kitas demand Kita-Gutschein to be present to accept your registration but some don't. If the Kita-Gutschein expires before finding a spot, you could apply for an extension or simply a new one (It's free of charge). TIP: If you already have a confirmation from a Kita or day care center, don't forget to attach it to your application so you can get the voucher much faster ;-) TIP: If your work situations change, you can adjust your Kita-Gutschien by making it valid for all day instead of part time for example. Please note : if one of the parents becomes unemployed, that might cause a reduction in the number of hours (i.e, it becomes valid only for part time 5-7 hours). How to hunt for a spot? Berlin has recently rolled out a digital way of registering your child in Kitas (Kita-Navigator). It's still not working perfectly but you can use it to easily:
Some Kitas now require that all registrations go through the Kita-Navigator while some others still accept the same old way of paper application or email (at least until the Kita-Navigator works properly). We recommend to check the website of the Kita for special registration procedure. If there is no info, just send an inquiry email with the child info (Name, birth date, address, contact) and call if you receive no response within a week. TIP: Try to make it more personal to stand out of the crowd. Please note: if your child reached 3 years old and you still can't find a Kita spot, contact immediately the Jugendamt in your district and they should help you find a place as you have a high priority now. Attention: If you already have a child in a Kita who got another sibiling, then the sibling would in theory have a higher chance to get a place but not guaranteed though! So plan accordingly! TIP for commuters: Berlin and Brandenburg have agreed to facilitate the use of care services in the respective other state, for example, if workplace-based care is useful or necessary. Plan for the Eingewöhnung time: Your kid would need sometime to adjust to the Kita. It typically takes 4 weeks or more for your child to settle in. In the beginning, one parent takes the child for about an hour a day which slowly increases until the child is feeling comfortable without the parents. During this time you can still receive paid parental leave (Elterngeld) if you wish. TIP: not speaking German at home might actually be an advantage for some as Kitas get more money from the state in this case. So, don't forget to mention it on your application. Check out the video below for more tips! Issues There is a widespread shortage of child care in Berlin. However, if you start looking early (i.e., as soon as your baby is born), you would likely find a spot by the time the child is 1 year old. Keep in mind that only a few Kitas accept applications for unborn children. If both parents need to go to work and already spent a reasonable effort looking and still can't find child care spot, then the parents can actually sue the district (Bezirk) where they live for loss of income. Tagesspiegel reported in early 2020: "according to the Berlin Administrative Court, the number of lawsuits for the lack of a childcare spot in 2019 has also increased significantly compared to the previous year. The court received 241 complaints in 2019, compared to 178 the year before. Most of the cases in which compensation was paid were in Treptow-Köpenick. The district has so far paid 27.355€. Three further lawsuits are currently pending there with a total claim for damages of 21.609€. In Pankow, a total of 18.343€ has so far been paid in three cases, in Neukölln 6.000€ for two cases." You can read the complete article here. Useful Links CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ARticles15/8/2020 NEW EDUCATION QUALITY RANKING RELEASEDAt the end of the difficult first week after the start of school in Berlin with the discussion about compulsory masks and the first school closures due to corona cases, there is finally some good news: In the education monitor of the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM), Berlin is no longer at the bottom of the education quality list in Germany. According to the nationwide comparative study presented recently in Berlin, the capital rose from 16th place to 13th place. The fact that the childcare ratios at daycare centers, schools and universities are good has a positive effect. In addition, a particularly large number of children and young people in Berlin take advantage of all-day offerings in daycare and primary schools. How the evaluation works? The education monitor of the INSM has been published for 17 years and compares the education systems of the 16 federal states from an economic perspective. According to INSM, the comparative study evaluates "to what extent a federal state reduces educational poverty, contributes to securing skilled labour and promotes growth". In addition to the performance level of students, the study compares, among other things, how much money a state spends per student, the ratio of teachers to students in terms of numbers, or the proportion of younger teachers. The school and trainee dropout rates are also examined. In addition to day-care centres, schools and universities, it also evaluates performance in vocational education and training on the basis of a total of 93 indicators in 12 fields of action. The comparative study is prepared by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW). The complete study can be found here. Pros & Cons of the Education system in Berlin The many researchers in Berlin are also rated positively "measured by economic power". In addition, there are many university graduates relative to the resident academic population and the highest proportion of foreign students in Germany. The main areas that can be improved are vocational training, educational poverty, school quality and integration. For example, the share of youths without a training place is too high and the supply of training places offered by companies is too low. Many young people did not achieve the minimum standards of competence - deficits in reading, writing, mathematics and science, for example. The IW takes these data from the nationwide school achievement studies of the past years. The school dropout rate in Berlin is still high and the connection between social background and educational success is said to be close. Why Sachsen is still number#1? The winner, Saxony, was praised among other things for the fact that many children were looked after full-time and that many employees with university degrees worked in the daycare centres. According to the study, the Saxon pupils also excel in mathematics and science, and only a few do not reach the minimum standards in mathematics and reading. Lack of participation, shortage of teachers and lack of digital resources are the most obvious problems of the German education system, the study said. The corona pandemic aggravates these difficulties. Sources: Tagesspiegel & Welt CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ArticlesGermany is a social state with family oriented laws. Parents can have up to 3 years of parental leave (Elternzeit) and up to 14 months of PAID parental leave (Elterngeld). The months can be split flexibly between the parents but one parent (usually the mom) can't take more than 12 paid months. To maximize the family income, dads in Germany usually take 2 full months or 4 months while working part time (ElterngeldPlus) but this trend is starting to change and dads are taking more time off. You should get in touch with your HR department at least 7 weeks beforehand. Once you notified your employer, you gain a special protection from being fired (kündigungsschutz) even during your trial period (Probezeit). There are three types of Elterngeld:
As a parent, you can receive Elterngeld under the following conditions:
You can get Elterngeld:
Depending on your income, you can receive:
Please note: There is no entitlement to Elterngeld if the parent has earned more than 250,000€ in the calendar year preceding the birth of the child (or if the total income for both parents exceeds 500,000€). (Update: starting 01.01.2021 the maximum family income will be reduced to 300,000€). If you have more than one child, you can receive supplements, for example for twins or older siblings. You can also receive the minimum amount of 300€ Basiselterngeld or 150€ ElterngeldPlus even if you previously had no income. The ElterngeldPlus is calculated in the same way as the Basiselterngeld. However, the amount of ElterngeldPlus is limited to half of what you would theoretically receive as Basiselterngeld if you had no income after the birth. You can receive ElterngeldPlus for twice as long as Basiselterngeld though. ElterngeldPlus can be particularly worthwhile if you have income after the birth - for example, when you work part-time. In this case, the ElterngeldPlus may be just as high as the Basiselterngeld with income. What's Partnerschaftsbonus? As a partnership bonus, you and the other parent (or single parent only) can each receive 4 additional months with ElterngeldPlus. This is only possible in 4 consecutive months. The condition is that both of you work part-time during this time, for a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 30 hours per week (Update: starting 01.01.2021 the max weekly hours will be extended to 32). It is not necessary for you to work exactly 25 to 30 hours in each individual week. The decisive factor is how many hours per week you work on average per month. You can also receive the partnership bonus if you raise your child separately. You can use the partnership bonus before, between or after the remaining Elterngeld months. You can use it even if you otherwise only receive basic parental benefit. Please note: If you receive the partnership bonus, but cannot meet the requirements for it, then any amounts paid must be reclaimed. Even if only one of the parents does not meet the requirements, both will lose the partnership bonus! How much exactly you can get? You can check how much money you can get using the Elterngeldrechner. How do I apply for Elterngeld? With ElterngeldDigital you can fill out your application for Elterngeld online if you live in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony or Thuringia. The expansion of ElterngeldDigital to other federal states is planned. You still need to print out the application and submit or mail your application to your Elterngeld office (Elterngelddstelle) in your area (Germany is still behind in full digital services). Extra Tips Never worked in Germany? You could still get the maximum Elterngeld as if you worked in Germany. Find out how in the video below ;-) New Changes coming in 2021 Learn more about the changes here. CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related articlesChild benefits are good but can be improved in Germany. There are ongoing debates about reforms. Children registered in Germany have the right to monthly payments (Kindergeld) from the state providing that they are not already receiving similar benefits from another country. That's regardless of nationality and income. Payments vary slightly depending on how many children one already have (see picture above). Payments normally stop when the child reaches 18 yo unless when s/he is unemployed (up to 21 yo) or when s/he is still in education/training (up to 25 yo). Disabled children receive payments for life. The parents must apply within 3 months after child birth to not lose any payments. The application can be easily prepared online (check out the links below). If the income is not sufficient for the whole family, parents can receive a child supplement of 185€ per child (Kinderzuschlag) in addition to Kindergeld. However, the application for the child supplement must be submitted separately to the family insurance fund (Familienkasse). As a rule, you will receive a child supplement for 6 months. If the period of approval has expired, you must apply for a new child supplement. There are some conditions to be eligible to such benefit:
The application can be easily prepared online (check out the links below). To provide relief to families & stimulate the economy after the Corona crisis, there is a one-time payment (kinderbonus) of 300€ per child to be paid with kindergeld in Sep & Oct 2020. You would automatically get it if your child to receive Kindergeld in Sep 2020, no need to apply for it ;-) Baukindergeld is another benefit for family with children in Germany but unlike Kindergeld, it's not for everyone! The family income must not exceed the limits which vary depending on how many kids in the family. There is an easy check list to see if you are eligible (see links below). The limits are easy to calculate. It's 75K + 15K per child < 18 yo. The family has to either sign a contract for the new residence or get an approval for building a house by the end of 2020. (Update: deadline extended until 31.03.2021, learn more here). Within 6 months of moving into the new place, an application for the baukindergeld must be submitted. The application must be submitted before 31.12.2023. Once approved, parents can receive 1,200€ per child per year over 10 years. Keep in mind that the funds are limited and can be gone even before the deadline, so you better act fast! Check out the video below for more tips ;-) Here are useful links that are referred to in the video below: CategoriesAll Family Finance Health SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives January 2021 Related articlesLike other countries, new babys and moms in Germany can get many free gifts from several stores, YaY! We were blessed last year to have our first and only daughter. So, we got many gifts and discounts from Rossmann, dm, and more. You just need to register your child, sometimes even before birth and get cute gifts for your little one. Both parents can actually register the same child so you can get two of everything ;-) Usually you can register up to 3 kids. Check out the video below to learn more. CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related articlesGermany has so many supermarkets and the offers are huge! Finding the best deal is not always easy! To help train our memories, we started to keep track of grocery prices in mind! It actually worked better than expected! We now never pay for overpriced products. We just know that they are just cheaper around the corner or they will be on sale some time soon. So we usually wait until our favorite products go on sale and then buy a bulk of them (It's always a good idea to stock up especially in the days of lockdowns and Corona). Check out the video to learn more and subscribe to our youtube channel for deal alerts, recalls, and more tips. CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ArticlesWhile you probably can get away with English in big cities in Germany, learning German is still important if you plan to stay here for a long time. German is not the easiest language to learn though! However, if you already speak English, then it shouldn't be actually that hard! Try to listen to the radio, it usually has frequent news and traffic reports and a bit of small talk, not to mention many international hits. Watching German TV with subtitles is a great way to learn the language (check your TV settings to enable this feature). You are already have a great advantage if you already living in Germany. Try to take advantage of this by learning new vocabulary as you shop in the supermarket or by trying small talk with locals. Be careful though, young Germans are usually eager to speak English! So, you better not resort too quickly to English, just try to push your self a bit. Otherwise, you will end up learning Denglish instead ;-) There are tons of free materials to help you though, check out the video for more tips... CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Discover More articles |