Chapter 1: Introduction
About 200,000 years ago, something remarkable happened. Through a series of genetic mutations, humans gained the capacity for speech and language development—eventually giving us endless meetings and viral tweets. Evolution set mankind on a path unlike that of any other species in history.
Like our genes, language is in a state of constant evolution. It adapts to its environment and reacts to outside impulses. Unused words and phrases fade away, while new ones emerge to take their place.
As children, we learn languages without even trying. We simply acquire them through listening and repeating. Unfortunately, this ability fades by our tenth birthday. Adults learn languages much more effectively through patterns and rules. German is well-suited to such an approach, as it requires fewer rules than English—which seems to thrive on chaos.
This book is designed to align with how adults learn most effectively. It uses pronunciation rules that are easily memorized because they’re tied to the English speaker’s pronunciation repertoire. In addition, the book provides a wealth of examples, complete with audio recordings, which allow you to refine your sounds.
With regular practice, this book will help you achieve near-native German pronunciation. The earlier you incorporate it into your learning routine, the easier it will be to form the right pronunciation habits.