This has been a long journey into the world of the German language, and it will continue so long as I can get my hands on things written or spoken in German. Along the way, I have originally consulted materials in German that I am already familiar with in English, and when I found them too easy, I consulted new materials in German that I hadn't already seen in English (or only partially). And now I do songs and movies as well, but it seems ultimately that my ability to read is the strongest.
Here's a partially completed list of games I've completed for the sake of learning German:
Game | Completion | Languages |
| Harveys Neue Augen | Complete | German |
| Edna Bricht Aus | Complete | German |
| A New Beginning | Complete | German |
| Terranigma | Complete | English, German |
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time | Complete | English, German |
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | Complete | English, German |
| The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Ages (and The Oracle of Seasons) | Complete | English, German |
| The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap | Complete | English, German |
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | Complete | English, German |
Phoenix Wright: Justice for All | Complete | English, German |
| Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations | Complete | English, German |
| Crono Trigger (fan translation) | Complete | English (official translation), German (fan translation) |
| SaGa Frontier II | English Complete, German Incomplete ~65% | English, German |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | Complete | German |
Apollo Justice | Complete | German |
The Legend of Dragoon | Complete | English 5%, German |
Okami | Complete | English, German |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | Complete | English 80%, German |
The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker | Complete | German |
Ghost Trick | Complete | German |
Professor Layton and the Curious Village | Complete | English, German |
Professor Layton und die Schatulle der Pandora | Complete | German |
Professor Layton und die Verlorene Zukunft | Complete | German |
The Whispered World | Complete | German |
Riven | Complete | English, German |
Myst IV: Revelation | Complete | English, German |
Discworld II | Complete | German |
Discworld | Complete | Voices in English, subtitles in German |
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 | Complete | German |
Last Window: Das Geheimnis von Cape West | Complete | German |
Baphomets Fluch | Complete | English, German |
Baphomets Fluch II: Der Spiegel der Finsternis | Complete | German |
Illusion of Time | Complete | English, German |
Lufia 2 | English Complete, German Incomplete 50% | English, German |
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | Incomplete 80% | German |
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | Incomplete 70% | German |
Final Fantasy VII | Complete | English, German |
Final Fantasy VI | Complete | English, German |
Final Fantasy IV | Complete | English, German |
Final Fantasy IX | English Incomplete 70%, German Incomplete 75% | English, German |
So I think at this point, I can read typical things written in High German, and maybe a little Low German, but nothing particularly technical, legal or highly academic, and I can't yet skim texts particularly well, but the words come to me easily when I see them. I can also read Old German scripts, and have been able to read some archaic texts like Brüders Grimm and a play about Ephigenie by Goethe. I can also hear some German, provided it's not too fast or too Low German. I can also write it, but I fear my grammar is worse, not because I don't understand it, but because I can't seem to remember the genders of the words, or I haven't discovered what they are, and sometimes, I am unaware of the idiomatic usage of some sentences. I do not know how well I speak it; I guess I can speak what I can write or read, and have been trying to get some practice by joining meet-ups. According to a few native speakers, they think I've been to Germany (I haven't), and that I speak it well enough (I beg to differ...), but sound somewhat regal/archaic. But they say it has some sort of charm, apparently.
There's only one other thing I could do to get better at those other three areas--go to Germany itself. I think I might be able to do that soon if I can secure a co-op position there.
And even if I've never been to Germany, this process of deducing and inducing words from a game, movie or book has been highly entertaining--and with each new word and new grammar construction, a new dimension is being formed. It's as if an entire new world has opened itself up to me for my enjoyment and adventure, and I can't let go of it.
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