The beginning of my SLA experience in Munich has been fantastic. I faced a challenge right from the start when I had to figure out the public transportation system to get to my language institute. My German was a little rusty, but thankfully I was able to communicate enough with a friendly airport worker to buy the right subway ticket. The course has been challenging, but helpful. Four and a half hours a day of German, in addition to the immersion, will definitely progress my skills rapidly. My teacher chooses to only speak German, which I believe is an effective strategy to force us students to practice with him. He convinced us to speak as much as possible, both by asking us lengthy questions and by giving us conversation prompts to work on with a partner. He is also a big believer in the power of vocabulary. It might benefit my acquisition of the language if I make flashcards to practice all of the words he emphasizes in class and the ones I have encountered often in the city. Food was particularly difficult to deal with, as I didn’t know the words for many of the ingredients. I had to just point at first, but I would really love to be able to communicate fluently with the German vendors. Thankfully, I am beginning to figure out many of the common dishes and everything tastes delicious!