I am three weeks into my German course, and I can already feel my language skills improving. The flashcards that I made for myself certainly came in handy in buffing my vocabulary abilities. Immersion is really the best way to expedite language acquisition. I need to force myself to only speak to the other students in the class in German, even when they can speak English fluently. The more formal conversations outside of class are a great supplement to the grammar and vocabulary lessons in the lectures. In addition to the language program, I have been able to take in a large amount of German culture. I have visited the Neuschwanstein Castle and the small beautiful village of Landshut. Listening to the tour guides speak in rapid fire German on these trips has been a struggle. It was also difficult to keep up with the locals I spoke to when my friends and I visited the English Gardens a few days ago, a popular spot for Munich residents on warm days. However, I can definitely say that experiences like these with native speakers has forced me to improve my listening abilities so that I can keep up with those who speak German quickly. This is a very valuable skill that I am proud to be getting stronger at.