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Each of my students begins a journey in my program with a simple question I ask: what is your motivation to learn German? And in most answers, my students talk about the need for integration into German society.

I was once in their shoes and I completely agree that the feeling of being left out is pretty frustrating. But the need for integration is not only present in the situations when you live in a foreign country and don’t speak the language.

On one side, the reason why the feeling of disconnection is so unnerving comes down to the basics of us humans. We are sociable beings, we need contact with other people, and we are indeed created to live and communicate with others. We are made to make meaningful connections.

That is why we feel frustration when our communication process is unsatisfying – when we are not understood when we can’t properly express ourselves, when we hesitate to ask a question, or when we are afraid to make a mistake while speaking.

On the other side, feeling disconnected from the society you are living in and trying to integrate into also has long-term consequences. The disconnection means that you are left out of any opportunity of changing your life for the better.

Many of my students started to learn German when they realized how profound the effects of the language barrier are – from future career growth through connections with colleagues and job interviews, to social life and acceptance in the local community.

If you want to avoid feeling alone, left out, disconnected, and frustrated every day, there is still time.

Check out my students’ experiences on my website: www.ivanvotipka.com, and find out how they integrated into German society as foreigners.