09/09/2026
“I’ll try to learn German.”
This is one sentence I hear again and again from international professionals who want to build a career in Germany.
And I think the problem starts with one word:
Try.
“I’ll try to learn German.”
“I’ll learn German if the job requires it.”
“I’ll start once I arrive in Germany.”
“I work in IT. English should be enough.”
This mindset can cost you opportunities.
For many Indian professionals, English is a completely normal part of everyday life. It is not only used at work or university.
When I was travelling to India, I noticed something very simple: many Indian passengers around me were reading newspapers in English.
That would be much less common in Germany.
Most Germans don’t go home after work and suddenly switch to English. They read German news, watch German television, speak German with their families and friends, deal with authorities in German and live their everyday lives in German.
English in India and English in Germany do not have the same role.
That is something many international professionals underestimate.
Yes, many Germans speak or understand English. And yes, there are international companies where English is the working language.
But being able to speak English does not mean that people want to conduct their entire professional and private lives in English.
There is another uncomfortable point that I think someone needs to say.
Speaking English does not automatically mean that everyone can easily understand your English.
From my own experience, and from conversations with people who regularly work with Indian professionals, Indian English can sound very different from British, American or the English many Germans learned at school.
Many Indian professionals speak English extremely well, but some have a very strong regional accent. For someone who is not used to that accent, understanding it can be difficult and sometimes exhausting.
I experience this myself.
When I speak with someone who has a strong Indian accent, I sometimes need time to adjust to the pronunciation. I may have to ask the person to repeat something several times. In some cases, I actually prefer written communication because I can understand everything immediately.
This is not about saying that one accent is “better” than another.
It is about being understood by the person sitting opposite you.
If you want to work internationally, especially in a country where English is already a foreign language for much of the population, clear pronunciation matters.
Your English can be grammatically excellent and your vocabulary impressive. But if a recruiter, customer or colleague struggles to understand you, communication is still difficult.
That is worth working on too.
And then there is German.
A Jobcenter employment adviser told me personally that Jobcenter advisers are not required to conduct their consultations with candidates in English. Even if an adviser speaks or understands English, they can still require you to communicate in German or ask you to bring a translator if you cannot.
Think about what that means.
You may live in Germany. You may have excellent English. The person sitting opposite you may even understand your English.
And German can still be expected.
The same reality follows you through many parts of life in Germany. You encounter German at authorities, with landlords, doctors, colleagues, customers, suppliers and in countless everyday situations.
This is why one thing needs to finally sink in:
Germans place enormous importance on the German language.
You don’t have to like that reality.
You don’t have to agree with it.
But if you want to build your future here, you need to understand it.
Especially for Indian professionals, there can be a misleading assumption:
“My English is excellent, so communication shouldn’t be a problem.”
Your English may be excellent.
But Germany is not India.
And a job advertisement being written in English does not automatically mean that German is irrelevant for the position or for your future career.
When an employer has two similarly qualified candidates, but one can communicate with colleagues, customers, HR and other departments in German while the other depends entirely on English, the German-speaking candidate can simply be easier to integrate into the organization.
That is why German is not just another certificate for your CV.
German increases the number of doors you can open.
And please don’t wait until you are unemployed, your visa is approaching its end or you have sent hundreds of applications without success.
Learning a language takes time.
Start while you still have time.
There is a big difference between:
“I’ll try to learn German.”
and
“I’m learning German.”
One is an intention.
The other is a decision.
If Germany is the country where you seriously want to build your career and your life, don’t just try to learn German. Learn it.
And if you use English professionally, ask yourself another honest question:
Is my English only correct, or is it also easy for international colleagues to understand?
Sometimes someone simply has to say it.
