One of the biggest obstacles of moving abroad is not being able to speak the native language fluently. While you may be comfortable attempting to speak the language with family, friends and other foreigners, speaking independently with new people while navigating a daily routine may lead to unexpected outcomes.
During my first visit to Hamburg last year, I ventured off to the Portuguese Quarter on my own. I walked into a small cafe and was looking forward to having an iced coffee and some Apfelstrudel. After mustering up the courage to order in German, I found that I had actually ordered myself an ice cream soda with orange juice.
This was the moment where I knew I'd have to sign up for a real German language course.