One should secretly take shorthand notes on what people are saying... one should take shorthand literally - one hundred and eighty syllables per minute - of what people are babbling about... The primary rule is: the conversation partner is hard of hearing and somewhat dim-witted - therefore, it’s good to repeat everything six times. Spoken expressions in everyday life often appear chaotic, banal, tautological, and significantly inferior in precision and elegance compared to written language. However, upon closer inspection or rather listening, one can recognize that these characteristics do indeed serve their functions. This introduction will illuminate all aspects of spoken German. The opening chapter addresses the media-related similarities and differences between speech and writing, always focusing on the essentials and using examples.