1. Let me introduce you to the best way known to mankind to learn a language: a local girlfriend. Did wonders for my Spanish, believe me. It also would have done wonders for my Mandarin, but I only had three months in China, which is nowhere near enough for a language as complex as that. But you should do very well indeed with a whole year at your disposal.

2. I think Heidelberg is a pretty good bet. It's a very nice city, but a little pricey. Mannheim is a little cheaper, but not as visually appealing and a little less lively. Most of the smaller towns in the vicinity are excellent places if you're raising a family, but if you're young and single, you'll prefer the cities. One thing about the smaller towns though - as long as you pick one on one of the rail lines, you usually have excellent access into the cities.

One other thing you may want to consider - how much air travel does your job involve? By train, it's much easier to get to Frankfurt airport from Mannheim than from Heidelberg. By car, it's about the same.


Part of the time, I live very close to Heidelberg (about 25 miles away) - send me a message when you're over here and feel like having a beer or two.