Remember when staring at your phone was discouraged in class? Well, those days are over! Today, language learning is impossible without the Internet, movies, and YouTube. Your elderly German school teacher would never agree, but that's how it is. Textbooks, grammar guides, and even fiction in the original language aren't enough to learn German culture.
Isn’t it hilarious that watching comedy videos, interviews, and games while sipping coffee or gulping beer is a perfect way to master the German language? There's a virtually unlimited number of free German language channels. It’s up to you whether to mindlessly consume video content or learn real German that you can use various social situations.
Today, our German language instructor Birgit and Alex, her student learning German, are exploring the world of German YouTubers. Grab a piece of paper – you’ll want to make a list.
- Hallo, Alex! Welcome to the best German-language class ever!
- Morgen, Birgit! What a promising greeting! What’s gonna be so special about it?
- First of all, our lessons are always special…
- Debatable... and second of all?
- ... we'll be watching German YouTube videos today.
- Are you kidding?
- Nope. More so, I’m encouraging you to grab a non-alcoholic mojito.
- Birgit, we’ve been through this… Whiskey on the rocks, please.
- Whatever sets you in the mood for languages.
- Aren't you gonna torture me with German articles and subjunctive?
- Nope!
- Not even conjugation?
- Not even that.
- Hmm, something's fishy.
- I told you! Let's cover top German vloggers who'll help you:
- This sounds like a lot.
- Not at all, Herr Doubtfire.
- Lamest pun ever.
- There are loads of vloggers. Everyone wants to become a world celebrity and stand in the spotlight.
- Please, don't ever use the word "Germanized" again.
- Can't make any promises.
- Oh, but you could, though...
- For fame seekers, getting on the Internet is the most obvious path. They do Spanish lessons, music videos, food tutorials, gaming secrets, entertaining news, and life hacks of all sorts - you name it.
- And then we, mere mortals, try to find our way through this pool of rubbish to spot a decent channel.
- That’s why I’m coming to the rescue with some German gems. Searching for good video lessons can be a nightmare. But I did my research to find and list the top German YouTube channels for language learners:
- I cite at least one of their videos every lesson, so you should know these guys and their friends. Cari and Janusz walk around the streets of Berlin and do interviews with people on various topics: from pronunciation matters and grammar issues to cultural references and romantic affairs.
- They’re my myth busters.
- How come?
- You know, I won't binge-watch German grammar videos, but I love the ones where they ruin stereotypes about German habits.
- In this case, you'll love this episode.
- And subtitles - that's what we, the viewers, need in all German YouTube channel videos.
- Heh, die Deustchen lieben Regeln, fahren aber trotzdem 20 Kilometer schneller, als auf den Straßenschield steht.
- That’s a perfect way to explain how German rules work.
- This is a German YouTuber I always recommend to students. Sherin makes fantastic short story videos, typically for level B1/B2.
-Wow! This is quite a popular YouTube channel.
- And for a very good reason! She has a great teaching approach, where some subtitles are translated into English and embedded into her videos.
- Yeah. That's a lot of effort.
- Anything to make people like you become motivated.
- You know what motivates me most.
- Dare I ask?
- Being able to flirt in German.
- Should have seen that one coming. What about some important topics, like To Buy Second-Hand?
- Hmm... Ein Schätzchen does sound like a good pick-up word.
- It's Schnäpchen - a bargain, not Schätzchen - little treasure.
- Oh... Saved me from an awkward moment with a girl.
- What I love about this channel so far is how slowly she speaks. The first German person I can follow.
- That’s because…
- I’m a slowpoke?
- …because you’re just starting your language journey... is what I was going to say.
- By the way, here’s another slow speaker for brilliant students like you.
- Oh, Birgit, stop it. You'll make me blush.
- Right, Herr Shy.
- Annik covers all kinds of stories: from politics to homosexuality and lifestyle. Her speech pace and use of colloquial words are what every learner is looking for. Plus, Annik offers subtitles, which is a great way to pause her videos and note down some vocabulary.
- How's that fun?
- About as much fun as your sarcastic comments. Watch this Wetter & Klima video instead – it’ll help you with small talk in Germany.
- What kind of girl will fall for that, Birgit?
- Ein schöner Tag! Die Sonne scheint. Doesn't it sound poetic?
- I think you misspelled "corny". What a creative pick-up line...
-If you had to name one thing that’s most challenging for you in German, what would it be?
- Easy – Aussprache.
- I knew it.
- You hear it for sure.
- On her YouTube channel, Michaela teaches you how to pronounce German words correctly and does it entertainingly.
- I don't think "entertainingly" is a word.
- You didn't think "germanized" was a word...
- Urgh, gross!
- Lehrer-Lehre, Lehrer-Lehre. Like music to my ears.
- I'm happy you enjoy the sound of German.
- Sarcasm alert, Birgit!
- Oh... Just when I thought Michaela's videos convinced you German was pretty.
- Du bist mein Schätzchen, Birgit!
- Thank God it's not a Schnäpchen this time.
Judging by the number of subscribers, it is HaerteTest: 19.9M followers. This channel features numerous experimental videos.
- If dealing with videos in German is too difficult, you can follow YouTubers who combine English and German.
- Langweiling.
- Just what one needs at level A1/A2. If you’re skeptical, check out one of these brilliant Germans teaching grammar and vocabulary in their funny videos:
The top Five German YouTubers are Paluten (4.4M), Galileo (3.16M), JP Performance (2.21M), MrWissen2go (1.87M), and Phil Laude (1.1M).
- I don’t know about you, Alex, but I’m the queen of procrastination.
- High-five, Birgit. I’m your King.
- How do you procrastinate?
- YouTube, mostly. Also, jigsaw puzzles.
- We’re a great team.
- I thought we made that clear a long time ago.
- Right. So, I love following vloggers who don’t really, how to say it...
- ... don’t bring value to your life?
- Exactly. It’s like spying on them, having a bit of voyeuristic pleasure on the web…
- I know exactly what you mean.
-Well, that’s my schuldbewusster Genuss.
- Guilty pleasure?
- Yeah.
- Mine is whiskey on the rocks, food, and...
- ... German?
- Girls. German girls.
- Sharp, as always.
- Okay-okay. Share the German YouTubers so I can join you on a spy spree on my Friday nights.
- Understanding German YouTubers who produce content for native speakers is quite a challenge. Thus, you kinda compensate for procrastination by learning a bulk of useful phrases.
- That’s a fantastic excuse.
- Dan & Jessica have this great vlog style. I’ve been following them for a couple of years now. They travel around the world, and I feel like I’m traveling with them.
- For free, from the comfort of your home in Europe.
- Isn't this wise?
- That’s the German way, I guess.
- Wir sind ein bischen sparsam. Das stimmt. But we love traveling, for the record.
- Hmm, ok.
- Check one of their videos and enjoy a true aesthetic feast:
- Do you like cooking?
- I love eating.
- Then check Sallys Welt to see how you can cook so you'll enjoy eating.
- You're not tricking me, Birgit.
- Well, you’re the one who constantly rambles about impressing girls with your culinary talents. Why not follow this lady and unveil your hidden skills?
- Keep talking.
- I better give you an example of what she does with food.
- Technically, you can no longer call it procrastination if you learn German + make cookies + acquire a skill to pick up ladies.
- It's a win-win! Except I don't get to procrastinate...
- Not in the mood for cooking or traveling? What about a good old laugh?
- I hate stand-up comedy, Birgit.
- Me too. This here is a sharp, biting video format, though. Irony, sarcasm, great punchlines.
- Sounds like a marketing crash course.
- In a way. And a free one!
- Well, you’ve sold me this YouTuber. And the name is….
- Drum roll…
- What a curious name...
- No, "drum roll" is not the name!
- Then why did you say it was?
- Urgh... Never mind. Phil Laude. The name is Phil Laude.
- Oh, I know his channel. Why didn't you just say that right away?
- I was going to. He’s a giant YouTuber. This video mocking Insta couples is my absolute favorite.
- They're hilarious. Where do I find a girl with this sense of self-irony?
- I don't know. On the internet?
- Right. Because we all know how smart Tinder ladies tend to be.
- Try a bingo parlor, then.
- Do you like political news?
- No.
- Great! You’ll love this political channel, then.
- How come?
- Because it’s so much different from anything political you've ever seen.
- Intriguing.
- How would you describe politics?
- Just three words: dull, hypocritical, moronic.
- Alex?
- Are we censored? Politicians are morons, Birgit.
- Hmm... Ok. How would I describe this political show? Fun, straightforward, and light.
- Your words, not mine.
- Check it out yourself, then. The presenters will give you an insightful view on what’s going on in the world right now. Their comments are ironic, bitterly honest, and presented humorously which lets you unwind.
- I can’t take it at face value.
- Do some research using this episode.
In brief - yes, it is. Approximately 47 million people in Germany access the platform. 98% of them use this website at least once a month and 47% log in daily. This high demand for YouTube content explains the popularity of German YouTubers.
- If you still have some valuable procrastination time left after you’ve checked the previous German YouTube channels…
- That must be a joke… You know how important procrastinating is for me.
- Well, if you don’t bake every single cake Sally suggests…
- ... and if I decide to give up on sleep for the sake of learning German…
- Yes, if all of those "ifs" are met, here's my list of more YouTubers:
- I’ll start with that psychology lady. I just hit the roof when I deal with German.
- Oh, she actually has a great video on how to stay motivated while learning:
Get Germanized is considered the most successful YouTube channel created to learn German. It's been around for over 12 years, making it one of the oldest and most reputable for learners of all levels.
- If you’re interested in whether you learn grammar while enjoying YouTube videos...
- I'm not…
- Well, you should be.
- Dagi Bee.
- Are you subscribed to Dagi Bee?
- Please don't tell anyone.
- Well, Dagi Bee is a German channel. Whatever her content, you improve grammar while watching her life adventures. You polish articles, adjectives, pronouns, subjunctive, and verb conjugation.
- Even if I don’t note anything down?
- Yes! Although I always recommend taking an extra step and writing down useful phrases, you do remember stuff subconsciously. The more you listen to native speakers, the more you internalize their grammar.
There are loads of ways to learn a foreign language. Watching entertaining videos to boost your German skills is perhaps the most rewarding endeavor. YouTube is the tool you shouldn’t ignore in this context. It is one of the most authentic sources of real, live language. Unlike movies, it doesn't undergo censorship and too much polishing. YouTubers offer you the language that you hear out in the world, in the streets of Berlin and Vienna. They open for you the door of real German houses and show the problems of typical German families.
You get to improve your listening skills, pronunciation, and grammar as you enjoy German videos, and you expand your cultural knowledge along the way. Birgit doesn't think learning languages has to be boring. She knows the tricks that keep her student Alex motivated. If you also lack motivation, join them for future lessons and follow Flying Languages for the video materials they share.
