Is the German language difficult to learn? If you ask a native German speaker, they'll say it’s a piece of cake and can give you a ton of reasons. If you ask a person who speaks one of the Germanic languages, they'll most likely say the German language is bearable. If you ask someone whose source language is too distant from German, they'll most likely call German a nightmare.
Which of the three is right? I’d say none of them. None of these individuals is you, and none will ever have the same experience you do when learning German. You're the only person who can make the German language work for you and learn to speak German fluently within a period comfortable for you.
Our German language instructor Birgit and her American student Alex will guide you on the German language journey. Using entertaining and educational dialogue, they will answer these key questions everyone asks themselves when deciding to learn German:
Bear with Birgit and Alex. They might behave like chatterboxes, but they give you loads of useful German language and cultural tips. Put your Lederhosen on. We’re going to speak German.
- Morgen, Alex! Wie geht’s? Welcome to today’s German lesson. If you feel the motivation to learn German, you'll leave today’s class with loads of reasons to deepen your language knowledge and a bunch of materials to help you with learning German.
- Morgen, Birgit! This sounds promising. I’m all ears.
- To begin with, you need three key things: motivation, materials, and…
- ...macaroni?
- What?
- Marshmallows?
- What's happening?
- Marionnetes? You need to give me a clue!
- Alex, are you having a stroke?
- Weren’t you listing stuff starting with the letter "m"?
- No, I actually meant hard work. Nowadays, you can easily find affordable online German courses, take classes from German universities, listen to German songs, watch German movies, and communicate with native German speakers. Your German language learning process can be as entertaining as it gets. Money is the last thing that should bother you if you've decided to learn German.
- Harte Arbeit it is! Ich würde sowieso ein ganzes Leben brauchen, um endlich Deutsch zu lernen.
- Mein Gott! Your perfect use of the German Subjunctive würde and the inflection of the German ganz adjective prove otherwise. Have you been secretly learning German without my help?
- Yeah, my whole previous life.
- I might have forgotten how sarcastic you Americans are. But that’s fine, as long as you study German.
- Yes. I'll be learning German my whole present life.
- Oh, shush, Debbie Downer! I honestly have a friend who only needed four months to master the German language, and it was a completely new language for her.
- No way. Unless she comes from the Netherlands.
- Well, Mr. Sarcastic, Dutch, German, and English belong to the same language family - Germanic languages - in the group of Indo-European languages.
- So, she did come from the Netherlands and had some previous contact with German, is what you mean.
- No, Mr. Smarty-Pants. She is a native speaker of a Slavic language. But I should probably mention that she got married to an Austrian guy who had no command of the English language. So, she basically had no choice but to speak German with him.
- Got it. So my goals should be to 1) marry a German speaker; 2) profit.
- Wouldn't it be nice? If by "profit" you mean spending 12 hours a day on online German courses, borrowing all of my grammar books, and switching all devices' language to German, then yes. My friend pretty much isolated herself from other languages and only focused on the target language and communication with native speakers.
- That’s... drastic.
- It is. I certainly wouldn't ask you to do that. Everyone has their own learning style and time restrictions. And you're already a handful without being isolated for months. What I mean is that hard work is always rewarded, and you don’t need a lifetime to master a new language.
- She’s just smart, that friend of yours. I’m a slowpoke.
- You’re just a whiny-poke, Alex.
The short answer is yes. As complex as German is for language learners, it's also highly systematic. Think hours: an average person needs 750 hours to become fluent in German as a second language. Basic math: if you practice German for just 2 hours daily, you will reach fluency in a year.
You'll learn German easily if you do complete immersion into the language and culture, communicate with native speakers, read news in German, watch films in German, and devote some time (daily) to memorize new vocabulary and polish your grammar.
- Let me ask you, Alex, why have you decided to learn German in the first place?
- You know me, Birgit. I just look for effective ways to pick up girls. German would impress anyone, and good speaking skills should impress even a German lady.
- That’s an interesting motivation, I must say. I remember those lame flirting lines you once shared with me. But I must say, if you wanted romance, you should have gone with Italian, French or Spanish. Any other valid reasons to pursue the German language?
- Just share yours, Birgit. I know you have dozens. Actually, I bet you have a list.
- You bet I do! A student like you would hardly sit through a dozen though. So, here are five reasons to learn German:
1. For an English speaker, German is low-hanging fruit. The two languages have a plethora of same-sounding or similar words and a shared history.
2. German is one of the most popular languages in the European Union, with Germany, Austria, and Switzerland being largely German-speaking countries. As Germans love and value their language, they expect foreigners to speak German with them.
3. Germany is a top business country. If you speak the language, you are a valuable asset to a German company, either local or international, and hold a higher chance to do good investment, export, or financial business yourself.
4. There are numerous German authors you might want to read in the original text as their style loses its appeal in translation. Think Remarque, Hesse, Brecht, Goethe, Nietzsche... and what about the great composers who changed the world: Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach?
5. Learning the German language with its developed system of articles, inflections, and compounds makes it easier to understand other Germanic languages, especially if you speak both English and German. Just think of the benefits: you master German and get around easily in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden...how rewarding is this?
- Not sure how learning German will help me listen to a Beethoven symphony, but I admire how passionately you talk about German, Birgit.
- We call it Leidenschaft.
- Leidenschaft. What a nice German word.
- One of those hard-to-translate German nouns. That’s passion mixed with emotion and fire for something you love, something you never get tired of. Unterrichten ist bei mir eine Leidenschaft.
- I wish learning German were my Leidenschaft.
- And I wish you weren't so whiny.
If you are not sure you'lll like the language, do a trial period. Buy a basic grammar book, subscribe to a free German course online, and download a language app. Take it easy. Then, see if you have enough motivation to learn the language. Answer the key three questions: 1) what is my motivation? 2) what will I gain if I reach fluency in German? 3) how much time am I ready to devote to German?
Now, set a clear plan lesson plan: days, hours, and materials to cover. Give yourself deadlines - e.g., a month to finish a grammar book, watch 10 simple YouTube videos, and get from lesson 1 to lesson 15 on your language app. Be realistic and make sure your materials are engaging. If you're still fascinated by the language, find a tutor and a professional language learning website (I just love Flying Languages) to guide you.
- You can't learn German in a week or understand the rich culture of Germany in a month. One way to learn German, though, is to pay attention to some important aspects. I made a list of such for you.
- Of course you did.
- The first aspect is pronunciation.
- You bet it is. German words sound so unpleasant. It's like having tiny, invisible woodpeckers drilling your ears.
- That’s not true. We have some pretty words. Do you remember Zweisamkeit?
- Yeah, I 'member. But honestly, Birgit, it is the literal meaning of this concept that is pretty, not the word itself, at least if German is not your first language.
- Well, some words may sound a bit specific before you get used to the German pronunciation. The good news is you don’t need to learn many German letters as an English native speaker. Apart from umlauts – ä, ö, ü – and the German letter ß [ss], you basically have the same alphabet.
- Yeah, right. But then, again, the German letter "w" is pronounced like the English "v", "v" is similar to the English "f", "j" becomes "y" and don't even get me started on the German "r". It’s unpronounceable unless you're one of those lucky native speakers. R-r-r-r-r… Why are you giggling, Birgit?
- Because you sound like a maniac. Don’t roar when you produce it. You’re supposed to be gurgling. This poor Italian guy is actually learning the German r from native German speakers:
- I guess it’s even more difficult for Italians. R-r-r.
- The good news is you don’t struggle with reading in German. You basically read what you see, unlike in those crazy English words like though, through, cough, daughter.
- Who cares about reading every single letter in Freundschaftsbeziehungen if the word has 100 letters?
- German speakers do love long words. Look at them as English compounds though. While you would have two separate words in your language – friendship relationship – we just squish them together.
- Yeah, like verbal diarrhea.
It depends on what you classify as learning. If you spend two hours learning German every day, you'll be able to read, master the basics of pronunciation, learn simple grammar (articles, cases, and genders), and learn approximately 500 words.
You'll maintain a basic conversation with a native speaker. Month by month, you'll see more progress. There's no language that can be mastered completely within just one month just because our brain needs more time to process information and practice the language.
- Do you know my personal least favorite thing about the German language?
- I thought you loved German with all its kinkiness.
- I sure do! But there’s that one thing about German grammar rules that all language learners hate. So, language teachers hate them as well.
- Is it the articles?
- It's the articles.
As German and English come from the same language family, you might be surprised by how easy it is to pick up phrases. German is not more difficult than English.
The major difference is that the success of German lies in grammar. While English is 50% grammar and 50% vocabulary, 75% of German is grammar. Once you've mastered it, you'll have an easy time learning phrases. German grammar is very systematic and logical; it just requires perseverance and time on the part of the learner.
- You know German has genders, right?
- I've heard about that.
- I can hear you rolling your eyes, Alex. English has genders too.
- Well, we don't have this weird distribution of genders you have in German. Why the heck is it das Haus but der Baum? My brain starts boiling when I try to learn German nouns.
- Yeah, that's the reaction I get from every German learner. What can I say – you need to learn these mechanically.
- Right. And then all those cases and articles. I feel like I need to carry around a ton of cheat sheets with your precious grammar tables, Birgit.
- Didn’t I warn you that my grammar tables caused addiction?
- You did, Ma'm.
- Ok, here you have a very basic and absolutely necessary German article table with definite and indefinite articles for all the three genders and all the four cases. Just memorize this one like a prayer, and you’ll use articles correctly when speaking German.
- Amen.
| Case | Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neutral | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | der/ein Lehrer | die/eine Lehrerin | das/ein Mädchen | die Kinder |
| Gen. | des/eines Lehrers | der/einer Lehrerin | des/eines Mädchens | der Kinder |
| Dat. | dem/einem Lehrer | der/einer Lehrerin | dem/einem Mädchen | den Kindern |
| Acc. | den/einen Lehrer | die/eine Lehrerin | das/ein Mädchen | die Kinder |
- Here we go – das Mädchen. Why on earth is she neutral? Isn’t this discriminatory?
- It can be logically explained. The -chen suffix signals that it's neutral. It also acts as a diminutive form here – like in das Bübchen (a little boy).
- Sure. Having a boy in the same spot settles the issue. Are there any other "red flag" suffixes that help me guess the gender of German nouns?
- Absolutely. It would be great if you learned them by heart.
- Ladies and gentlemen who are learning German, here comes a two-page table with the suffixes!
- It's not a two-page table!
- Only because this is scrollable.
- What?
- Nothing.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neutral |
|---|---|---|
| deverbal -er (Lehrer) | -ung (Hoffnung) | -en (Lesen) for a verb turned into an abstract noun, like English -ing (reading) |
| nouns formed by removing the -en suffix from verbs (Kampf – kämpfen) | -e (Seite) *apart from male animals/individuas (Affe, Junge) | -chen / -lein (Mädchen / Fräulein) for diminutive, affectionate nouns |
| -or (Autor) | -keit (Unabhängigkeit) | -ment (Element) |
| -ant (Gigant) | -heit (Freiheit) | -um (Parfum) |
| -ast (Palast) | -in (Freundin) to refer to females | -tum (Wachstum) |
| -ich (Pfirsich) | -schaft (Freundschaft) | -ing (Meeting) for borrowigs |
| -ig (Honig) | -sion (Vision) | -ier (Tier) for monosyllabic words only |
| -ling (Fremdling) | -tion (Funktion) | -o (Büro) |
| -us (Campus) | -tät (Universität) | -an (Organ) for inanimate objects only |
| -anz (Tanz) for monosyllabic only | -anz (Toleranz) for non-monosyllabic only | -a (Jamajka) for countries |
| -enz (Konferenz) | -iv (Archiv) | |
| -ei (Türkei) | ||
| -ie (Theorie) |
- Before you start whining that it’s too many German words, I'd like to offer you a video with some more useful language hacks on finding the correct article:
- Der Wein, der Whisky. These ones I'll need. Give me a year, and I’ll get back to you with the rest.
- Deal. You have till next Wednesday.
- Mein Gott!
- Oh, and review those adjective inflection tables from the German adjective class.
- Hundert Jahre Einsamkeit and language learning for me.
- German grammar is super easy.
- Here comes Frau Lügerin.
- Why would I lie to you? Just think about tenses. You have 12 tense forms in English, while you only have six in German: present, past, and future as simple forms and present, past, and future as perfect forms. That’s it. German grammar is just so straightforward.
- Right. That’s why you're now going to give me tons of examples and "very few exceptions".
- No exceptions. Just examples to help you learn German tenses and speak German like a native:
| Tense forms | German sentence | English sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Präsens | Ich lese Ich laufe | I read / am reading I run / am running |
| Imperfekt | Ich lies Ich lief | I read / was reading I ran / was running |
| Futur | Ich werde ein Buch lesen Ich werde laufen | I will read / will be reading a book I will run / will be running |
| Perfekt | Ich habe ein Buch gelesen Ich bin gelaufen | I have read / have been reading a book I have run / have been running |
| Plusquamperfekt | Ich hatte ein Buch gelesen Ich war gelaufen | I had read / had been reading a book I had run / had been running |
| Futur perfekt | Ich werde ein Buch gelesen haben Ich werde gelaufen sein | I will have read / will have been reading a book I will have run / will have been running |
- Easy, you say! You’re using two different auxiliary verbs. Why?
- Ah, you mean haben and sein. The difference is easy. You just use haben in all cases with very few exceptions: German verbs that denote motion (laufen, springen, fliegen) and German verbs that mean a change of state (e.g., bleiben, einschlafen). Here’s a great basic German video explaining alle 6 Zeitformen in brief:
- Probably half a class.
- Always giving a positive spin to bad news.
- What is the biggest pitfall in language learning for you, Alex?
- In German? Everything.
- Don’t start with that, Alex. Pick the three top challenges you face when learning German.
- I make mistakes with everything when I start speaking. But well, my top three would be 1) adjectives and endless rules of their inflections, 2) possessive pronouns and their declension, and 3) German subjunctive, just because subjunctive is a nightmare in any new language.
- Now these are constructive points. We’re covering all these in separate lessons you can revisit any time on the Flying Languages platform:
You can also watch numerous videos available on the website. They are a superb way to learn German. With embedded teaching points, they help you learn useful German phrases, improve your grammar, and remember correct German word order.
- Oh right. German sentence structure. Another aspect that drives me crazy.
- Hmm... We’d need a few German lessons devoted to German syntax. For now, I’d recommend this Satzbau video to help you get prepared.
- Satzbau. Is that a death-related hint, Birgit?
- You’re still alive, Alex. Fantastic.
- Am I? Poke me with a stick.
- If you’ve survived this part, you have nothing to fear.
- Yeah. I’m a Superstudent.
German is definitely not the easiest language. It is very hard for those whose native language is Slavic (Ukrainian, Polish, etc.) or Romance (Spanish, French, etc.).
While German is easier for English speakers, its highly developed system of articles and genders along with a very strict word order are the major pitfalls for students. The rule of thumb when learning German is never to think of it as very hard. Instead, enjoy the process and focus on what fascinates you about the language.
- To speak German, you need to know the basic German vocabulary. Saying "hello" and "thank you", "please", and "welcome" is essential whichever language you are learning. Make sure you remember these:
- These are easy indeed, Birgit. German is ein Stuck Kuchen.
- What on Earth do you mean?
- A piece of cake?
- Oh, actually we don’t say it like that in Germany, Alex. That’s an idiom, and German idioms are hardly ever identical to English ones. Their meaning is not transparent, and they reflect cultural and social processes.
- Here we go. I was aiming at something brilliant and came up with something lame, as always when I speak German. It feels like groundhog day. How would you say it in German, then?
- We’d say its Kinderspiel.
- Deutsch lernen ist kein Kinderspiel, apparently.
- Da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen.
- Gift? This noun doesn't have the same meaning as the English "gift", does it?
- Not even close. In German, Gift is "poison". As you can imagine, the idiom doesn't mean you should take poison though. What native speakers imply here is "You can bet on it".
- I guess idioms are the first thing that reveals my non-German identity. I desperately need to learn a few posh ones. Bring in your language hacks, Birgit.
- You’ve come to the right person. With these, you'll speak German like a native:
| Idiom in German | Literal translation | Meaning and example |
|---|---|---|
| Nur Bahnhof verstehen | understand only train station | it’s all Greek to me. Kannst du das erklären? Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. |
| Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben | not to have all cups in the cupboard | to be crazy Was machst du? Hast du nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank? |
| Bock haben | to have a goat | to fancy something Ich habe kein Bock auf Kaffee. |
| Schwein haben | to have a pig | to be lucky Du musst Schwein haben, um diesen Schauspieler zu treffen. |
| Die Nase voll haben | to have a full nose | to be sick and tired, to have enough Ich habe die Nase voll von deiner Klage |
| Das ist mir Wurst | it is sausage to me | it doesn’t matter; I don’t care Was wolltest du trinken? – Das ist mir Wurst. |
- These German phrases are hilarious. Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof is my permanent state of mind when I speak German.
- Love your self-critique, pal.
- And what’s up with those food expressions in German? I mean we’ve already covered quite a few in what you call a Pretty German Words class. And now these Wurst idioms.
- What can I say? We love food, especially meat and sausages. These preferences are embedded in the German culture. This is a great video where German speakers are trying to trace the origin of Das ist mir Wurst, by the way:
- This one sounds so tasty. I wish there was an idiom with Schnitzel.
- Hold on, there must be something. Oh, how about Wieso freust du dich wie ein Schnitzel?
- Be happy like a schnitzel? Love it.
- You’ll also love some from this video, then. Foods and animals.
- Beleidigte Leberwurst. A person won't want to talk to you when you call her a liver sausage. Man, Germans are weird.
English speakers often say German is very difficult. While they can get accustomed to its pronunciation, they complain about vocabulary. German is indeed a very descriptive language with loads of lengthy words and a complex system of prefixes that can change the meaning of verbs.
At the same time, once you've started learning German, you'll see how logically its vocabulary is formed. With time, you'll even be able to come up with compound nouns and appreciate that you can make them out of the words you already know: e.g., das Fahrrad - bicycle (fahren (go, drive) + das Rad (wheel) or der Kühlschrank - fridge (kühl (cool) + der Schrank (cupboard).
- The rule of thumb is to immerse yourself into the German language to start speaking German. Forget you know English and do everything in the new language. That's the only way to learn German that works 100% of the time.
- What I can promise you is I will eat up the German style. I just love Bratwurst, Bier, und Bratkartoffeln…
- No Schnitzel for you?
- Oh right. A big one, please. I heard it should be the size of a toilet seat to be considered truly German.
- That's about the Austrian one, Wiener Schnitzel.
- It's worth learning German just to visit Vienna and taste their legendary food.
- Perfect. So get yourself a Sachertorte and surround yourself with German. I have even made a list of the best audio and video materials for you:
It is not necessary to spend money to learn German. Think out of the box: find a chat friend from Germany, follow German bloggers on social media, and read easy books in the original. You can find a lot of free materials online.
Subscribe to YouTube channels with German native language teachers, make a list of websites with free German series and movies, and stay updated on news using Deutsche Welle and other free websites. We also highly recommend Flying Languages (of course); much of our content is free. Such an educational context is a great guide for your learning journey.
- How to learn German? If you have no plans for a Friday night, watch some German TV.
- Kommissar Rex?
- I'm not a fan, but if you are - go ahead. What I'd highly recommend from the point of both language learning and quality content are these:
- I doubt I’ll be able to solve German mysteries by myself.
- Is that why you mentioned Kommissar Rex?
- Well, fighting crime with a nice doggo by your side is way more pleasant. I just guess I’m more of a drama fan. Stirb nicht vor mir, meine Liebe!
- You should start with Charité then. It’s so dramatic! Mala Emde, who plays a young doctor, is just fantastic. Check her brief intro to get the idea of the series and her role.
- Nice. I’ll check this one. Are all of them available on Netflix?
- Some of them. You can also check Onleihe (supported by the Goethe Institut), Kino.de, and ARD1. It is better to start with TV series (Serien) than films (Filme). Every next episode (Folge) and subsequent season (Staffel) have the same actors, which makes it easier for you to get used to the German pronunciation. You will eventually understand more, turn off the subtitles, and watch the series as if it were in English.
- I fear I’ll never move on to films, then.
- Well, commit to binge watching these series, then.
- Oh, I'm a real binge watcher. Last year, I missed two days of work because I was watching "Tiger King".
- Long live Joe Exotic. I promise I won't get offended if you miss my class watching Tatort in the original.
- You'll be able to watch German movies when you've gained some ear drill practice with the series.
- You are a believer, Birgit.
- I am. All in all, du bist mein bester Student, Alex.
- I’m blushing.
- To be fair, you're also my only student. But while you’re still under the impression, check this list of my favorite films for intermediate German learners:
- I've never heard of them.
- Well, German cinematography is not as popular as U.S. productions. Yet, while you watch German films, you get to know a lot about the culture and society. They bring you more benefits than a translated Hollywood movie.
- Interesting. I never looked at it this way… Will I learn how to flirt using these movies?
- That’s your most pressing question, Alex. I’d say if you watch Keinohrhasen with Til Schweiger, an absolute sex symbol, attentively, and then go over our pick-up line lesson, you’ll be a top pick-upper.
- I’m starting with this "earless bunny" movie right after this class, then.
- By the way, turn on the subtitles. It's a good way to learn German and remember more German words.
- I always do so. I use English subtitles to help me understand a movie.
- Oh no! A grave mistake!
- What? Why the panicking?
- Never use your native language subtitles. They only confuse you, making your brain do the constant translation job.
- Ah, that’s why my German is only getting worse with time.
- Your words, not mine. Apparently, I need to control every German step you take, Herr Amerikaner.
- I’d download you into my language app and keep you there as a VA.
- It's easier to just check our Flying Languages videos with subtitles and embedded teaching points. They're perfect to learn German. Even better than me as a VA.
- That's hard to believe.
- As you've understood by now, I encourage any activity related to learning German. Watch whatever you like and try to go for a variety of genres.
- Yeah, I can predict you rambling about the use of political debates now.
- Only once did I show you an interview with Angela Merkel, and I’m getting these sarcastic remarks all the time. But well, you are indeed supposed to watch German news. It's one of the top tips on how to learn German.
- Here we go.
- If you were to choose, you’d only watch those easy short story videos.
- Do you have anything against Rapunzel auf Deutsch?
- No, but neither do I against ZDF, Das Erste, or Deutsche Welle news (Nachrichten). You don’t have to stick to politics. They offer a variety of columns, shows, and series. Superb websites, honestly.
- Too complex.
- You can always start with the Learn German section of Deutsche Welle. The real news is tailored to your level of German, starting with A1, and media films are recorded more slowly, which will make it easier for you to follow.
- That’s helpful.
- Right? They also have a YouTube channel with a variety of materials, among them learners’ series with lots of episodes. Check this one, for instance – Jojo sucht das Glück
- You're a trunk full of materials, Birgit.
- A magic trunk.
- Do you have any podcast suggestions? I’m always on the run.
- I do know a few podcasts for beginners and intermediate learners: Slow German and Warum Nicht? Auf Deutsch Gesagt, and Weltspiegel. Spotify also offers valuable podcasts with a variety of foci, like Coffee Break German. Then, listening to Rammstein is useful as well. Music is a way to improve your pronunciation and language skills at large.
- Rammstein’s words actually introduced me to German. I knew some lyrics by heart even before I started with the language. Ohne dich kann ich nicht sein, ohne dich. Mit dir bin ich auch allein…
- That’s my favorite. Ohne dich… So you’ve got it. Subscribe to everything in German. Make German your default watching, listening, and reading language. Learn German online and offline, and you'll speak German in no time.
- It will be painful.
- You can always take the Bier and Bratwurst pill in the evening.
- True. Great painkillers.
- Reading in German is just as important as speaking German, listening to podcasts, or watching movies. We memorize a lot of information visually. Do you remember our German short stories lesson?
- Yeah. I’m finishing Hesse's Wenn der Krieg noch zwei Jahre dauert.
- In that lesson, we discussed a lot of novels and short story collections.
- Don’t tell me you’re giving me another lengthy reading list.
- Just friendly recommendations on how to learn German.
- I know your ways, Ms. "I Strongly Suggest".
- Okay. No new short stories before you're done with the old ones. What I’d still like to emphasize are magazines and newspapers. They are major sources of useful vocabulary and a great avenue to learn sentence structure and punctuation without actually learning them intentionally.
- Will you force me to read Elle in German? I know your Leidenschaft für Mode.
- Heh, you can read Elle and Vogue, of course. Some fashion knowledge will definitely make your flirting life easier.
- Are you a pick-up guru?
- Most people see me as a mentor, I'd say. Haven't you seen me in "The Pickup Game"?
- So, that was you after all…
- Moving on, Herr Flirty. As I said, you can always check the fashion, sports, and culture columns. What I’d like to share here, though, is a list of magazines (Zeitschriften) and newspapers (Zeitungen) adapted for those learning German. These ones are subscription magazines, both print and digital:
These ones are free of charge, available online:
- Usually, I’d start whining here. But these seem like great ways to learn German without cramming from books. At least unless you force me to read a whole magazine for the next class.
- Not a whole one. I’d expect you to cover two or three articles and be ready to discuss them, though.
- Oh. It all started so well...
If you feel overwhelmed by the number of resources in German, check these top five free websites:
If you work on German using these five, you'll notice a great boost to your language skills in no time.
We would really like to give you a few language hacks on how to learn German without learning it. But guess what? They don't exist. What truly helps is the formula of motivation + materials + hard work. On a positive note, every language you learn does more than gives you the skills to speak that very language. It boosts your cognitive skills, trains your brain to think from a different perspective, and opens a new reality for you. It's a proven linguistic fact that our identity undergoes some changes when we speak a new language – the more languages you speak, the more identities you develop.
To further help you proceed with learning German, Birgit and Alex list the key principles to achieve success:
Last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy the process of learning German. You will stay motivated only as long as everything you do language-wise is tailored to your interest. Don’t feel forced to watch political news if you crave soccer podcasts. Indulge in your whims but make it German.
