How to improve my German speaking skills?
Speaking is usually the weakness for all German learners. This is a common issue among language learners everywhere. The reason for this is obvious: When language learners first start learning a language, they usually start with reading. They read online articles, books, information on apps and so on. If they take a class, they spend 20% of their time repeating words, and 80% of the time reading the textbook, doing homework or just listening to a teacher. So, if you spend most of your time reading instead of speaking, you might get better at reading but your speaking skills never grow. You get better at what you focus on.
So if you want to improve your German skills, you need to spend more of your study time on speaking.
Here are few tips to help you get started:
Online courses
This is probably the most convenient option because you can take online courses from all around the world. When using a smartphone, you can even learn German on the go while you are waiting for the bus or relax outdoors in a park.
Learn German with your ActiLingua teacher wherever you are and enjoy having a part of Vienna with you.
These courses are held online by a native speaker teacher.
German speaking Media
Through the internet, it is easy to get access to German media like books or movies! You can expand your vocabulary, improve your reading and even listening skills – there are almost no limitations.
Here are some suggestions on what kind of media you can use in order to improve your German. For movies, series or videos you can start with subtitles in your first language. So you can slowly get used to the German language and as soon as you feel more comfortable, you can also change the subtitles into the foreign language.
- Movies
- TV-Series
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Comics
- Podcasts
Online communities
Even social networks can help you with learning German. There are countless groups and forums dealing with German as a foreign language. Communities, which you find interesting and you think you can learn from – you should definitely join them. This allows you to become an active user. Ask questions if you are stuck on a specific task or even help someone else with your approach. The purpose of these groups is the exchange of ideas or approaches, which might help you to get a better understanding of something. Who knows maybe this also allows you to organise some group chats, where you can communicate with other users in German.
Email pals instead of pen pals
Writing letters has now become a rarity. Firstly, because of a lack of time and secondly, because nowadays almost everything is done online anyway. So, why not transfer the pen pal exchange into online communication. There are even platforms where you can connect with people from all over the world in order to start conversations. Through the exchange of emails, you can learn about different cultures and even practice writing in German. Automatically, you also work on your German grammar, the correct word order and even expand your vocabulary.
Native Speaker – an important resource
One of the best ways to put your German skills to the test (and improve them) is talking to a native speaker. This way, you can examine for yourself if you can follow and contribute to a conversation. There are several ways you can get in touch with native speakers: hire a private tutor, look for meetings of a German-speaking community in your country (Google will be very useful in finding one) or become friends with exchange students from a German-speaking country.
Learn German while playing games
Learning German is not only about difficult grammar exercises. Often you have to work on your language skills outside the classroom. What could be better than learning German while being with friends and enjoying a game night? There are many games, which are perfect and helpful to improve your German skills and get a better understanding of the language.
Here are a few game tips:
- Tabu: It is about explaining a term without using certain words. If you are good at rewriting and defining, you have a good chance of winning.
- Activity: Here the terms are not only explained but also presented graphically and in mime. Creativity goes a long way!
- A word-picture memory game: It is all about finding the correct counterpart to the image or word. Sounds easy, but for someone who is learning a foreign language, it can be a challenge. By assigning the correct image to each word, you save pictures in your head, which supports a better memory.
Talk to yourself
This may sound strange, but don’t worry! You do not have to start with self-talk in the tram, which is full of people. Try it when you are at home while cooking or hanging up the washing. Self-talks help you repeat what you have learned and test yourself. You can practice the pronunciation and even support thinking in the German language. It also can help those who do not like to talk in front of people.
Visit a German-speaking country
This might be the best option for learning a new language quickly. Once you are in a German-speaking country and want to have conversations with locals or want to understand the news on the radio, you will have no other choice but learning the language! Nevertheless, you do not have to jump in the deep end. In almost every country, there are language schools that help you learn German while you’re abroad. At the ActiLingua Academy in Vienna, our students attend German lessons held by qualified native speaking teachers. After the lessons, there is plenty of time left for experiencing Vienna and participating in our leisure activities.
Write a learning plan.
If you can’t take a course or hire a private tutor, you can also learn and improve your German on your own. Composing a plan of tasks and goals can help you succeed in improving your German.
Use a textbook or app.
Even if you’re advanced, a textbook or smartphone app on German can help you improve.[6] These help navigate everything from vocabulary to case declensions and grammatical structures.[7] You can buy or borrow German textbooks. Some are even available online. Apps such as Anki, Memrise, and DeutschAkademie help you improve your German for free. Some elements you may want to look for in a textbook are:
- Pronunciation
- Vocabulary
- Sentence structure and grammar
- Word forms
- Resources for further study
Finally,
It is up to you whether you prefer to learn online or offline. Often, a combination of both can be very helpful. You need to find out which type of learning strategy fits you best, to make your learning sessions efficient.
There’s an amazing new way to learn German! Want to see what everyone’s talking about!