What are the best resources to learn German?
German Deutsch is the official language of both Germany and Austria, as well as one of the official languages of Switzerland. German, along with English, Frisian, and Dutch, is a member of the Indo-European language family’s West Germanic group (Netherlandic, Flemish). The recorded history of Germanic languages begins in the first century BCE, with their speakers’ first contact with the Romans. There was only one “Germanic” language at the time, and there were only minor dialect differences for several centuries after that. Only after the sixth century CE can one speak of a “German” (High German) language. German is an inflected language with four cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative) for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), and strong and weak verbs. German is the native language of more than 90 million people worldwide, placing it among the languages with the greatest number of native speakers. German is widely studied as a foreign language and is one of the Western world’s major cultural languages.
There isn't just one, but there are a plethora of these resources available to assist you in learning German. Let's take a look at a few of them:
Apps for Online Help
Duolingo is a popular free online language learning resource. The website offers language instruction in a variety of languages, including German. It provides extensive written lessons, dictation, and gamification to make learning more enjoyable. A paid version is also available.
Babbel is similar to Duolingo, but it is a little more sophisticated. It is available on a subscription basis only. As a sample, you will receive one free German lesson. The courses are designed for beginners and intermediate learners, with the goal of getting you speaking as soon as possible. Babbel teaches you grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and advanced courses. Refreshers, listening and speaking, business German, reading and writing, and German customs and traditions are some of the other exercises.
Classes
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the primary training institution for employees of the United States Federal Government working in foreign affairs. They have public domain versions of their language courses available online.
Lingoda employs immersion methodology, so your online German lessons will include both speaking practice and situations that you can immediately apply outside of the classroom to begin speaking. In a rotating schedule, you’ll learn from highly qualified and certified native speakers using tailored and unique learning materials.
Deutsch Akademie provides a free, comprehensive grammar trainer designed by experienced German teachers. You’ll have a complete picture of your progress, and you’ll be able to ask questions in the forum, complete online exercises organised according to course material, and brush up on German grammar rules. You can study on your own with this free course or use it to supplement the online live course offered by the Deutsch Akademie, which includes small groups and live teachers.
In Vienna, Austria, the ActiLingua Academy operates several language schools and courses. You can take free online German classes at Deutsch-lernen.com. There are ten lessons for beginners, as well as 24 grammar lessons for advanced students. In addition, you will receive a plethora of interactive language exercises, orthography information, and language tests to assess your current level. A section for pen pals, study tips, podcasts, German quotes and jokes, and a section for applying for jobs in German round out the website’s offerings.
Deutsche Welle, abbreviated DW, is Germany’s international broadcaster and media outlet, providing multimedia content in 30 languages. This includes a wealth of material for learning German up to Level C. The course finder and placement test assist you in starting at the appropriate level and utilising the e-learning materials with worksheets, videos, audio clips, and podcasts at your own pace and on your preferred device. There are interactive lessons to supplement your independent learning, as well as a vocabulary trainer.
The Goethe-Institut is Germany’s cultural institute that promotes language and cultural exchange around the world. They provide a couple of free resources for practising German, including “Deutsch für dich,” which includes tutorials, learning tips, and a forum, as well as business German and German exercises for immigrants. However, there are online classes starting at A1 level for beginners and progressing up to C level that require a placement test and are not free of charge. You can set your own start date and personal schedule, and you can learn online with your own tutor.
Resources for reading and listening
Reading
Deutsch Perfekt is a German language learning magazine with a website full of excellent resources where texts are organised by topic. A closer look will help you read articles meant for your level that are segregated with a tag “leicht” (easy) “mittel” (medium) “schwer” (difficult).
Einfach vorlesen is a website that features a fresh tale for 3-7yo every week. You may read or print them to enjoy later, and you can even download ‘einfach vorlesen’ as an app on your phone! We’re talking about short, uncomplicated stories for kids that are simply awesome!
Nachrichten in leichter Sprache (A1-A2 ) The publication “Augsburger Allgemeine” provides online news in simple language (A2 and above). Every Friday, new texts are published — for individuals who are having difficulty learning and those who do not speak German fluently. The letters are huge, each difficult word is explained, phrases are brief, and mages can assist you in better understanding the content.
1000 Most Common German Words. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, start by learning the 1000 most common German words.
You can find more reading resources here.
Listening
German Pod 101 is an innovative learning platform that includes audio and video lessons. You can view the ten most recent lessons for free with the free account. It teaches you German online through real German conversations. As a beginner, you can slow things down to the level you need. Their big advantage is the extensive library of many lessons targeting beginners to advanced learners. Study tools for learning include word lists, slideshows, flashcards and quizzes. For GermanPod101 classes, you can choose between a basic, premium and premium plus subscription, which will give you one-on-one sessions with a personal tutor and a personalised programme.
YouTube
Listening to German music is a great way to improve your German skills. Aldebert is a German singer who sings fun and simple children’s songs, even if you’re just learning German. Several of his songs can be found on YouTube. If you don’t want to listen to children’s songs, there’s always Stromae.
Radio D
This project is a collaboration between Deutsche Welle, a well-known German news organisation, and the Goethe-Institut, the academic authority on all things related to learning German. These simple radio dramas are ideal for beginners’ German listening practice. There are transcripts and English summaries available, so you won’t be lost for a second.
Spotify’s Top 50 Chart in Germany
If you have Spotify, you can listen to Germany’s top hits regardless of where you live. You might be surprised to learn that Germans adore English music, so the majority of the songs on the German charts will be songs you already know.
ARD and ZDF are two German public television stations.
If you want to practise German listening with the most authentic content possible, German public broadcasters such as ARD and ZDF make many of their shows available for free, often with subtitles and usually with no viewer location restrictions.
Resources for Speaking and reference!
For the sake, if reference- To clarify doubts or lookup
PONS
This well-known dictionary has a straightforward and straightforward design that uses English as its primary language. When searching for words, translations and phrases containing the search phrase are displayed. You can learn even more effectively if you use the free PONS-Vokabeltrainer (German only).
Bab.la is much more than a dictionary. Aside from translating German words, you can also listen to pronunciation, view synonyms, and recall word meanings by reading example sentences.
Linguee’s database contains over a million translated texts that are referenced when you search, allowing you to see how the word is used in context. Look up words and see definitions as well as translations that contain them.
Google Translate is a completely free online translation service. You can use Google Translate to enter text in one language and have it translated into another language of your choice. Another option is the Collins Free Online Translator.
Dict.cc is a well-structured dictionary website in English, with precise definitions, synonyms, and expressions related to the search term.
Ultralingua A straightforward but useful dictionary that displays word definitions and translations, as well as common phrases and expressions.
Making Use of Flashcards
Anki is a fantastic SRS app that will help you memorise vocabulary words faster than traditional memorization methods. Quizlet is another online flashcard programme that lets you play games while you learn and take tests to track your progress.
To practise speaking
Lang-8 is a completely free social network for language exchange. Submit text in any language you’re learning, and a native speaker will correct it while also providing helpful comments and feedback.
MyLanguageExchange has three million members looking for language partners from all over the world. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a conversation partner on this platform who speaks German and wants to learn your native language.
Speaky is a relatively new but already well-established online community of language learners looking to improve their oral and written communication skills in their preferred language. You can find language exchange partners who speak German as their first language, or you can learn alongside another German learner at your level, encouraging and assisting each other
Mixxer is a free language exchange for anyone looking for one-on-one conversations with other language learners via Skype. You have the option of contacting more than one person.
Wespeke is a social network that also serves as a language learning platform. You can practise your German for free with native speakers from all over the world by using text messaging, audio or video, or a combination of the two. Find partners with whom you share common interests (this could be a language exchange partner or a German tutor) and begin practising German and making friends.
LingoGlobe is a community of over 30,000 language enthusiasts who assist one another in learning their target language for free.As a registered member, you will have unlimited access to the site’s learning resources to help you improve your German language skills on your own time.
Finally,
The language which is known today as German is believed to have originated from Proto-Germanic, which began to develop around 2000 B.C., as people began to settle in western areas of the Baltic Sea. German is one of the official languages of Switzerland, is estimated to have approximately 90–95 million people speaking German as a first language, 10–25 million speaking it as a second language, and 75–100 million speaking it as a foreign language. This would imply approximately 175–220 million German speakers worldwide. German is a global language along with English and is extremely popular among students due to the benefits offered by Germany to students who speak German.
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