*** I’m re-working this archive, so it’s basically under construction :) ***
Courses and Apps
If you’re looking for a structured paid programm.
Anja has one of the biggest Youtube-Channels for German learners. And like many Youtubers, she has her own German course. Anja’s course is very special though, because it’s not just a bunch of grammar instructions and exercises. Instead, it’s actually a multi-season comedy show. And it’s really funny and really professional and there are lots of guest stars from the online German teacher scene like Maria, Cari or me.
If you like Anja and you have enough money, it’s a great option!I have written a full review with more details about what it is, and what I think are the pros and cons, so if you want to check that out you can find it here:
Or you can check out Anja’s own course presentation page, with lots of information and clips.
(It’s not the most pretty page, and it loads REALLY slowly, but the course itself is much better looking :))
Watch
The best (and biggest) channel for German learners.
Originally, Cari and Januzs started out by interviewing people on the streets about a topic and adding German AND English subtitles, so you can learn how real Germans sound like while also getting a glimpse into their minds. But the channel has grown a lot and they’re also doing grammar easy grammar explanations and awesome lifestreams.
And if you’re a premium supporter via Patreon, you also have access to exercises and vocabulary lists for the videos.It’s really a great channel, the concept is great, the production quality is great and most importantly, the people are great and I’m happy to call them friends!
Originally, Cari and Januzs started out by interviewing people on the streets about a topic and adding German AND English subtitles, so you can learn how real Germans sound like while also getting a glimpse into their minds. But the channel has grown a lot and they’re also doing grammar easy grammar explanations and awesome lifestreams.
And if you’re a premium supporter via Patreon, you also have access to exercises and vocabulary lists for the videos.It’s really a great channel, the concept is great, the production quality is great and most importantly, the people are great and I’m happy to call them friends!
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As far as study material goes, this show is definitely one of the most entertaining things you can watch. On the surface it is a sort of comedy soap opera… the story is basic, the acting is totally over the top and even off camera laughs. They clearly don’t mean it seriously :)But they are serious about the learning aspect and they have done an amazing job. All the actors speak super clear and slow they keep repeating key phrases … and still it feels somewhat natural and not at all “schoolish”. And there are subtitles, too…. at least you can turn them on.
At the end of each episode there is a little recap of the important phrases, and last but not least… the episodes are long so none of these 5 minute things that are over before you know it.
Bottom line: this BBC made series is extra super.
At the end of each episode there is a little recap of the important phrases, and last but not least… the episodes are long so none of these 5 minute things that are over before you know it.
Bottom line: this BBC made series is extra super.
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Lach- und Sachgeschichten is a segment in the uber famous German kids show called “Die Sendung mit der Maus” (the show with the mouse). The idea behind Lach- and Sachgeschichten is to look at something from the real world and see how it’s made or how it works… in kids terms. But at least for me, when it comes to how a the technology behind a touch screen works or how tofu is made, then kids terms is just perfect.Seriously, the videos are absolutely lovely and many adults in Germany enjoy watching them, too.
The language is simply and the speaker speaks very clearly and if you don’t understand the words the video often helps out and allows you to guess.
Of course you need a decent amount of vocabulary to really enjoy it but for an intermediate learner it’s a great way to train listening while learning a lot of random interesting things like “How is a toothpaste made”.
The language is simply and the speaker speaks very clearly and if you don’t understand the words the video often helps out and allows you to guess.
Of course you need a decent amount of vocabulary to really enjoy it but for an intermediate learner it’s a great way to train listening while learning a lot of random interesting things like “How is a toothpaste made”.
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Listen
One of my favorite podcasts of all time
(And it’s an OG podcast… podcast before they were cool)
In each episode, Tim Pritlove talks with one or to experts about a certain topic. A lot of topics have to do with computers (IPv6, the DNS-scene, ARM architecture, various programming languages, app-design) but they also discuss the German tax system, Bitcoin, coffee, beer, board games, World of Warcraft, the solar system, the human ear, secret services, movie dubbing, feminism and post-structuralism…. just to name a few :). I’m sure you’ll find something.
They really go into depth on a topic. No wonder that an episode is usually between 1 and 3 hours long. But it’s not a boring presentation but rather two guys just having a relaxed dialog along an outline. And Tim Pritlove is really pushing for layman’s terms and has a great talent to rephrase and summarize things. There are about 200 episodes and I think I’ve listened to almost all of them, even if I wasn’t too interested in the topic. It’s just kind of soothing. Like a slow evening where you sit with friends and you just listen to their nerd conversations.
The audio quality is amazing by the way, and it’s completely free and runs on donations which is amazing, too.
So… if you want to listen tosome a lot of authentic (and fairly slow) German, while learning a bit a whole lot of stuff then check this out!!
(And it’s an OG podcast… podcast before they were cool)
In each episode, Tim Pritlove talks with one or to experts about a certain topic. A lot of topics have to do with computers (IPv6, the DNS-scene, ARM architecture, various programming languages, app-design) but they also discuss the German tax system, Bitcoin, coffee, beer, board games, World of Warcraft, the solar system, the human ear, secret services, movie dubbing, feminism and post-structuralism…. just to name a few :). I’m sure you’ll find something.
They really go into depth on a topic. No wonder that an episode is usually between 1 and 3 hours long. But it’s not a boring presentation but rather two guys just having a relaxed dialog along an outline. And Tim Pritlove is really pushing for layman’s terms and has a great talent to rephrase and summarize things. There are about 200 episodes and I think I’ve listened to almost all of them, even if I wasn’t too interested in the topic. It’s just kind of soothing. Like a slow evening where you sit with friends and you just listen to their nerd conversations.
The audio quality is amazing by the way, and it’s completely free and runs on donations which is amazing, too.
So… if you want to listen to
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Description soon to follow… but it’s great for beginners :)
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You’re already advanced and you want to listen to German literature? This is the perfect site for you because here you can find… free audio books.
And it’s legal.
Isn’t that great? There are lots of classic stories of (mostly but not exclusively German) literature like Kafka’s “Die Verwandlung” or “Frankenstein”. Or how about one of the wild west novels of Karl May, one of the most famous popular writers in Germany, who has written about the wild west like no other and yet he’s never even been there.
The audio quality is great and the speakers are generally good at what they’re doing. There’s also a large crime story section and you can find some drama and some non fiction there too. So if you are into audio books and serious literature and you want to improve your German… check it out.
And it’s legal.
Isn’t that great? There are lots of classic stories of (mostly but not exclusively German) literature like Kafka’s “Die Verwandlung” or “Frankenstein”. Or how about one of the wild west novels of Karl May, one of the most famous popular writers in Germany, who has written about the wild west like no other and yet he’s never even been there.
The audio quality is great and the speakers are generally good at what they’re doing. There’s also a large crime story section and you can find some drama and some non fiction there too. So if you are into audio books and serious literature and you want to improve your German… check it out.
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Play
Coming soon
Exam Preparation
A sample exam of the Telc Zertifkat Deutsch test. Including audio. Great if you need to prepare or if you’re advanced and you want to check if you could pass it.
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The TestDaf is one of the most widely accepted language certificates for the German language. On their webpage they offer a lot of information including lots of links where you can sign up for preparation courses or buy guide books but they also have 2 sets of tests samples there. It contains all 4 types of task (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and you can listen to the listening comprehension audio on mp3 and read the transcript there. It might look a little intimidating at first glance but don’t worry… you can do will get there eventually because you are awesome!
Enough motivation?… by the way… there is not many of the usual fill in the blank grammar exercises there, so this is good I guess.
The link here leads to the digital version, but there’s also a separate preparation section for a paper exam. Just click around and you’ll find it.
Enough motivation?… by the way… there is not many of the usual fill in the blank grammar exercises there, so this is good I guess.
The link here leads to the digital version, but there’s also a separate preparation section for a paper exam. Just click around and you’ll find it.
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A sample test for the DSH exam, provided by the Humbold University in Berlin.
By the way… if you’re not sure which test is the one for you (since both are enough to enter university, as far as I know) here’s a (subjective) comparison:
Other helpful stuff
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If you’re advanced already and you’re looking for material and grammar explanations in German, you might want to check out SpraKuKo (SpracheKulturKommunikation)
Patrick, the creator of this online school, lots of material to read in German and also plenty of exercises.
And if you like his style, he also offers courses on improving vocabulary & pronunciation,
a regular language course from B1 to C2 and special grammar courses, in which you learn essential grammar for the language levels B2 and C1.
Patrick, the creator of this online school, lots of material to read in German and also plenty of exercises.
And if you like his style, he also offers courses on improving vocabulary & pronunciation,
a regular language course from B1 to C2 and special grammar courses, in which you learn essential grammar for the language levels B2 and C1.
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I usually answer all the question you ask in the comments, but I don’t know everything and I am just ONE person, so when it comes to more subjective things, it might be good to get input from more Germans.
German.stackexchange is a great forum for all kinds of questions about the German language like nuances, differences or grammar. A lot has been asked already so you can find a wealth of information there. There is also a rating system and one can collect reputation so our natural human desire for gathering things is definitely catered for ;).
German.stackexchange is a great forum for all kinds of questions about the German language like nuances, differences or grammar. A lot has been asked already so you can find a wealth of information there. There is also a rating system and one can collect reputation so our natural human desire for gathering things is definitely catered for ;).
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Do you have a recommended source for looking at etymology of German words? In English I would use “etymonline.com”, is there a similar source in German?
The three big ones are Wiktionary, DWDS.de and Woerterbuchnetz.de
But they’re not as “fun” to read as etymonline.com, which is a bit more conversational.
And you can use my dictionary of course. I’m using etymonline and dwds mostly, and I cross reference the entries and dig around a little so sometimes I find connections that they have, but don’t mention.
Have you heard of “The Thinking Method” aka “Language Transfer”?
It’s just one guy (like you) that does audio courses for language learning, he’s done different languages including a beginner one in German.
The audio quality isn’t excellent but the content is really good for beginner level.
I heard the name before but I’ve never looked into it really. So you’d recommend it?
Yes, it’s easy to follow, he covers some good grammar without too much jargon and he focuses on remembering how to get to what you want to say, not just memorising rules.
He also encourages thinking about the meaning of words, and has some neat tricks for getting started.
here’s a link: https://www.languagetransfer.org/german
Hello Emanuel,
My hubby, Mark, and I are coming to Berlin for a week in November and want to take German classes in the mornings while we are there. We have considered ALPADIA, Inlingua, Victoria, Language International, Humbolt… Ak, so many! Do you happen to know anything about any of these? Any recommendations (or ones to avoid)? We have been taking private lessons in German for a while and I follow your blog site, but we are still at an A1-A2 level.
Thank you for any advice you can offer. (Lisa)
Hey hey,I’d love to help, but I have absolutely zero idea about the schools in Berlin.
If you are in the Easy German community discord, you might get better help there, but yeah… I can’t give any recommendations or warnings :)
OK. Thanks for trying!
Lisa
Hi Emanuel,
I asked my nephew, who has lived in Berlin for a while. He said,
“Hey there! I haven’t taken a one-week course, but I’ve taken many evening and intensive courses, for various lengths of time. GLS is generally regarded as the best school and my own experience agrees. I highly recommend it! And they do have one-week courses. I’ve also had good experiences with Goethe Institute, Kapitel Zwei, and Speakeasy, but quick glances at their websites lead me to conclude that none of them offer courses for just one week.”
In case anyone else is interested in this same topic…
Sweet, thanks for sharing!!
GLS is also collaborating with Easy German from time to time, which I’d take as another sign that they’re good :)
Emanuel…you had an article on a German website like Duolingo, but you liked it better because you could skip around the topics instead of just having to go step by step. Would you please let me know the name of this site…I want to share it with my kids. Thx so much
Yes, that’s OUino languages :)
https://www.ouinolanguages.com/
Meine Empfehlung: Slow German mit Annik Reubens. She speaks slowly and clearly and her audios all have a free transcript. The topics are so diverse that you wind up learning vocabulary about a huge number interesting themes.
Great one!!! Danke
Der Podcast das ich am liebsten habe ist “Zeit Verbrechen”. Die Geschichten sind immer interessant und sachlich da gesellt. Die Hauptdarstellerin, Sabina Rükert, sprich ein ausgezeichnetes, klares Deutsch und Ihre Aussprache ist wunderschön. Ich kann es ohne Vorbehalt weiterempfehlen.
Die Sendung mit der Maus is awesome, is a really good watch.
Yeah, and the way they speak is perfect!
Hi Emanuel! I just became member and unlocked the full power of being able to read your blog completely. Your explanations are super clear and entertaining as well. Super enjoyable!
I’d like to see a list of articles with the most visits, or the most done, or the most comments, or which could somehow be deemed the best or most interesting. It would help me find the best content more quickly, and probably keep me more engaged too.
Also a button that takes me to a random article I haven’t read would I find cool. This is just not to keep track myself and search. The server already knows. :)
LOve the idea of the random article button. I’ll look into that for sure :).
Thanks for the nice feedback and viel Spaß hier!!
Hi,
Thank your for this blog, it
s great!All the links here are very helpful!m always on the look for more resources. So I thought I can contribute with some more.I just recently started to learn German and I
I found a great website for learning German: hps://ifu-institut.at/
From here I get grammar exercises, letters etc. all in all many examples and a lot of information!
I hope I could share my findings and help someone out.
Could you point us to all the material you are finding there? To me, it looks like it’s a language school. Which is fine, but I feel like you just wanted to post a link here, and I’m not a fan ;)
Could you give some details please, otherwise I’ll remove the link. It’s not very helpful if it’s just a link ;)
I discovered your blog by coincidence when I was searching for some word and I liked the way you explain things. I have a suggestion, why don’t you develop a mobile app? it will spread to more audience since the usage of mobile devices is much more than personal computers. Think about it.
Uff, mobile apps are expensive to develop and my site is primarily text. The only difference an app would make on mobile is that you wouldn’t see the browser line.
It would be nice to have one, but it’s not an investment I can make at the moment :)
Vielen Dank für all die Herstellung und andere Verbindungen. Hoffentlich eines Tages kann ich die meistens besuchen. Für mich heutzutage, finde ich mich auf You Tube, Filme auf Deutsch zu hören und schauen. Deshalb kann ich meine Hörenverständnis verbessern, besonderes bei den verschiedenen Dialekten, die man im vier Länder anhört. Die Grammatik kommt für mich immer später an zu lernen. Lesen steht in zweite Stelle, wovon man auch die Gramatik und neue Wörter lernen kann.
ja, lesen ist da wichtigste, meiner Meinung nach :)
There are more than 2,300 free German audio-books at
https://librivox.org/
You can use text to speech software to find out what your OWN typed text will sound like. This won’t sound as good as a natural speaker, but the days of Microsoft Sam (Stephen Hawking’s voice) are over. Microsoft Hedda isn’t bad, although I prefer Microsoft Stefan. There are several good free text to speech packages. I like Panopreter Basic, but you may wish to check out other products before making a choice.
https://www.panopreter.com/en/products/panopreter/index.php
Links worked and were safe when I last used them, but are not guaranteed.
They worked for me :). Thanks for sharing!!
Hey. The link to the “Zertifikat Deutsch – Sample Test” is missing; Is it this one: https://www.telc.net/pruefungsteilnehmende/sprachpruefungen/pruefungen/detail/zertifikat-deutsch-telc-deutsch-b1.html#t=2 ?
Looks good!! I haven’t checked these links in a LONG time! Thanks for the heads-up, I’ll put that on my to do list.
hi there,
A great list! Thanks a lot for putting it together. I am learning German and share my experience and strategies on my blog – https://blog.kwiko.app
Check it out and add to the list of you like it .
-Sher
Is that really your blog or is that the website of a language learning app? Because it looks a lot like a business (which is fine, just be open about it)
Hi Emanuel, thanks so much for the work you do. This site, your explanations, and even once-in-a-while your jokes ;) are truly amazing. I can’t thank you enough for your insight. Full stop.
I’m sure you’ve addressed this elsewhere but I haven’t been able to find it yet– I am wondering your recommendations or anyone on here’s recommendations for a B1 online course. I would love to supplement your explanations with a structured course. I am really learning a lot from your site, but with the piecemeal approach I feel I’m a bit directionless and not building on what I’m learning. I am struggling with figuring out what exactly I need to know to pass certification exams for each level. There are so many courses and teachers out there, I would love any insight or feedback from you or your readers on courses they have used to efficiently and quickly build their language skills. Any info would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
Puh, good question. The only thing I can think of is the German with Jenny Website (it’s not an app, even though she calls it app). And Seedlang, though I think there’s a little too little structure to the grammar there. There’s of course more courses out there but I don’t have recommendations.
Maybe you can ask in my Facebook Group. Someone there might have a suggestion…
I have the same problem as you. Taking things from here and there that I’m always repeating the same thing and never reaching a good point. I have tried Goethe online self learning course and it’s good but to be honest I feel i need something else and besides I have realized that self learning is not my thing which I though it was!! . If you know about something please let me know!
Hmmm, if the Goethe self study course didn’t work, then I am not sure another self study option would be much different.
Maybe taking an actual course or tutor is the way to go for you.
on the Deutsche Welle website, there’s a whole series called “nico’s weg” about a spanish guy moving to germany and learning the language as he goes. and there’s a little quiz and vocab at the end of every lesson :))
Yeah, I saw that in my Youtube recommended feed but I didn’t give it a look. Is it good?!?! The title is kind of epic/dramatic :D
it’s addictive!! i’ve only gotten like halfway through A1, but i think it goes up to B2. and the guy’s kinda cute haha
It’s ok but man at the 3rd chapter this guy was already talking with declination and all those things that we know are not that easy to understand. So everybody will think that man German is easy! -_-
You’ll find that in almost all teaching material… they bring the whole declension stuff super early, because it’s written in some guideline or reference framework for A1.
I agree that it’s a waste of time and fun for beginners and there’s no real gain in it.
There’s this theory that “learning something the wrong way must be avoided”, which I think is BS.
It’s better to iron out small mistakes later on and focus on speed in the beginning.
Tolle Seite. Weiter so! :)
Danke :)
Thank you for providing the information. This links are very useful for us. All the websites have amazing features for their learners. We can avail maximum benefits for their learning. They have great teams which are always ready to help. We can upgrade ourselves. We can compare it and can select according to our suitability. There is also one resource which I know, that is https://nativemonks.com/. This helped me a lot to learn new languages.
Thanks for sharing!!
Hi, My question is knowing when to use ‘in’ + something (like a time or place name) and when to use ‘im’ + something (time or place name). I understand that some place names (e.g. Schweiz) are feminine in which case it might be: ‘in der Schweiz’. I also understand that ‘im’ is essentially ‘in’ + ‘dem’. With month names I seem be finding that it is often ‘im April’ or ‘im September’. This implies that in German one is essentially saying, ‘in the April’ or ‘in the September’ and one just doesn’t say ‘in April’ or ‘in September’ as one say in English, right? But with place names it is a different matter. I seem to be encountering that about 50% of the time it is ‘in + place name (e.g. in Frankreich)’ and other times it is ‘im + place name (such as im Mittleren Osten)’. To make it even more complicated it can be like ‘in der Schweiz’ (because Schweiz is feminine and always comes with a definite article?). Is it because there is an implied definite article before some place names and not for others? Like, is it ‘in the Switzerland’ (which one wouldn’t day in English) but for another country it is ‘in Frankreich’ and one would just not say ‘in the France’ and one just has to learn which place name comes with a definite article or not? In other words, I have been finding it hard to predict when to use ‘in’ or ‘im’ when used in a sentance and a location is being talked about, whether something happening there or something / someone is existing there or whether a person is living there. Hope that question made sense. Thanks.
Great website with lots of helpful ideas and thoughts how to learn german. Thank you.
Danke sehr :)