This is how you can learn German by yourself without spending a single penny through resources available online. Here I have shared how and which resource should you use to learn German for different sections such as readings, speaking, writing and listening.
Table of Contents
Laying Foundation For Learning German
You must have clarity about the following questions:
- Why am I learning German?
- How much time will I dedicate per week to learn German?
- Which German exam do I want to give?
After answering this questions, you are ready to dive into resources to start your language learning journey.
Time Needed To Get Fluency In German language?
The following three factors decide the time required to get fluency in German language (A1-B1):
- Your Mother Tongue: If you already speak Germanic languages such as English, Dutch, etc., it would be easier for you to learn German language. So your mother tongue will impact a little bit time required by you to reach fluency in German language.
- Place Of learning Language: If you are learning German in Germany or in German speaking state then definitely you will learn language faster as compared to learning it in non German speaking state. Constant exposure and immersion in your targeted language will boost German language learning process.
- Time dedication: Time plays an important role in reaching Germans fluency. The more time you will dedicate to learn language, the faster you will be fluent. In ideal case, if you spend two hours of classes per week (along with 1 hour of self study), you will reach from A1 to B1 in German in 2 years. If you spend 4 hour/ week ( along with extra time for revision) you will reach to B1 German in 1-1.5 hours. It is possible to learn German from A1-B1 in 6 months, if you learn in Super intensive course (25 hours per week).
Should I Buy Book To Learn German language?
It is equally possible to learn German without a book as well as with help of German book. Ideally you should definitely buy a book to learn German language because it will provide a structure to follow for learning language including vocabulary list, lots of grammar, writing and listening exercises at one place.
Most confusion question is to decide: which German language book should I purchase? Majority of German language books (70-80%) have same content. The differentiating factor among all books is type of exercises and activities they include. Some well known books for A1 & A2 German are:
| Books |
| Netzwerk neu |
| Tangram |
| Studio D |
| Menschen |
Free German language resources for self study
Listening Skill-Hören Teil
- Using series with exercise: Nicos Weg using DW
Here you should use notebook to note down all the phrases, vocabulary and Grammar explanation provided on website along with audio/video.
2. Watching Popular A1 level Series from Youtube like Nicos Weg, Mein Weg Nach Deutschland, Sam ankunft, etc.
3. Naturlich German on Youtube: On this channel you will get perfectly videos for fairy tales, stories, etc. from Pre-beginner, beginner to advance level. You must definitely save this channel to practice German listening skill.
4. German Cartoons: There are lots of German cartoons that you can use to passively work on your listening skill. One of my most favorite cartoon which includes easy sentences in different real life situations is Pepa Pig.
Also you can watch your movies from different platforms like YouTube, Netflix, etc.
Dictionary for Searching German Vocabulary
Instead of relying upon Google Translator, use these websites to get the most accurate translation, meaning and conjugation for German words. Make sure to save these.
- Dict.cc
- Deepl.com
- Reverso context
- Liguee
Reading Skill-Lesen Teil
If you can invest in buying books, here are list of interesting books that you can easily buy online to build your reading skill.
Free Resources for German Reading Skill
Here you can not only read quality German stories and texts but also hear it along with reading for free of cost. So make sure save these websites.
Writing Section-Schreiben Teil
- YouTube Channels suggestion to learn German from Hindi:
- YouTube Channels suggestion to learn German from English:
Other Channels includes: Learn German with Jenny, Learn German with Herr Antrim, Learn Deutsch, Learn German Fast, Dein Sprachcoach
- Download here German A1 Wordlist from Goethe
- Practice quizzes on most frequently used German Words: Vocabeo.com
Speaking Skill- Sprechen Teil
Three methods you can use if you are learning German speaking skill on your own:
Write Paragraph and memorize: If you find any relevant phrases, chunk and paragraph on specific topic, you can directly learn it and then practice speaking so that you don’t have to struggle with thoughts while speaking. Thinking part can be improved later while practicing reading and writing skills, here focus is on speaking. The more words you know, the more you can speak spontaneously.
Listen and Repeat: Select good quality German audio or video and repeat after them. This German channel is Goldmine for every German learner “Easy German“
Translate your favorite song lyrics or words in German language.
| Bonus Tip: Immerse yourself in German language at your home by following creators on Social Media like Instagram so that you get to know cultural references, jokes, traditions, etc. and will be able to be surrounded by German language. |