You are most probably asking yourself how to learn German in the fastest way possible. I don’t know what fast is for you, but I learned German in approximately one year. As an adult.
I started from zero, learning by myself, I then went to Goethe Institute, and I obtained my C1 certificate in German (advanced level) in only one year.
Meanwhile I studied in Germany, I’ve been living and working there for almost 11 years, and I became a certified teacher for German as a foreign language.
Do you want to find out how to learn German my way?
In this article:
Top 10 strategies on how to learn German fast
My schedule for superfast German learners
VIDEO: How to learn German: Top 10 Strategies
Strategy No. 1: How to learn German by using only one book for learning German.
I used only one book for learning German. Although I had a few options, I chose only one book to learn from. When I look back now, I would translate this with FOCUS. Instead of trying different books and wondering why it doesn’t work, I used only one.
This manual was structured in a very simple way: It had a few texts to every lesson, vocabulary explanation, grammar explanations, and a lot of exercises. I went through every lesson, I was doing all the exercises, over and over again, I was searching in the dictionary for every word.
How has this book helped me? It gave me the necessary structure. I knew what I had to do. Every single day.
Don’t know what book for learning German to choose? Here’s a list with my favourite books for learning German:
7 books for learning German for beginners
Strategy No. 2: Start reading a novel in German right after you start learning German
This might sound crazy, but that’s exactly what I did. I started to read my first novel in German. Although I could barely read in German, I started to read my first novel, “Sansibar oder der letzte Grund”, just a few weeks after I started to learn German.
How has that helped me? It gave me a good reason to learn German and it helped me understand how the phrases are built, how the words are used, how the written German “sounds”.
And I was reading aloud. Reading aloud long texts in German is something which I strongly recommend. You get used to the language and you exercise a lot of necessary phrases.
Strategy No. 3: How to learn German by watching German television programs on your TV or on YouTube
Right after I finished the texts and exercises from my book for learning German, I used to turn on the TV and watch German television. And I prefered TV instead of YouTube because, again, it gave me structure. I used to watch:
- RTL
- ProSieben
- ARD
If you don’t watch TV, I recommend you to have a look at the YouTube channels of the German broadcasters above. Choose the programs that you like the most. I recommend the documentaries on ARD Mediathek.
Strategy No. 4: How to learn German by reading German newspapers and magazines
Back then I used to read articles in German magazines. My favourite magazines from Germany were Focus and Spiegel. I borrowed them from the library. Actually, I still read Spiegel on a regular basis today.
But what is the difference between reading a novel and reading magazines in German? There were two reasons why I read German magazines:
- The diversity of the topics you would find in a magazine. Don’t imagine I was reading the whole magazine. I was picking the topics which interested me.
- The actuality of the topics
Strategy No. 5: How to learn German by using YouTube channels for learning German as a complementary method to learn German
Can only German courses on Youtube help you learn German? I doubt it. I rather see YouTube videos as complementary to a German course. And here’s why I think so:
Despite the fact that there are many videos with good content on Youtube, unfortunately you won’t find a structure you can learn by. Serious authors of YouTube video courses, from which you can really learn something, rather try to present certain aspects to you and then recommend their paid courses. And rightly so. It is not easy to offer very good quality for free.
Here’s a few YouTube channels I’d recommend:
- German SuperFast – YouTube channel
My own YouTube channel. What you will find on the YouTube channel German Superfast? Plenty of short videos from my online courses, where I explain different words and grammar topics, by giving you a lot of examples. Check out this YouTube video, as an example:
- Deutsch mit Marija
On her YouTube channel, Marija offers a lot of videos to more advanced German learners. The German level of the courses is B2 to C1.
- Vlog Dave
Levels: German for beginners to advanced level. Dave is a German living in Germany. He has a very funny way of teaching you German. He combines teaching German with a lot of humor and entertainment.
Strategy No. 6: How to learn German by using online dictionaries or internet browsers to improve your pronunciation
One of the biggest struggles people learning German have is pronouncing the words in the right way.
But how can you pronounce the words you read, if you don’t hear them? Here is an easy method: Open an online dictionary or to simply write the word in German plus the word “English” in Google search field. Check out this video to see how it works.
Strategy No. 7: How to learn German by listening to cultural German and Austrian radio stations
If you are interested in certain topics and have started to learn German, look for radio stations (online) or podcasts that you can listen to on occasion. But don’t necessarily listen to general radio stations, because apart from a few short comments you will hear more music. Which is not bad. But it won’t help you at all if you set off to learn German.
Search for cultural radio stations. Below you will find a list of radio stations in Germany and Austria that I would listen to if I were you:
- Deutschlandfunk
- Radioeins von RBB
- WDR5
- Bayern 2
- Bremen Zwei
- SWR2
- HR2
- Ö1 – Austria
Strategy No. 8: How to learn German by joining groups of people who are learning German and are at the same level you are on social media
If you are using Facebook, you’re surely a member in a few Facebook groups on various topics. There are many public Facebook groups on the topic of learning German.
I don’t know what your impression is, but from my experience there is a lot of noise in these groups. Especially because there are thousands of people in these groups and it is difficult to have conversations. If you would like to be part of a small community of people you can have conversations with, join a private Facebook group.
Strategy No. 9: How to learn German by using mobile apps for learning German as complementary methods for learning German
In recent years, mobile applications for learning the German language have developed very rapidly. Many of the readers of germansuperfast.com are just starting to learn German. They install a free mobile application for learning German and set off. And they imagine that you can only learn German for 5 minutes every day.
So far, however, I have not heard from anyone that he was successful and that he was able to learn German only with the help of mobile applications. I agree that these applications can motivate you. But they are just a complementary way to learn German, especially when it comes to practicing grammar rules or expressions.
Here’s a list of popular apps on learning German today:
- Duolingo
- DW Learn German
- Babbel
- Learn German for Beginners
- Deutsch Lernen
Strategy No. 10: How to learn german by enrolling in an online course for learning German
I think you agree that, independently of the methods you learn German with, you need a structure. Based on the experiences with my students and together with them, I’ve been developing a series of online courses for learning German super fast.
In my courses I break down in small pieces typical situations in German, everyone needs to know and to master.
If you want to learn words and expressions for your life and work in a German speaking country you can download now my free workbook.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Learn Essential Expressions in German in 3 Days
Find out here how to learn German using my schedule for superfast German learners
Here is an overview of my TOP 10 Strategies on how to learn German fast
- Start learning German by using only one book for learning German.
- Start reading a novel in German right after you start learning German
- Watch German television programs on your TV or on YouTube
- Read German newspapers and magazines
- Use YouTube channels for learning German as a complementary method to learn German
- Use online dictionaries or internet browsers to improve your pronunciation
- Listen to cultural German radio stations
- Join groups of people who are learning German and are at the same level you are on social media
- Use mobile apps for learning German as complementary methods for learning German
- Enroll in an online course for learning German
VIDEO: How to learn German: Top 10 Strategies
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