Learn German : Essentials (2023)

FAQs

What are the basics to learning German? ›

Yes you can. It's very enjoyable to learn something on your own, since it gives you a fantastic sense of achievement. Learning German by yourself is a great way to take charge of your own learning speed and the way in which you decide to learn.

German is a difficult language! Within a month, you should be able to get a hang of most of the basics, such as haben and sein and using the Perfekt tense, enough to where you'll be able to navigate your daily life with relative ease.

The FSI estimates that German takes approximately 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours to learn. This study was conducted on a group of language students who spent 25 hours per week in class, and three hours daily on individual practice.

Mandarin Chinese

Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the writing system is extremely difficult for English speakers (and anyone else) accustomed to the Latin alphabet.

You need more than 3 months to be fluent. But even with such a short time, if you adjust your strategy, you can actually learn German and get really close to being fluent. And I don't mean being able to say, 'I'm doing fine' in German as fast as a native speaker or being able to combine words you learned on Duolingo.

It shouldn't take long to become fluent in German. Actually, after 6-8 months of studying in intense courses (about twenty hours every week) you will be able to gain proficiency of your German language to navigate your daily life. It is possible to gain professional proficiency within a mere year!

So, how long do you need to learn German if you want to reach this level of fluency? According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!

For children who are new to German, here is what you can expect: Children in the 0-5 year age range are in language acquisition mode developmentally. This is by far the best time in life to expose them to a second language (but this should not deter you from exposing them to it at ANY age).

What is the fastest way to learn Germany? ›

If you want to find the best way to learn German fast, immersion is the way to go. The most important thing that immersion provides is a constant stream of your target language. You will hear it all the time and read it everywhere.

Yes. I say this because I know someone who has done just that. They worked hard, and I'm talking four or five hours of study every day. I have been learning for two years, and am barely above beginner level.

On average, it takes the following amount of time to achieve the next language level: A1: approx. 150 hours of lessons.

German A2 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is a 60 points exam and you have to score a minimum 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.

Yes you can. It is not necessary that one has to appear for the A1 exam first. One can appear for any of the German exam levels directly. I hope that my answer helps you.

The B Levels: Conversational

B1 German speakers have no problem understanding the main points of a conversation when clear standard German is used, especially when the topic is something familiar like school or work.

Hi, B1 is the beginning of the Intermediate level as a Deutsch speaker. So, by this time you should be able to carry out basic level conversations and form simple sentences since you would have already completed A2. B1 takes you further deeper in verbs and complex sentence structure.

Levels A1 and A2: These levels provide you with basic knowledge of the German language. If you have no previous knowledge, attending an A1 course is highly recommended. Levels B1 and B2: Here is where you will learn German at an advanced level.

But what makes German so hard to learn? The only reason that German seems so difficult to people is that it has grammar rules that other languages don't. German is a language with relatively high “inflection,” meaning that the words in a sentence change based on their grammatical roles.

How many languages make a polyglot? ›

The term “polyglot” is often used to describe people who can speak more than three languages. If you speak two languages you're bilingual, if you speak three you're trilingual. If you speak more, you may be considered a polyglot.

Long story short: You can survive in Germany without knowing the German language; most Germans speak English, the train usually runs announcements in English and in restaurants or bars, waiters and waitresses often speak English, especially in the city center.

Passing a B2 test with three months of practice is definitely possible; however, that is not the same as actually reaching B2 in a certain language.

100% you can do that. I've gone from zero German to C1 between the dates of the 10th September 2016 and 09 April 2017. For me I found that speaking an awful lot and immersing myself in the language was super helpful for it.

German A1 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is 60 points exam and you have to score 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.

The European Framework of Reference for Languages divides language ability into six levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2). Level A1 is the beginner level, B1 and B2 are roughly intermediate level, C1 and C2 represent a good to perfect language mastery, which comes very close to a native speaker, especially in C2.

The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 is a German exam for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired very basic language skills and corresponds to the first level (A1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

German grammar is complex, can get frustrating at times, and will probably take a while to master. Most learners struggle with grammatical cases (to be fair, they can be a pain even for native speakers). But once you've understood how useful they are, you'll see why it's worth the work.

As a rule of thumb, German universities require you to present a proof of upper intermediate to advanced German language skills (level B2/C1) to study in German.

Duolingo German lessons are aligned to an international standard designed to get you using German right away! In each lesson, you'll practice vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation all together through exercises focused on reading, writing, listening, and speaking. There are also really fun (and often surprising!)

Can I learn German at the age of 40? ›

The minimum age for adult courses is usually somewhere between 16 and 18 years old. There is no upper age limit, so you will probably study with students from several generations, all with the common goal to learn and improve their German skills. The average student is usually between 19 and 30 years old.

That said, experts largely agree that the more German you learn, the easier it gets, while French gets more complicated the deeper you dive in. And German pronunciation is definitely easier.

After all, on a global scale German is used by relatively few people. However, there are good reasons why this language is a good investment. Not just from a linguistic point of view, but also in terms of economic opportunity, networking potential and cultural gain. German is a worthwhile choice.

It's a proven solution to another question – how to learn German in a year, and if you've been following me for some time then you already know that. I mean it works so well I'm always talking about it. But did you know that 87% of my students have been able to speak fluently in 6 – 8 months using this method?

You do not need 2 years to learn upto C1 level. Learning German is not as difficult as people think it is . You need approximately 4–6 months depending on your interest to complete upto B1 level, C1 will take another 6 months to complete if you do it at a stretch.

As you can see, rapid learning is undoubtedly doable even if you want to learn German from scratch to a B2 level in 5 months or faster. I have done it with dozens of students using the outlined strategy, and results are always great.

The German B1 level, also known as the intermediate level, It will take you at least 80 hours per week (a total of 4 weeks) to finish your German B1. According to Goeth Institut, you'll take at least 350 and 650 45-minute units of teaching depending on what you have retained from your previous A1 to A2 level.

I Studied German for 20 Min a Day For a Year and This is what I ...

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Last year, I decided I needed to learn German. It started one night while I was at a dinner party in Berlin. During dinner, I noticed that I was at a table of G...

What is the first step to learn German? ›

The first step to improving your German is to start reading regularly in German. It may sound daunting, especially for beginners, but it's one of the best ways to engage with the language and become familiar with its patterns.

Getting Great at German

German might not be as familiar to English speakers as Spanish, but it's still one of the easiest languages to learn. Like Spanish, it's also a phonetic language, which makes pronunciation easy to figure out.

As per English-speaking people, German language is one of the easiest languages to learn and also the second most spoken foreign language in Europe. You can attend German language classes in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, or any other well-developed city.

With plenty of straightforward rules, German is not actually as hard to learn as most people think. And since English and German stem from the same language family, you might actually be surprised at the things you pick up without even trying! And on top of it all, it's definitely a useful one, too.

It shouldn't take long to become fluent in German. Actually, after 6-8 months of studying in intense courses (about twenty hours every week) you will be able to gain proficiency of your German language to navigate your daily life. It is possible to gain professional proficiency within a mere year!

So, how long do you need to learn German if you want to reach this level of fluency? According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!

Between the two languages, German has been much easier to both learn and practice, due to the similarity to English (my native language) and Spanish (my second language), the abundance of resources online, and the commonality of German-speakers in the western world.

Nitty-gritty things like these can make getting started a bit of a challenge – but between the two, French will be a little easier, with (slightly) fewer endings to learn. That said, experts largely agree that the more German you learn, the easier it gets, while French gets more complicated the deeper you dive in.

Because there are few pronunciation rules

Unlike English, for instance, where every word is pronounced in its own way or French, where to rules are so severe and dictations are done even in the most progressed course levels.

Why do Indians go to Germany? ›

Germany is also fast becoming a preferred study destination since international students pay zero or little tuition fees as higher education is usually funded by the state government, has excellent university infrastructure and facilities, and its globally recognised degrees.

It is a coveted destination for people throughout the world. Studies have reported that the number of Indians shifting to Germany for higher education and employment has increased exponentially over the last few years, as per the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees).

If we look at the development of immigration from India, we see a dynamic increase in recent years. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of people with Indian citizenship in Germany rose from 48,000 to 151,000, and their share of the total foreign population increased from 0.7 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

It is not at all difficult to pursue B2 level with graduation. I finished my C2 when I was in my second year of graduation. I used to take breaks for the courses only during my exam months and did not take admission during those times.

Duolingo German lessons are aligned to an international standard designed to get you using German right away! In each lesson, you'll practice vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation all together through exercises focused on reading, writing, listening, and speaking. There are also really fun (and often surprising!)

After all, on a global scale German is used by relatively few people. However, there are good reasons why this language is a good investment. Not just from a linguistic point of view, but also in terms of economic opportunity, networking potential and cultural gain. German is a worthwhile choice.