How to learn German with 3 easy steps
- Sarah
- Feb 8, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 5, 2023
If you're thinking about learning German, that's great! But if this is your first time learning a new language such as German, then you might be a little scared but don’t worry learning German can be quite simple when you break it down into small digestible steps. So, if you’re ready to find out 3 easy ways to learn German then keep reading. Don't forget to check out our timetable for the next German Beginner courses here!
1. Spend some time thinking about what German means to you
Before you start learning German, it's important to understand your reasons for doing so.
When learning German, there are two main things that can motivate a person: practicality and pleasure. If you want to travel around Germany, Austria or other German-speaking countries someday, then it makes sense to learn German now.
Not only will it benefit you to learn another language, but, learning German benefits you financially and socially as career-wise its always a plus to speak more than one language and when you understand German, you open yourself up to new relationships, cultures and media.
Understanding what motivates you to learn German is what will help you learn the language easier as it will help you frame your mindset into a positive one.
When you truly believe that you can do something it helps makes the process easier as opposed to thinking that something is difficult or that you’re going to fail which will only act as a distraction from your German learning. So, take your time to think about what really encourages you to learn German, is it the rich German history that inspires you? Do you like the way German sounds? Are you interested in making German friends? Would you like to advance your career and salary by learning German?
Once you finalise your inspiration for learning German then you’re already on the next step to making it easier to learn the language.
Motivation is the most important part of learning German. If you don't have anything that encourages you to want to learn German, there's no way that you'll be able to keep up with it. You must find a reason as to why German is worth your time and effort.
2. Set goals for your German learning
Setting goals helps keep track of progress, which can be motivating in itself! If you want to speak German fluently by the end of a year, then set yourself up with some milestones along the way so that every time they are achieved it will feel like an
accomplishment thus making studying more fun.
Being organized makes everything easier: having your books organized by topic or chapter number; having flashcards ready for study sessions; making sure laptop/phone chargers are always charged - all these things will help ensure everything goes smoothly when studying German at home with family members or friends during free time between work days (or during lunch breaks).
The most important thing is that you stay motivated when learning German. If you don't have a goal or something to look forward to when working towards German it's easy for your learning efforts to fade out. So, in order to avoid that you could try setting goals like: "I want to be able to read this German book by the end of July", or "I want to be able to talk about my favourite hobby in German".
Set yourself up in the perfect study environment when it comes to learning German. You want to make sure that you’re in a quiet place free from distractions and that you can get the most out of your German learning.
3. Talk to fluent German speakers
The easiest way to do this, of course, would be by going to Germany or a German-speaking country but if you aren’t travelling to Germany just yet you can make full use of social media to help you find native German speakers online. You can join groups with your topic of choice on any social media platform and engage with those that speak German fluently. There are great apps out there such as italki which connects you to German speakers and you can call and text them to improve your German pronunciation. You can make friends and practice speaking German with them to help you learn new things about the culture and history of Germany. Speaking in German will help you understand what you know and don't know about German grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation so that you can focus on those areas when studying alone later on.
Speaking with native/fluent German speakers will help you find out what you understand, and what you still need to work on, so you can make sure that you're learning the right material for when it comes to learning German. In order to do this, it's helpful to talk with native speakers who are willing to help.
Native German speakers or those that are fluent in German can let you know if they think your pronunciation is correct or not, whether or not they understand what you said, and if there are any German words or phrases that confuse them. You can learn the formal and informal ways of speaking German, as well as the regional differences in Germany. Native German speakers will also be able to tell you about slang and colloquialisms that aren't in your dictionary. They can also help you with verbs, too! German has some irregular verbs, so when you talk with native German speakers, they can teach you how to use them correctly. This is an excellent benefit you get when you choose to learn German with GermanMind as you’ll be able to speak with native German teachers who in turn can also help you sound like one.
Conclusion
Knowing what motivates you to learn German, setting goals when it comes to learning German and regularly speaking with those that are fluent/native German speakers are excellent and easy ways to improve your German.
Following these simple tips will help you improve your German learning, and if you enjoyed learning them and want to incorporate them into your daily routine, visit the GermanMind website, where you can find amazing German courses in Dublin for all levels of German.
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