See all articles on the topic of German Grammar.
Learning German takes a while, and there are many ways to approach learning the language. Whilst speaking in groups is massively helpful, you need to also focus on other parts of the language. Below are some great ways to boost your German and increase your confidence. Reading, learning phrases, and playing German games are just some of the ways that you can get better at German.
1. Read a lot
Reading to learn German is super important. You can do this through more instructional books, like German textbooks, which you would typically be given in a lesson. This focus more on grammar and have homework exercises, and usually audio exercises as well to help your listening comprehension.
You could also buy some novels, however. Reading a fiction book in German is not as difficult as it sounds, however, for 2 reasons. Firstly, there are some fiction books written just for learners, where the language is easier, and there is an English translation on one page, with the German being on the other page, so you can compare.
See our post for The Best Books For Learning German for some top-notch recommendations of both German textbooks and also German novels.
2. Research Common German Phrases and Expressions
We have collected a whole bunch of German funny phrases, slang, idioms and expressions for you. If something is fun or interesting, you will be more likely to remember it. How could you not like the phrase for "I don't care" - "Es ist mir Wurst." - literally "it is sausage to me". There are many more like that, and they can be treated like nice "hacks" to improving fluency.
If you are visiting Germany, some of these specific helpful phrases such how to ask for the time, and how to say "I speak a little German" will come in handy as well. The locals will appreciate you made the effort and you might make a few friends in the process. There is nothing like using your German in the wild!
3. Learn lots of German Words
We have created an English-German dictionary for you. For every word you will find the gender, and 2 examples of how the word is used in a sentence. Have a look through to see how many you recognise already.
4. Play German Games
A great trick to langauge learning is to play German games so you learn whilst having fun. It's an enjoyable method where you can practice your German skills without having to be in a classroom. We give a breakdown of a variety of games suitable for all levels of German learning.
These games cover vocab games, crosswords, point-and-click games, as well as a great adventure game, which was created by a German company. Check out our guide here to a bunch of interesting online German games for some relaxed German learning.
5. Choose Your Class Type
You can choose in-person classes (like these classes in London or Berlin)or online lessons. I have used a combination of both, as I talk about here.
Also see top-quality SmarterGerman for all-encompassing German courses - this (Deutsch Gym for speaking practice!) - is designed to teach you German from A1 to C1. Plus - you take the courses at your own pace, and they provide support and an active community for when you get stuck!
The argument for going online-only is getting stronger and stronger, but try both and see what works best for you.
Practice your spoken German in our online German speaking classes (5-day free trial).
The classes are fun and friendly - you'll meet new people and also talk to native speakers. We have classes every single day and new and interesting conversation themes for each session. Give them a go!
