Tips and tricks for learning German

In 2013 Katja launched her channel Deutsch für Euch with entertaining videos about German grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and audio comprehension. Her videos are a fun mixture of English and German.

What are the important things about learning German?
The very first thing is definitely motivation. And once you have started, structure becomes important. Apart from that, it’s essential to surround yourself with the language as much as you can.

What’s the best way to start?
Well, you can take a classic language course, and nowadays you can do that with online language schools. But to start off, language apps like Duolingo or Babbel are useful, because they give playful rewards for progress, and they build your vocabulary.

Have you any tips for areas where learners have particular difficulties with German?
You need to learn off by heart with the articles. There are particular word endings that take a particular article, for instance words that end in –ung are feminine. As far as pronunciation goes, I can recommend listening to a lot of German. And to be aware of where certain word sounds are made in the body.

German grammar is supposed to be difficult. What do you say to people who are scared of it?
Whether someone finds a language hard to learn depends on a lot of factors. No language is objectively difficult to learn. German happens to have a lot of grammar, but that can have its advantages!

Learners are often afraid to speak. How can they overcome the fear of making mistakes?
Talking to yourself can help to begin with. Apart from that it’s good to remember that most people are happy to hear others speaking their language. It’s worth learning the rules well at the beginning, and you have to allow yourself to make mistakes, even if it annoys you.

© www.deutschland.de

You would like to receive regular information about Germany? Subscribe here: