what is the fastest way to learn german crash course

by Prof. Cordell O'Keefe 8 min read

How can I learn German fast?

This is good news if you want to learn German fast because of cognates. Cognates are words in two different languages whose spelling and meaning is so similar that they’re easily recognized and understood. These familiars make it impossible to start entirely “from scratch” with a language, because there are tons of words already at your disposal.

What is the best German course for beginners?

Summary: Pimsleur’s a household name that’s been around for many decades and earned its reputation as one of the best courses for German. It’s 100% audio and the entire course involves spaced-repetition recall of phrases within specific cultural scenarios.

How long does it take to learn German in German?

A1 (Survival German): 60 – 150 hours. A2 (Basic German): 150 – 260 hours. B1 (Conversational German): 260 – 490 hours. B2 (High Intermediate German): 450 – 600 hours. C1 (Advanced German): 600 – 750 hours.

Should I take an online German class?

You may benefit from taking an online German class if you want to travel to or live in Germany. It will also help you have a better understanding of German culture and speak to friends and family who speak the language, and it can help you get a translator job or a job teaching English in Germany.

How can I learn German really fast?

How to Learn German Fast (But Right): 10 Steps for Smarter StudyingUse Word Frequency Lists to Learn the Most Useful German Vocabulary. ... Learn Modal Verbs: Say More with Fewer Conjugations. ... Make a German-speaking Friend for Constant Speaking Practice. ... Learn German Syntax: Make Sure Every Word Has Its Place.More items...•

How long does it realistically take to learn German?

approximately 30 weeksGerman is rated as a category 2 language and considered to be similar to English. 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.

How long does it take to learn German self study?

In short, the FSI estimated that learning German will take approximately 30 weeks (750 hours) for English speakers. This may seem like a lot of time, but it's a fraction compared to languages like Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, which took students up to 88 weeks to learn.

Can I learn German in 3 weeks?

Learning a new language is always a little nerve-wracking, and having someone there to guide you through the process might help you feel more at ease. Intensive German courses typically last anywhere from three to four weeks, or roughly eight hours per week.

Can I learn German in 3 months?

You can learn be fluent in German in 3 months. If you, like me, follow the works of the productivity gurus on the internet you might be under the impression, as I once was, that you can learn a language in as little as three months.

Can I learn German in 6 months?

To answer your question, NO it's not possible! You can't learn German in 6 months, not even in 6 Years.

Can I learn German in 1 year?

German is a complex yet highly systematic language. It is possible to learn German in one year, but it will take a near full-time commitment and immersion learning.

Is German harder than English?

Some parts of German grammar are particularly tricky for English speakers to get to grips with, but German grammar is actually arguably easier to learn than English grammar because it follows set rules that are laid down by the three regional authorities, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (with small differences ...

How can I learn German in 30 days?

Below I'll explain exactly how I used these principles to learn German.Set a clear goal. I followed the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) approach for setting a goal. ... Speak from day 1. ... Focus on frequent words. ... Immerse yourself. ... Keep track.

Is B1 German enough?

The German government thinks B1 to be enough to get along well enough with the Germans in case you are looking for citizenship status. They say understanding 2,700 words is enough. You can find a complete list of them here.

Why is German so hard?

Learning German Genders Can Be Frustrating But, German does. German has three genders, which makes it even more difficult to master. It's probably the reason why the Foreign Service Institute deemed it harder than French, which only has two genders. German has masculine (der), feminine (die), and neutral (das) gender.

How long does it take to get B1 German?

How long does it take to learn German?Assess your current level & test your German online!Intensive course (20 lessons/week)A1beginner8 weeksA2elementary8 weeksB1intermediate8 weeksB2upper intermediate10 weeks*2 more rows

How to write German nouns in capital letters?

1. Use lower case AND capital letters. Make it a habit, if it is not one yet, to write in capital and lower case letters. This is very important as the first letter of a German noun is written in a capital letter. The following letters are written in lower case letters ( das Auto, die Frau, der Mann ).

How to speed up your listening and speaking skills?

To speed up your listening, speaking and writing skills, learn the phonetic alphabet. Or at least, get familiar with the one that is used in your dictionary, work or course book.

How to understand grammar rules?

What’s the best way to understand new grammar rules? Firstly, you want to practise them, of course. Drill exercises seem to help with getting the pattern right. Just keep on practising until it hits you like a ton of bricks when the understanding sets in.

Can you converse in German?

To be able to converse in German, you want to get familiar with the pronunciation of German words. Yes, pronunciation is also one of the things that will help you embrace the German language fast. German and English use similar words but the pronunciation and intonation of words and sentences is different.

Is there a grammar rule in German?

There are quite a few grammar rules in the German language. To keep them in mind it is a great idea to learn them, but you also want to understand and use them in conversations with others. The rules will stick to your mind once you really understand what the rule actually is about and means in practice.

How long does a German language course last?

Standard language courses usually last for a specified timeframe, and you may feel that it’s either too short or too long. With intensive German courses, whether you think a week or a few months is appropriate for your learning, you’re guaranteed the satisfaction of controlling the length of your study period.

What is the best app to learn German?

FluentU is one of the best websites and apps for learning German the way native speakers really use it. FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

How long is intensive German?

Intensive courses can be taken either in a group class (two to 52 weeks) or one-on-one (one to 52 weeks). For the class-based course, you can expect to learn with a small group of around 10 students with 30 lessons of 45 minutes per week covering all areas of the German language. For the one-on-one course, you can choose to study ...

How many lessons can you have in Sprachcaffe?

Private lessons, while more expensive, are more customizable and you can choose to have two to six daily lessons. Sprachcaffe emphasizes a comfortable and relaxed learning environment, and you won’t just be learning in a typical lecture style as you can expect more involved and entertaining methods of learning.

Where are intensive German classes held?

Intensive German courses are also usually held in Germany. While there are some hosted online, the majority are offered in real German schools, particularly language institutes and universities. The duration of intensive German courses is typically dependent on the learner. You can choose how long you want to study for.

Is intensive German good?

The Benefits of an Intensive German Course. The whole “intensive” part sounds a little intimidating, but there are great pros to taking an intensive course. While you’ll certainly be learning things at a fast speed, this doesn’t mean that you’ll be frantically trying to cram everything into your brain.

What do you learn in German class?

If you’re a beginner, you should expect to learn some conversational skills, common words, how to pronounce common words, and then how to put sentences together. Eventually, you will learn how to read and write in German as well.

Why do people take German classes online?

An online German class can be helpful for many reasons. You may benefit from taking an online German class if you want to travel to or live in Germany. It will also help you have a better understanding of German culture and speak to friends and family who speak the language.

What is GermanPod101?

GermanPod101 is a library of thousands of podcasts and videos in German. All are sourced from native German speakers and revolve around real-life situations, so you will gain a good idea of what to expect from a real conversation with a German speaker. If you are more of an auditory learner or want to improve your listening comprehension for more practical conversations, GermanPod101 is the way to go.

What are some mistakes people make when learning German?

Another common mistake people who learn German make, are prepositions. In general, there are no general rules when it comes to this so it is up to your memory. But, don’t worry you’ll achieve a nice sense of it and it will all come naturally to you. For example, if you say “nach Hause” it means “ to the house” while “zu Hause” it means to refer house as a location. Another mistake is a word-for-word translation. The structure of sentences in German may be different compared to your language. Here is an example

What is the importance of German?

German is the gateway to a world-class higher education. Many of the Western world’s most important works of philosophy, literature, music, art history, theology, psychology, chemistry, physics, engineering and medicine are written in German and continue to be produced in German.

How many tenses are there in German?

But, learn this part well and you’ll be speaking German fluently in no time. German has six tenses: Prasens, Präteritum, Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt, Futur I and Futur II.

What is the funniest word in German?

There is no a specific word for these people in English, but in German there is “Wildpinkler” which literally means “wild pee-er”. Here is a list of the 10 funniest words in German and their meaning in English. Brustwarze – breast wart This word literally means “breast wart”. It stands for “nipple” in English.

What does it mean to think like a German?

German Idioms. You probably have heard the phrase, “if you want to learn the German language, you have to think like a German”. In other words, this means you need to understand a phrase beyond its literal meaning. For example, in English, they say “I’m running out of gas”, but there is nobody running out of nowhere.

How many prepositions does German have?

German has three noun prepositions for each gender: die (for feminine nouns), der (for masculine nouns) and das (for neutral gender).

What is the German economy?

The German economy ranks number one in Europe and number four worldwide. Its economy is comparable to that of all the world’s Spanish-speaking countries combined. Germany is home to numerous international corporations. Direct investment by Germany in the United States is over ten billion dollars.

How many lessons are in the German grammar course?

Summary: This course is simple and is intended for independent learners. It includes 10 Beginner lessons that provide a basic overview of German grammar, including verb forms and syntax, and 24 Advanced lessons.

What level is SmarterGerman?

Summary: smarterGerman is one of the most popular German courses currently available, and it provides courses for language levels A1-B1 in German. These courses cover vocabulary, grammar, listening, and reading, and touch upon speaking and writing as well.

What is GermanPod101?

Summary: GermanPod101 is a very popular website with loads of useful German course content. While GermanPod101 claims to provide its teachers with a basic roadmap as to what sorts of lessons to teach students, many students complain that the lessons feel messy and unstructured (it has improved though).

How many people speak German?

Globally, there are over 210 million German speakers, which puts German as the 11th most spoken language in the world. Because German is so popular, most people have heard some German at some point in their lives and are interested in learning the language for themselves.

What is Rocket German?

Rocket German’s course covers all language skills very well (listening, speaking, reading and writing), and their inbuilt voice recognition is one of the most accurate available (it uses Google’s Web Speech technology). For structured learner types, it’s my preferred German course.

Is German a good language to learn?

There isn’t just a desire to travel to Germany and communicate (though this is probably the most popular reason) but it’s also a great language to learn for business, academia and more. German - > English translation is a lucrative and popular career path for many.

Is Rocket German good for polyglots?

Summary: Rocket German has been around for well over a decade, is extremely popular with polyglots and it’s one of the top recommendations on The Mezzofanti Guild. Of all the German course options here, Rocket German suits the structured learner most as it’s designed to be followed in a linear progression (from beginner to advanced).

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