German Language Learning Resources
Where to Go to Start Learning German or to Brush Up Existing Skills
Jul 27, 2008
When you decide to learn a foreign language, there are several ways to get started. Below are a few suggestions for web and print sources that will help you, whether you are a beginner or someone already familiar with German looking to improve your language abilities.
German Language Resources on the Web
LEO Online is a fantastic German website with accurate German-to-English translations. The search results for a word often include idioms and other common phrases in addition to straight translations
Any kind of resource that allows you to listen to the language is excellent for ensuring that you pronounce words correctly. To watch some German language television (and programs from all over the world) check out Beeline TV's site. For German and Austrian radio, visit Broadcast Live.
To figure out what level you've reached with German language abilities, the Goethe Institut, a German cultural institute that has offices all over the world, has an online test so that you can see whether your skills are beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
German news sources, such as Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, are on the web and are another way to improve your vocabulary; if you attempt to read a news story in German on a topic with which you have some familiarity, it's possible to pick up a few new terms. This, of course, is only recommended if you have at least a basic understanding of German.
Which Print Publications to Consider
Your local library is another place to get started if you don't want to spend money at the bookstore. Regardless of where you go, a quality dictionary, such as a Langenscheidt, Pons, or Oxford, is essential. A book like 501 German Verbs [Barron's Educational Series,1998] can give you a go-to source for conjugations. If you really want to expand your vocabulary, thumbing through a German thesaurus to find synonyms is helpful.
Another way to improve your vocabulary is to get a children's book in German. The German version of Amazon would be a good place to find such a useful resource, as are used bookstores and larger shops with a foreign language section. A tip, once you have a book in your hands, is to write down any unfamiliar words as you are reading, then go back and look up those words in the dictionary (or on LEO Online) after you've finished a page or section of the book. This keeps you from breaking up your reading too much.
Other Language Learning Possibilities
Check local colleges and universities to see if one of the schools offers courses in the language. Even if you do not want to take a course for credit, it is possible toto audit a course of attendance.
Large language schools, typically located in cities, are another option, but courses can get pricey. A private tutor is excellent for one-on-one language learning, but rates can run upwards of $20/hour. If you have a friend who is a native speaker, chatting with him or her in German will benefit you immensely.
Learning a new language is a challenge, but if you have a few ideas of where to start the process, you've already overcome the first hurdle. Most important is to build your vocabulary, learn verb conjugations, and gain familiarity with the language by listening and speaking if possible. With the internet at your fingertips, bookstores, the library, and language schools are no longer the only resources out there to help you begin to develop or improve your German language skills.
