Self-paced learning of German online. Learning German from scratch! Which German language courses are best to choose?

The manual consists of two parts: a tutorial and a phrasebook.
The self-instruction manual presents grammatical rules in simple, accessible language, and also provides exercises to consolidate vocabulary and grammar. While studying grammar, you simultaneously learn many words and expressions that are useful in everyday life using examples.
In the phrasebook you will find a range of topics for new acquaintances, friendly conversations and everyday communication.
At the end of the manual there is a list of Internet sites where you can find many interesting information about Germany, Germans and their culture. The manual is intended for everyone who wants to study German.


CONTENT
Preface 4
Grammar
Reading and pronunciation 6
Article 9
Noun 12
Adjective 17
Pronoun 24
Verb 28
Number 53
Preposition 56
Adverb 67
Basics of word formation 71
Simple sentence 84
Complex sentence 94
Test 98
Answers to exercises 100
Phrasebook
Speech etiquette 112
Conversational situations 115
Time, days of the week, months, seasons 122
Nature and weather 127
Dating 138
Flirting 147
Job 152
Hobby 158
In the city 162
Museums and theaters 169
Transport 176
At customs 199
In the bank 202
At the hotel 204
In store 210
In the restaurant 230
Sports 243
In the hairdressing and beauty salon 252
Religion 255
Medical assistance 260
Internet Guide 269

Reading and pronunciation.
Learning to read German is not difficult. You should pay attention to only a few features. Features of reading consonants:

  1. The letter h at the beginning of a word or root is read as an aspirated x: Herz (heart). In the middle and at the end of words, it is not read, but serves to lengthen the previous vowel: fahren (to ride), froh (cheerful, joyful).
  2. The letter j is pronounced like y, and in the combinations ja and jit the Russian ear hears ya and yu: Jahr (year), Juni (June).
  3. The letter I is always softened when read: Blume (flower).
  4. The sound g is pronounced by most Germans with a burr: Re gen (rain).
  5. The letter s before or between vowels is read as z: Sonne (sun), lesen (read).
  6. The letter fi is read as s: grofi (big).
  7. The consonants k, p, t are pronounced with some aspiration: Park (park), Torte (cake), Koffer (suitcase).
  8. The letter v is pronounced like f: Vater (father). Only in rare cases (most often in borrowed words) is it pronounced as in: Vase (vase).
  9. The letter w is read like the Russian sound in: Wort (word).
  10. Double consonants are read as single consonants, but at the same time they shorten the vowel in front: Sommer (summer), Mutter (mother).

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Germany is a wonderful country with good food and delicious beer, a developed economy and beautiful landscapes, excellent educational programs for students, so more and more people want to learn German from scratch.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

Have you already turned 18?

Features of learning German

Many people want to find out how and whether it is even possible to learn a foreign language (in our particular case, German) quickly, simply and painlessly. Yes, this is possible and quite feasible, but in pairs, with a teacher or in special linguistic courses, sometimes it turns out easier and better. And here the point is not that someone will explain the basics of grammar to you and put the necessary information into your head, because in the end you can come to everything on your own. The fact is that the courses increase your desire to learn. The main problem that all beginners face is the lack of strong motivation, interest, fortitude, and self-control. It is these qualities that allow, after long days, weeks and months, to begin speaking a foreign dialect with ease and beauty.

If you do not have a clearly defined goal and the desire to achieve it, then it is very difficult to force yourself to sit regularly for several hours a day over textbooks, memorizing words, sayings, articles, irregular verbs and grammar.

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Where to start learning German from scratch on your own?

The beginning is always the most difficult thing in the learning process; the final result depends on how everything goes. There are many different methods and ways to learn a foreign syllable, but you must, of course, start with the very basics - the alphabet, letters and their sounds.

You can purchase manuals that are usually bought for children, tutorials for beginners from scratch, or download free initial video lessons on sites that help you learn German on your own. Children's books and textbooks are very good option, if you do not know a single foreign dialect, since they have a clear plan and structure, they explain grammar and rules in an accessible and simple way, taking into account the psychology and knowledge of a beginner.

c">Ways to learn a German home

In order to achieve the desired results, you need to make some efforts, show self-discipline and perseverance, because you will need to spend several hours studying textbooks. But besides standard cramming and memorizing grammar rules, you can use other learning options.

Increasingly, children in schools or language courses are using a game method that makes it easy to remember the necessary information, master complex grammar and expand their vocabulary. The easiest way is to place cards in the house with the names of objects in the language being studied, a table of irregular verbs or articles that are so difficult to remember. When your eyes come across a particular entry, you will remember its meaning. In the future, the task can be complicated by adding different characteristics or descriptions to the words.

It is not without reason that children at school are advised to read a lot in order to learn to speak well. Even if you don’t understand everything well yet, still look through books and magazines in the desired dialect, look at pictures and look for words in the dictionary, write them down in a notebook, enriching your speech.

If you have already completed several lessons on your own, learned the basic greeting phrases and want to continue in the same spirit, then you should register on special free training sites. You can have conversations with a fellow student like yourself, communicate with an ethnic German, or find a German-speaking friend studying Slavic languages ​​with whom you can exchange valuable tips and help with your studies.

d"> Difficulties in learning German that shouldn’t frighten you

It is impossible to answer the questions about whether it is difficult to learn German, how long it will take to do it, and how quickly you can start reading and writing. Everything depends, as mentioned above, on your determination and perseverance, desire and patience. But even the most diligent students face difficulties, here are some of them:

  • many dialects that are not always understandable to those who learn the language from scratch;
  • rapid speech, during which words are distorted and letters disappear;
  • complex grammar with many irregular verbs, articles and other things;
  • incomprehensible sentence structure and slang.

But they should not frighten, because everything can be overcome, learned and understood, found in smart books, heard over a glass of beer and a plate of delicious sausages, because the people of Germany are very responsive and will always help someone who is trying to master their native language.

Others believe that death is better than the German language. It’s difficult for me to resolve this issue right away, without preparation. What matters here is what kind of death we are talking about. If we talk about slow and painful... Let's say, about two hundred years ago in Canada, the Indians caught a missionary, tore off his skin, brought hot ash, then boiling water, and little by little the missionary...

In general, I think that he would find the German language a pleasant change.

Mark Twain

So, despite all the intimidation and stories about the incomprehensible complexity of the German language, you decided to master this truly difficult language. However, German is not as scary as it is painted to be. I beg to differ with Mark Twain, who called him “unsystematic.” In my opinion, German is a logical, structured and systematic language that “loves” order. Learning German is like solving math problems or putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

Knowledge of grammar plays an important role in this (still) difficult task. Therefore, in this article we will list the most important grammar topics that need to be mastered for beginners learning German.

1. Verb conjugation in Präsens (present tense)

Before you start studying this topic, you will have to learn personal pronouns.

In German, unlike English, the pronoun I written with a small letter.

Please note that du used to address one person as "you". To address, for example, a question to a group of people (friends or acquaintances), you need to use the pronoun ihr. Sie used as a polite address to one person or several people.

Let's return to verb conjugation in Präsens. The first step is to remember the conjugation of the three main verbs (Grundverben):

sein(be), haben(to have) and werden(become).

These verbs can be both semantic and auxiliary, i.e. can participate in the formation of various grammatical forms. For example, when forming the past tense Perfekt, the auxiliary verbs haben and sein are used, when forming the future tenses Futur I and Futur II, the auxiliary verb werden is used, which is also used to form the passive voice (Passiv). Since these verbs are in high demand, it is important that their forms jump off your teeth!


Further information on the topic "Verb conjugation" you.

Important! In German, Präsens is often used to express the future tense (Futur I).

For example: Wann kommst du? - When will you come? Ich mache es morgen. - I'll do it tomorrow.

2. Word order in a sentence (Satzstellung)

In a German sentence each the word has its place. Of course, it is important to remember about direct and reverse word order and not to forget to juggle predicate and subject. However, we should also not forget that a negative particle nothing, infinitive phrase (with particle zu or without it), reflexive pronoun sich- everyone knows their place!

Circumstances of time, cause, manner of action and place are also located in the German sentence in accordance with in a certain order, obeying the rule te- ka- mo- lo(temporal, kausal, modal, lokal).

For example: Ich lerne am Wochenende wegen meiner Prüfung sehr intensiv in der Bibliothek .

If in a sentence both objects are expressed by nouns, then first comes the addition to Dativ, then in Akkusativ: Ich gebe meinem Bruder ein Geschenk.

If one of the complements is expressed pronoun, it is placed before the object expressed by the noun: Ich gebe ihm ein Geschenk.

Or: Ich gebe es meinem Bruder.

But if in a sentence both objects are expressed by pronouns, then the order changes: first Akkusativ, then Dativ. For example, Ichgebeesihm.

IN subordinate clause the predicate, as a rule, comes in last place, and if the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, then the word order in the main sentence is reversed: Ichlerne Deutsch, wennichLusthabe . Aber wenn ich keine Lustmehr habe, lerne ich trotzdem Deutsch.

Is your head spinning? It's out of joy! :)

Attention! The above are just some of the rules for constructing a German sentence.

3. Article (Artikel)

Oh, these articles... Definite and indefinite, masculine (der), neuter (das) and feminine (die) articles, as well as plural articles (die)! Not to mention those cases when the article is not required at all. Willy-nilly, you’ll remember that missionary that Mark Twain talked about...

Note: the gender of nouns in Russian and German does NOT coincide, so make it a rule to learn German nouns ONLY together with the article (der, das, die). In the plural, all nouns have the article die.

Remember: noun derUnterricht(lesson, activity) does not have a plural form in German!

Fortunately, the German language has many suffix clues that indicate the gender of a noun. For example, all nouns ending in -ung, -keit or -heit are feminine, nouns ending in -chen or -lein are neuter, and nouns ending in -ling are masculine. Here are some others:

German, as you know, has many compound words. So, you need to remember that the genus compound noun determined according to the latest it contains: der Abend (evening) + dasEssen(food) = das Abend essen(dinner).

When composing sentences, it is not enough to simply remember what gender a particular noun has; you must put the appropriate article in the correct case!

For example: Wo ist der Mann (Nom) mit der Brille? Ich muss dem Mann (Dat) etwas sagen! Hast du den Mann (Akk) gesehen? -Where is the man with glasses? I need to tell this man something! Have you seen this man?

Declension table for definite and indefinite articles:


4. Declension of nouns (Deklination der Substantive)

In German there is a distinction three types noun declensions: feminine, strong And weak. Thus, when constructing a German sentence, it is necessary not only to use the article in the desired case, but also, if necessary, to add an ending to the noun.

TO female Declension includes all feminine nouns. When declined according to cases, they do not receive any ending. For example:

Nom die Endung

Gen der Endung

Dat der Endung

Akk die Endung

Many masculine nouns and all neuter nouns (except das Herz) refer to strong declination and get the ending -(e)s in Genetiv.

Please note that neuter nouns ending in -nis double the final -s, for example, das Zeugnis - des Zeugnis s es.

Nouns ending in -us, -as and -ismus Not get the ending -s in Genetiv: der Kasus- des Kasus.

TO weak Declension includes four groups of masculine nouns that receive the ending -en in all cases except Nominativ.

Students of German often have a question: which is correct - Herren or Herrn? So, the first (die Herren) is the plural form of der Herr (for example, Sehr geehrte Damen und Herr en), and the second is one of three case forms, which one is determined by the article.

Nom der Herr

Gen des Herrn

Dat dem Herrn

Akk den Herrn

In addition to these three types of declensions, there are two groups of nouns in German that “play by their own rules.” The first group is unofficially called entwederoder(or...or), it includes four nouns (der Nachbar, der Bauer, der Oberst, der Untertan), which can be inflected either according to the strong or weak type of declension of nouns.

Nom der Nachbar

Gen des Nachbars / des Nachbarn

Dat dem Nachbar / dem Nachbarn

Akk den Nachbar / den Nachbarn

The second group is called sowohl als auch(as... after all) and includes the following nouns, which are inflected in both strong and weak declension types: der Name, der Same, der Gedanke, der Glaube, der Wille, der Haufe, der Fels, der Funke , der Friede, der Buchstabe, der Drache and das Herz.

Nom der Name das Herz

Gen des Name ns des Herz ens

Dat dem Name n dem Herz en

Akk den Name n das Herz

When inflecting plural nouns, it is important to remember that in Dativ the ending -n is added to the noun (you can also remember - DativPlural ! ), unless it already ends in -n.

Nom die Männer die Frauen

Gen der Männer der Frauen

Dat den Männer n den Frauen

Akk die Männer die Frauen

5. Declension of adjectives (Deklination der Adjektive)

In German there are three types Declension of adjectives: weak, strong And mixed.

As practice shows, it is advisable to learn the declension of singular and plural adjectives separately from each other, with a break of several days. This, however, is a matter of taste.

On our website you will find.

6. Basic forms of the verb (FG). Formation of the tense Präteritum (past tense)

Every verb in German has three main forms:

Infinitiv (infinitive), Präteritum (past tense) and Partizip II (second participle).

Depending on the method of formation of the main forms, as a rule, three groups of verbs are distinguished: weak, strong and irregular.

Weak verbs form the past tense (Präteritum) by adding the suffix - te- to the stem of the verb: mach en- machte. The basic forms of strong and irregular verbs are not formed according to the rules, so they must be learned by heart (see the table of strong and irregular verbs).

In the Präteritum form, separable prefixes “leave” the verb: auf machen-mach te auf .

Having learned to conjugate verbs in the Präsens tense, you will easily master the verb conjugation paradigm in Präteritum:


Please note that in Präteritum tense the forms of the 1st and 3rd persons are singular. match. The fact that the forms of the 1st and 3rd persons are plural. coincide, we learned already when studying Präsens time.

Once you have mastered this topic, you will be able to enjoy reading German books in the original.

7. Formation of perfect tense (past perfect tense)

This tense is the most common in colloquial speech, so you should definitely try to master it at the initial stage of learning.

Perfect is formed with the help of an auxiliary verb haben or sein and Partizip II (3rd form) of the semantic verb. Auxiliary verbs are conjugated in Präsens (present tense), for example: Wannbist duaufgestanden? - When did you get up?

There are usually no problems with the second “ingredient”: weak verbs are formed by the PartizipII form by adding a prefix ge- and suffix - t, for example, machen - machte - ge mach t. Partizip II forms of strong and irregular verbs are given in the table of strong and irregular verbs, which, as we have already agreed, needs to be learned.

What happens if the verb already has a prefix?

The inseparable prefix tightly clings to the verb and does not let anyone near it: be suchen- be suchte- be sucht.

The detachable attachment willingly gives way to the attachment ge- : zu machen-machte zu - zu ge mast.

Verbs ending in -ieren do not receive the Partizip II prefix ge-: ignorieren - ignorierte - ignorier t.

Now all that remains is to learn how to choose the correct auxiliary verb - haben or sein! It will help you with this

8. Imperative mood

The Imperativ is used to express advice, request, demand, order, instruction or warning in German. In general, an irreplaceable thing! Deal with the formation of the imperative mood for you.

In German there are other ways to get someone to do something. For example, using the infinitive: Aufstehen! - Get up! This is a very sharp form and is used quite rarely. Or using the passive voice: JetztwildGeschlafen! - It's time to sleep!JetztwildGegessen! - Come on, eat! Often used when addressing children.

9. Passive voice in German (Passiv)

The passive voice is formed using the auxiliary verb werden and Partizip II (3rd form) of the semantic verb. For example:

Ich baue ein Haus. - I'm building a house. -> Das Haus wird gebaut. - The house is under construction.

To say this sentence, for example, in the tense Präteritum or Perfekt, you must choose the appropriate tense form of the auxiliary verb werden. The shape of Partizip II remains unchanged.

Das Haus wurde gebaut. (Präteritum)

Please note that the 3rd form of the verb werden loses the prefix ge- in Perfekt:

Das Haus ist gebaut ge worden. (Perfect)

10. Modal verbs (Modalverben)

Modal verbs are widely used in both spoken and written German. The main modal verbs are können, dürfen, müssen, sollen, wollen, mögen, while möchte(n), while not a modal verb in its own right, is a conjunctive form derived from mögen.

To form a negation, instead of the verb müssen, it is preferable to use the construction nicht brauchen zu + infinitive:

Du musst es machen. -> Du brauchst es nicht zu machen.

In German, in addition to the modal verbs themselves, there are so-called modalverb ä hnliche Verben (verbs that in a certain meaning perform the function of modals), for example, lassen - command, instruct, allow, verstehen (zu + infinitive) - be able to, wissen (zu + infinitive) - be able to, and many others. For example: Ich weiß das zu schätzen, was du für mich machst. - I know I appreciate (= I know how to appreciate) what you do for me.

Having mastered the topics listed above, you will be able to lay the necessary foundations for successful and “painless” language acquisition.

Don't forget that every grammar topic needs to be reinforced, so spend enough time doing the exercises. You shouldn’t take on several new grammar topics at once, especially if they have little to do with each other. Better "dilute" grammar material learning new vocabulary.

And finally, the most important thing: don’t forget to pause and take a break from cramming! Then, perhaps, “torture” in German will not seem so terrible.

Mark Twain once said that “... such a careless, unsystematic, slippery and evasive language as German cannot be found in the whole world.” Obviously the writer meant German grammar, which often causes difficulties for beginners. But is she really that terrible? In this article we will debunk the most popular misconceptions related to the complexity of the German language and its grammar!

Myth 1: German has many cases

How many German cases do you know? Correct - 4:

  • Nominativ (nominative);
  • Genetiv (genitive);
  • Dativ (dative);
  • Akkusativ (accusative).

At first glance it may seem quite difficult, because in German each case has its own article forms. In fact, the genitive case is dying out in modern German and is increasingly being replaced by the preposition von. Compare:

Written versionConversational option
Das Buch des Vaters.Das Buch vom Vater.
Die Brille der Mutter.Die Brille von der Mutter.
Das Rad des Kindes.Das Rad vom Kind.

Considering that the nominative case is simply a dictionary form of a noun and does not need to be taught separately, then in practice you will only deal with two cases, Dativ and Akkusativ. Not so difficult, right?

Myth 2: German word order is difficult to learn

The German language has a fairly strict word order. This means that the position of each word in a sentence is fixed and depends on the type of sentence. For example, in German there is interrogative word order, forward and backward word order, as well as the so-called frame construction. So why shouldn't all this scare you? The fact is that strict word order allows you to build all sentences using just a few schemes! Moreover, the fixed word order will never allow you to confuse a question with a statement. Compare:

Written versionConversational option
Er hat einen Hund.Hat er einen Hund.
Dein Freund ist Fahrer von Beruf.Ist dein Freund Fahrer von Beruf?
Ihr kommt aus Deutschland.Kommt ihr aus Deutschland?

Just read our articles on German word order using the links above and soon you will be able to put your new knowledge into practice.

Myth 3: Strong verbs in German are impossible to learn

There are two groups of verbs in German: weak and strong. There are no problems with the first ones, because they form the past tense and the perfect form according to simple and understandable rules. For example:

  • machen - machte - hat gemacht
  • sagen - sagte - hat gesagt
  • suchen - suchte - hat gesucht

Strong verbs differ in that they form Präteritum and Perfect not according to a general scheme, but according to their own rules. Compare:

  • finden - fand - hat gefunden
  • bleiben - blieb - hat geblieben
  • denken - dachte - hat gedacht

You probably have a natural question: “What should I do now?” Don’t rush to get upset, everything is not that complicated. Firstly, there are only about a hundred irregular verbs in the German language. Most verbs are conjugated according to the usual rules. Secondly, if you cannot learn irregular verbs by heart, you can always use the secret from the Deutschklasse.

The fact is that all irregular verbs can be divided into several groups according to the Ablaut scheme (changes in the root vowel). Let's look at a few verbs:

  • finden - fand - hat gefunden
  • trinken - trunk - hat getrunken
  • singen - sang - hat gesungen

Myth 4: German has a confusing tense system

Unlike English, tense forms of verbs in German are much easier to learn. Firstly, there are much fewer of them, and secondly, in practice you will only need two: Präsens and Perfect!

The fact is that Germans often use the present tense to mean the future. To do this, they simply add an adverb of time indicating the future, for example:

Written versionConversational option
Ich komme aus Russland.Ich comme bald.
Ich arbeite als Lehrer.Ich arbeite morgen.
Ich spreche Deutsch.Ich spreche mit dir in einer Stunde.

Past tense function in oral speech performs Perfect, so in fact you don't need anything else to communicate successfully in German.

More practice with a native German speaker

If you want to study German, but don't know where to start, sign up for first free lesson in our online center. The class will be taught by one of our professional tutors from Germany– Christoph Deininger and Eliane Roth. They will be happy to answer all your questions related to the German language and German culture, and will also help you create the optimal class schedule.

Have you decided to start learning German, but for some reason do not want to visit a tutor? This is not a problem at all! You can completely take on this on your own and achieve really good results.

Where to start learning German

Mastering any business begins with interest in it. It doesn't matter what is the basis of your interest in the German language. Perhaps you want to improve your professional skills, dream of traveling to Germany, or have simply found a new hobby - all these are sufficient reasons to start studying. If you have a real desire to study German, learn new things, and achieve a different level, then you will succeed!

Of course, there are some conditions, and one of them is regularity of classes. Try to set aside at least an hour every day to master the material. In order for new learned words to gradually move from passive to active, the language must be practiced regularly.

How difficult is it to learn German?

This language belongs to the Germanic group of Indo-European languages. Note that this group also includes Swedish, English and others. In general, more than 170 million people speak German in the world. Approximately 95 million people speak this language as their native language.

There is an assumption that German is difficult to learn, but in fact this is just a myth. The only thing that is complicated in this matter is the grammar: tenses, regular and irregular verbs that are conjugated differently, definite and indefinite article etc. And yet, in order to communicate with a German, you do not need to know all the nuances of grammar. Surely, not all native speakers of the Russian language know every rule of its spelling and grammar.

As a rule, those who want to learn the German language are faced with the notorious frame construction, in which a negation, a verb, or the second part of a compound predicate ends up at the end of a sentence and can change the entire meaning of the phrase. In fact, this construction is often used in Russian, but we are not always aware of it.

In general, German and Russian have many similarities - both in the logic of constructing phrases and in vocabulary. There are many phraseological expressions that exist in almost identical form in both of these languages. That is why many phrases can be translated almost literally, and without fear that you will remain misunderstood.

By the way, English is much more difficult to learn! Often, translating from it turns into serious creative pains, because the syntactic structure of phrases in English and Russian does not coincide at all.

Meanwhile, you can trace the structure of the sentence quite clearly, because German words, unlike, for example, English ones, are less ambiguous. We can also say that learning German is much easier than Spanish or Chinese - we are talking not only about pronunciation, but also about reading rules.

Learn German from scratch on your own

Master the alphabet and the basics of hour shapes

Before you start learning the German language, it is worth familiarizing yourself with its alphabet - it includes 26 letters and is based on the Greco-Roman alphabet. Also, do not forget that there are umlauts - specific German letters that are not in the standard Latin alphabet: ä, ö, ü, ß.

It is also important to note that tense forms in German make it possible to determine at what time any of the mentioned actions occurs. There are six tense forms of the verb: Präteritum, Pefekt, Plusquamperfekt, Präsens, Futurum I, Futurum II.

Special training courses

If you are not sure that you can master a foreign language on your own, then it is certainly worth enrolling in special courses. If you work during the day or are busy with some other activities, then it is quite possible to find groups in which classes take place in the evenings. Individual training with a tutor is also possible, which will take place at a time convenient for you.

Download free audio or video lessons

It is possible that you do not have the desire or opportunity to learn the language in special groups or personally with a teacher. In this case, it is worth paying attention to various video tutorials, which are easy to find in abundance on the Internet. Also, don’t ignore audio lessons, which can be even more convenient, because you can listen to them through headphones, for example, on the road or while doing some household chores.

Chat online with Germans on the Internet

You will begin to pay more attention to all the intricacies of the German language if you start communicating online with native speakers. There are various forums, social networks, dating sites that will help you find many interlocutors from Germany.

Watch films in a foreign language and translate words

Once you start learning German, it will be very important for you to learn how to identify foreign words by ear and translate them on the go. Various films shot in Germany can help you with this. When you hear an unfamiliar word, pause and try to find its meaning. Over time, such words will come across less and less! Of course, the perception of phrases and their correct pronunciation are not always on the same level, but if you begin to at least fully understand German speech, then we can say that you have very little time left until you fully master it.

Online learning sites

You can find many sites on the Internet that will help you with your learning.

Here are some examples of such resources

  • German info. It's about about a multilingual site that will help you learn German. Here you will find everything you need to master a new path. We are talking about different courses, grammar rules, videos and texts. In addition, the site contains a lot of useful information about life in Germany.
  • Study German. Here you will find a wonderful selection of online lessons, a phrasebook, and a grammar reference. In addition, you will have access to various texts, jokes and tongue twisters in German.
  • Deutscher Club. The site will appeal to lovers of Germanic culture and those who want to study their speech. A lot of materials are presented for people who have just begun to master the language, as well as for those who are improving it. There are also unique sections with extraordinary phrases in German.
  • Deutsche Welt. With the help of this portal you will not only learn German, but also gain more motivation! In addition, the site offers interesting educational materials and texts.
  • Start Deutsch. The resource contains many games, lessons, videos and other things. Helps to enrich vocabulary and learn grammar. Also on the site you can watch TV series in German, as well as with Russian subtitles.
  • Lingvister. If you still cannot master the material on your own, then you can use the help of highly qualified specialists without leaving the walls of your home. Representatives of the speech school will conduct lessons with you online or via Skype.

How long does it really take to learn a foreign language from scratch, studying for an hour a day?

Of course, each teacher has his own pace of receiving information - some get it faster, while others may spend a little more of their time on it. In general, this can take several months or two years - it depends on how intensive the chosen course is and how many hours a day you are willing to spend on it.

Nowadays, in accordance with international standards, training includes six levels - A1-A2, B1-B2, C1-C2. It is believed that 96 academic hours are required to master each level. This is an average number. It is possible to complete levels faster, but this requires adjustments to the training program.

The first lessons will lay the foundation of your future knowledge - the basics of grammar.

Learning Germanic by reading texts and studying poetry

If you are trying to learn a foreign language, then poems and texts will help you with this. Study quatrains and more complex rhyming works in German, read stories, and so on.

When starting to learn a foreign language, many beginners often ask themselves the question: “How many new words do you need to know in order to understand what a native speaker is saying and be able to communicate with him yourself? It all depends on what you are guided by when taking up the German language. If you need it in order to simply explain your wishes during a tour of Germany, then 500-600 correctly chosen words will be enough for you. If your goals are more ambitious, then the work ahead will be more painstaking.

Be that as it may, you shouldn’t chase too much vocabulary at first - you simply won’t be able to master such a layer of information. In this case, it is better to learn less, but it is better so that when you hear a word, you immediately understand what it is about, and do not think about where you could hear it. The same should happen in the use of these words, their application in one’s own speech.

Once you start reading texts in German, write down unknown words with translations. Subsequently, these words must be learned and learned to be used in sentences. Undoubtedly, this way you will significantly expand your vocabulary.

By following these basic tips, you will achieve a significant breakthrough in your task!

Regularity of classes

Start spending at least one hour a day studying. It is impossible not to note the importance of regular exercise. Discipline is a determining factor that can resist any excuses on the way to achieving a goal. Of course, you must understand that it is very difficult to achieve success by looking at the textbook only once every few days. Already after a day, the brain begins to gradually forget what and in what order it was studied last time, so if you do not study regularly, you will spend a lot of time simply repeating the stage you have already completed.

Move from simple to complex

There is no need to immediately try to memorize as many words as possible, or try to thoroughly understand all the prepositions and tenses. Assimilation of the material should occur gradually, in small steps. Increase the load little by little, gradually taking on more difficult levels.

Working with a dictionary

Once you start learning the German language, you will conclude that you cannot do this without a dictionary. There are many services on the Internet that make it possible to translate any word from one language to another for free, and this chance should not be neglected. When you are at higher stages of learning, it is advisable to use more monolingual dictionaries, and not try to translate every word into your native speech and stop there - try to explain unfamiliar words using synonyms, phrases, antonyms. Thus, the words will be better recorded in memory.

Combination of words

Try not to memorize words individually. Some do this in random order, others in an alphabetical list, but a completely different technique is most effective. Remember words in context - the way they are used in speech. Try to apply each new word in several sentences at once - this significantly increases the likelihood that you will remember it perfectly.

Don't forget about grammar

Even if this seems boring and difficult to you, you probably realize that without studying and understanding grammar, it is impossible to freely compose correct sentences in any language! Of course, you can try to memorize phrases, but this does not change the fact that grammar is necessary to understand what you plan to say. You shouldn’t be afraid of grammatical errors in a sentence, because even indigenous people express themselves with errors. Sooner or later, a stage comes when, without grammatical knowledge, subsequent progress in learning will be simply impossible. Often grammatical inaccuracies interfere with understanding. If you do not have the skills to correctly use verbs and articles in the required form, this will turn out to be a serious obstacle in communication and your interlocutors will simply get tired of speculating about what exactly you mean.

Combination of techniques

Be attentive to different aspects of speech: it is important not only to listen to the text, but also to remember its content, and also not only to read, but also to speak correctly. There is no single universal method that will be ideal for any student. We are talking about a very individual process - the speed of learning depends on the age of the student, communication abilities in their language, hard work and other things. Once you decide on your own method that best suits you, you will achieve success. Perhaps watching films in the original or reading books in German will suit you. You can also communicate with foreigners on the Internet.

"Deep Dive"

There is a fairly effective “deep immersion” technique - surround yourself with German! How does this apply in practice? You can paste up pieces of paper in your apartment with the names of certain objects in the language you are learning - the label can be hung on a drawer, bed, table, TV, lamp, and so on. It would also be a good idea to hang tables of irregular verbs in a visible place. For example, there might be three forms of verbs hanging by your bed, adverbs and prepositions by the dining table, and a table of articles in the bathroom. Periodically change the pieces of paper for others - otherwise, over time, you will simply stop noticing them. You can also translate your page to social network into German, periodically turn on audiobooks or listen to some German radio station. Start simple - choose materials for beginners.

Practice

Without regular practice, words will be quickly forgotten. Write messages more often, communicate on the Internet, browse German forums - this is a great way to learn new expressions. For example, if you plan to learn several irregular verbs in a day, try to come up with a coherent sentence story that will contain these words.

Don't lose interest

It is unlikely that you will give up learning the language if you maintain an interest in it, get acquainted with the culture of the country, the latest news, and study the biographies of famous personalities. Plan trips to German cities, hang motivational posters in your room, and so on.

Repeat what you've learned

Repetition in learning German, like other languages, is very important. Periodically return to the material you have covered, especially if there are pauses in your training. Try from time to time to review the rules you have already mastered and do exercises for them.

An effective method for learning German from scratch for beginners

When starting to learn German, you need to ask yourself why you decided to do it. A clearly formed answer will be your goal and motivation. It is important to clearly formulate this task and decide how long you plan to achieve the goal - these deadlines must be realistic.

Don't forget to make a training plan and also determine how long you will spend on it. Don’t set yourself a super task - periodically you should rest, gain strength, so that your interest in the language does not fade away and classes are not a burden.

Also, be sure to encourage yourself by going through new stages in your training - this will maintain your motivation. Periodically make notes about your achievements to monitor your own progress and be inspired to new achievements.

Mnemonics

Some beginning students wonder: “Will memorizing a large number of words help in learning a language?” Often this information is of interest to people who hope to expand their vocabulary in a short period of time. This can only be done using mnemonics. And yet it is worth recognizing that there is not much benefit from this.

What is mnemonics? We are talking about the process of regularly repeating memorized phrases and words. In order for words to remain in the subcortex of consciousness for a long period of time, they require regular repetition. For example, if you learn 50 new words a day, then by the end of the week you will need to repeat as many as 350. As a result, the result will most likely not be achieved.

In addition, you may not need words memorized using mnemonics in everyday life. It is advisable to choose a different method that will have a more significant effect. For example, as we have already mentioned, it is better to learn words using various cards.

25th frame

Some students show interest in the “25th frame” method of memorizing words. You will be able to remember all the words learned in this way only by plunging into a trance, because the process is not carried out in active memory, and the student does not have a clear awareness of what he has remembered. Conclusion: it is better to discard this technique.

How not to forget what you have learned

If you want the acquired knowledge to remain in your memory, you should practice regularly. The German language should, one way or another, be present in your life. There are many methods by which you can learn German on your own and improve your level.

Perhaps, the best way can be called reading newspapers and books in the original language. Naturally, at first you should give preference to light literature, gradually moving on to more complex ones. Note that good results can be achieved by listening to audiobooks that have not only text appearing on the screen, but also voice accompaniment. With the help of such books, you can not only perceive the text, but also remember the spelling and pronunciation of individual words. In addition, do not forget about watching films with Russian subtitles.

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