The 3 resources that help me learn German

How much time do you spend online?

I don’t have the the exact figures as it varies everyday. There are some days when  can be a real junkie, or almost out of touch. My husband used to tell me, “wouldn’t all that precious time be better spent focusing on some German study?” I retorted with “Ja wohl!”

The internet proved to be a wonder for me from doing my language research, meeting my husband, being in constant communication in our LDR, doing my freelance jobs, and now learning a language.

The Internet may be distracting, but it’s also offers a wide range of tools for learning a language. It just needs dedication and willingness to close other tabs and focus on learning Deutsch. This can be a good supplement to the learning you have in our language class.

For those who are on self-study like me, the Internet makes it possible to teach yourself German with its  collection of free resources. 

Here are my top 3 resources that help me learn German:

1.) Learn German with Jenny on YouTube 

This is one of the first resources that I explored and was eventually hooked into. It has a great collection of lessons from A1 to C2 delivered in a such a pleasing way. I like the way she explains the lessons in English; like talking about the equivalents or terms used in the English grammar to explain that of German. As an English teacher, I find this to be the most relatable and thus easy to comprehend. Most of the first German sentences and words I learned are from her videos. 

You can also download worksheets from her website to supplement your YouTube learning. And yes, you’ll have the keys for the answers, too! Isn’t that cool?

2.) Duolingo

The reviews are right. This app is really addictive!

I think it gets one hooked as the lessons adapt to your specific learning style. This means that the exercises are designed  so you can learn vocabulary and use put them into use. You will also get an immediate feedback after clicking the “CHECK” button for answers. If you have difficulty with vocabulary, you can just click on the word and the definition will pop-up.

If after every stage you feel like you need to check how much you’ve learned, clicking “PRACTICE” will then give you a review on the skills you just acquired. I find it to be very effective for me.

3.) Deutsche Welle

DW is also a very place to learn German regardless of your level. Because the lessons are available at anytime, you can just browse and choose which one you fancy at a certain day and time. The thing I like about DW is the availability of videos, audio clips and podcasts or worksheets you can print out. Audio clips are also provided with scripts you can go through as you listen.

Audio, video, grammar lessons and vocabulary lists are available. Isn’t that an all-in-one learning resource?

There you go! These are my three favorite online resources for learning German. Are you learning another language? What are your favorite resources? 

Your range of options for studying German ( or other languages) online is vast. For now, there is so much for me to learn, especially with writing and speaking. My husband helps me out by quizzing me on my vocabulary and talking to me in short and simple German sentences I need for survival. 😀 Nothing beats learning the language from a native speaker, yeah? 😀

For now, I speak three languages fluently (like most of us who were born outside of Manila). I can read and understand a little of Korean and Spanish. German would be the newest addition. And oh, perhaps Dutch will be something I have to learn to survive the first years in Europe. 😀

I always have fun learning a language. How about you, what other languages can you speak? How did you learn it?