German is the first foreign language I fell in love with.
For nearly four years, I lived in Germany. My family live this tiny little, hardly on the map town: Leideneck.
After returning back to America, Latin distracted me. I dropped German for a long time. Now, I am attempting to re-learn it.
If you are learning German, here are my top recommendations.
Grammar
Everyone hates grammar. Language courses claim you can, and should, skip it. I do not recommend you skip grammar. Instead, I recommend you learn it. Get it over with. Rip the band-aid off.
For grammar, I highly recommend The Magic Key to German by Margarita Madrigal. The book is out of print and is too expensive. You can find a free digital copy of the book here: https://dwanethomas.com/german-resources/. I taught the book some time ago. You can still find those classes up on my site here: https://dwanethomas.com/previous-classes-4/.
Listening
Right away, you should start listening to German. Do not worry if you cannot understand what you are hearing. You are getting the sound of the language into your head.
If you want to learn German during your daily commute, you might enjoy another podcast. Coffee Break German is great for those just starting out, and for those who are further down the road. The podcast is free. Of course, you could always sign up for the premium podcast, but I find there is more than enough in the free podcast series. Here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeBreakGerman.
I really enjoy listening to SlowGerman.com. I have been listening to this podcast for years. Way back when podcasting was new, this was one of the first podcasts I found. SlowGerman.com is for intermediate, or advanced students. I recommend you push this off until you have mastered some of the basics.
Reading
I enjoy reading the Bible in German. You can both read and listen free here: https://live.bible.is/bible/DEUHOF/MAT/1
A few years ago, in 2023, I discovered the series Deutsch Für Ausländer. I took several students through the book in during the 2023-2024 school year. I really enjoyed this book. In 2024, I intend to start the book over. If you want to jump into the book right away, feel free to do so right here: https://dwanethomas.com/previous-classes-4/.
Watching
If you want to start watching shows in German, I recommend the site Deutsche Welle. This site could take you from zero to hero in German. The courses are organized by level. If you are just getting started, start with A1: https://learngerman.dw.com/en/learn-german/s-9528
For conversational German I recommend the Extra series.
Though my students roll their eyes at me, I highly recommend Peppa Pig in German. Peppa Pig is a popular show that follows Peppa and her family through daily life. The benefit to the series is students learn all kinds of daily vocabulary in context. Here is the official German channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNclt7O1bO7hz8Mari68neg
When you reach an upper intermediate/advanced level in German, you will be ready for a popular kids show in Germany, Mit Der Maus. In the show, various teachers take viewers around Germany. Viewers learn about interesting aspects of German life. All the videos are in German, of course!
