1. Be always hungry and make study plans
Be always hungry – by saying so make learning a habit. Do not ever feel you have learned everything and nothing is needed now. The one who is a constant learner always heads towards growth. So be inquisitive always.
No one can learn German overnight. It takes time to learn anything and for that first, you need to overview the German language. Once you are done with it, pen down and categorize the complete study matter. Make a list of all the topics and most importantly determine yourself to start with each one. Take your time, do not hurry and over-pressurize yourself and try to accomplish the tasks in real-time.
2. Target your goal and remember your “WHY”?
Targeting your goal—anything from learning a new language to getting a degree – is a big step toward improving your life. But following through to achieve what we’ve set out to accomplish can be challenging, especially on those days when motivation wanes.
Memorize your goal – WHY Learning the German Language is important to you, and write it on a piece of paper. Whenever you think of giving up or tired or your motivation is carried away, have a look at it.
3. Make it a habit
He who rests grows rusty. This means, that to improve your skills, you have to continuously work on them. This is universally known; on some days you are highly interested in studying for hours while on other days you feel like losing interest in learning. So it is important to study The best way to learn the German language is to practice it regularly and make it a habit. You can take up one lesson or exercise of maybe a few words per day. Over time you will find it interesting and it will automatically become your daily habit.
4. Right path to start up with!
Learning a language can cost a pretty penny. There are many best ways to learn the German language online. Buying a textbook, through the app, or watching you-tube videos are great ways to get started. Watching German TV shows is also a great idea to start with! Digitally you can find many apps offering free Basic German language courses.
5. Make a progress chart of yourself
The beginning is easy, and persistence is an art. Starting something is easier than seeing it through the end. Keeping up your motivation is an art form in itself that needs to be cultivated. Seeing progress is highly motivating. So the most effective and best way to learn the German Language is to keep close track of your accomplishments yourself. This could be as simple as a to-do list or calendar where you can cross off tasks or days as you complete them. Another option is to draw a progress bar on a poster, board, or paper sheet. Hang it somewhere where you’ll see it regularly, and fill it in as you get closer to your goal. This habit will keep you motivated and enthusiastic.
6. Find a perfect place to study and Minimize distractions
Consistency is the key when it comes to learning the German Language. So after making it a habit now is the time to find a suitable, calm, soothing, and comfortable place to study. The environment should be whatever works best for you be it a calm place, a soothing ambiance, a nature-inspired environment, a silent place…whatever. Once you find whichever works for you, gather all your study material and start. Remove all the distractions if any like turning off the phone or keeping it in silent mode. Help yourself and let others know that you are not available for the next few hours. Even if it seems difficult for you, you have to stick to it and soon you will realize your study sessions are becoming efficient and productive.
7. Prioritize the keywords and master the sounds
The best way to learn the German language is to memorize the German alphabet which is extremely similar to the English alphabet. It mainly uses Latin letters. The best way to learn German is to focus on the pronunciations of the letters. With daily vocabulary tests and practice, you can easily master it.
8. Learn basic sentence construction
As mentioned, the German language is very similar to the English language. There are slight variances in both. Apart from learning consonants and nouns, start up with the basic idea of how sentences are constructed. You might find it difficult in starting but practicing it every day will make you familiar with it and sooner you will come up with the complex ones as well.
9. Practice Speaking the German Language from Day 1
If you want to reach a high level of proficiency in anything, you will have to put in the time and practice. The best way to learn the German language is by speaking it regularly to reach fluency. Practicing it every day will make you understand the sounds of language. And by creating it every day, you will overcome speaking anxieties and feel even more confident. Do not ever be afraid to speak whenever you get a chance. Try it with your friends or near ones. When started, you will be messed up with the words but don’t get afraid. Learning from our own mistakes is a great way to improve ourselves. Pretty soon, you end up speaking the German Language fluently.
10. Don’t be afraid of German Grammar and learn new vocabulary every day
To start with, write important phrases or frequently used words on a piece of paper. Use sticky notes or index cards and put them in the place where you spend a lot of time. It will be more helpful if done with various colors. Pronounce it and visualize it every time you are at those places. It draws your attention and soon you will realize your brain is triggering it and these are automatically stored in your brain and you started using it frequently. These words or phrases will now be part of your daily talks. This is one of the quickest and best ways to learn the German Language.
For example:
Nouns – Yellow
Verbs – Orange
Adjectives-Blue
You don’t see the forest for all the trees. In life, it is important to see the big picture. If we only concentrate on the latest wins or failures instead of seeing our lives as a whole, we are at risk of fate’s whims and get frustrated easily. So don’t give up on the German language just because you had a bad vocabulary day. You can pick it up again tomorrow.
The best way to learn the German Language is to buy a German dictionary, the “Duden” is recommended. It has all legit German words, including facts as to how often they are used. It is the German equivalent of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It can also be found easily on the Internet.
11. Use a marker and emphasize what’s most important
The easiest, most useful, and best way to learn the German Language is to make short notes or highlight important points in a study text. It is always fun to have a look and memorize it quickly. This way, you will improve your memorizing power, and repeating it will enhance your performance. But be careful and highlight only the important points. If the entire text is colored, there will be no learning effect at all.
12. Do not overstress, breathe!
A change of scenery can help you approach your task with fresh eyes and a new sense of motivation. This is called the novelty effect. After a thorough and productive study session, take a break! You cannot learn everything in a day. Always remember, slow and steady wins the race! Take a break and energize yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite food or go out for a short walk or breathe some fresh air even. You can also watch motivational videos. This will lead to increased productivity and improvement in both quantity and quality of work.
13. Award yourself to get motivated
Staying motivated is important when learning German – especially when you’re learning it at home. A great way to keep motivated is by rewarding yourself from time to time. Whenever you finish a task or assessment, get yourself rewarded with a German Chocolate or cook a German dish or greet someone in German by watching a German TV show. This is one of the most enthusiastic and best ways of learning the German language.
14. Watch German stuff habitually
In today’s technology age, everything is available digitally. The best way to learn the German language digitally is a good alternative method. So why not have a bucket of popcorn and dig for a German movie or a series on TV? Watching movies or TV series is a good idea with subtitles in your local language. First, you should check in which languages the content is available. Maybe your favorite series is also available in German so you can turn on the subtitles in your local language or vice-versa. The best part is this way the vocabulary will stroll into your brain without much ease which will enhance your listening and understanding skills as well apart from pronunciation.
15. Listen to German radio, songs or poems
Textbooks and intensive grammar units or handbooks play a vital role in learning the German language, of course. But it is not possible every time to carry the stuff everywhere or remain at the desk all the time. For a better and quick understanding of sounds, the best way to learn the German language is to dive into German radio or listen to some songs. No matter wherever you are, turn on the radio and get your ears adapted to the German songs. If no German radio is available in your area, you can use Internet Radio. There you will find programs almost in every language. Translate the words or phrases that you do not know and try to understand the context. As time passes by, you will understand more and more words and meanings, which will also help you to learn more about German country and their culture.
16. Surround yourself with some German language partners
Try to surround yourself with people who love to speak German or are good listeners. Be it your friends, family, neighbors, or social media friends. Nowadays, everyone is so much well versed with social media apps and platforms and are an active member of so many groups. The best way to learn the German language is to join active groups the German language. You can look up German groups or forums and friends on social media too. Starting up with them will improve your German skills. You will learn better this way by chatting or asking questions to your German social media friends. It will make you feel connected with them and you boosted your progress.
17. Plan for imperfection
“No one is perfect. That’s why pencils have erasers.” – Wolfgang Riebe. When learning a language, only theoretical lessons won’t work. It is very important to practice it in speaking as well. So do not ever be afraid or distress yourself if you make mistakes. Rather accept your mistakes diligently and correct them the way they should be. The most important key to success is you should always be open to criticism. Accepting is graceful. No matter how incorrect you speak or jumbled up the words, the important is how you accepted it and are willing to learn from it.
18. Take a language trip to Germany and learn from locals
Language is the road map of a culture. If possible, plan a trip to Germany with your friend and interact with the locals there. This is the most effective and best way to learn the German Language. Dive into their culture and gather knowledge about it. While planning, gather complete information about interesting and happening places to visit there.
If you’re able to travel to Germany or submerse yourself in German culture in some other way, that can help you to learn faster too.
But in the end, whether you study abroad or learn from home it’s up to you to put in the hours and spend time with the language.
So, what are you waiting for…? It’s time to get started!
Viel Glück!
