How to learn German from scratch at home: choosing a methodology and basics of studying
- 07.02.2025
To continue studying in Germany, career development, relocation or for other reasons you need to know German. This question is especially acute when working with German business. Let's consider how to learn German at home from scratch on your own.
Choosing a method of learning German
If there is a need to independently translate texts, communicate with foreigners and read German writers in the original, then you can learn the language on your own. For more serious tasks, it is better to enroll in specialized courses. But the most important thing in any way of learning is to be motivated.
In addition, it is necessary to choose the right method of learning. To do this, try several options and choose the right one. It is also necessary to decide for what you need to know German - for studying in a foreign university, for everyday communication, work or maybe reading books. Based on this, you can choose the most effective learning scheme. After that you can start learning the language.
German audio courses and online trainings
You can learn German with the help of audio courses. Today there are a lot of offers on the Internet. In addition, it is very convenient. You can listen to the lesson and at the same time do chores around the house. If there is not enough time, you can listen to the lesson on the way home from work. You can learn German on your own by taking advantage of online tutorials. There are many of them on the Internet.
Expanding your vocabulary
The first thing to do is to learn the alphabet. After that, you can start learning words and enriching your vocabulary. To do this, you can use this technique:
- Write out the words on cards (adhesive stickers are convenient in this regard) and distribute them by topic.
- Attach each card to an object that is mentioned in it. For example, to a window, refrigerator or table.
- Every time you look at this object, the word will be memorized automatically.
But only do not try to memorize at one time a large amount of material. It is recommended to learn 10-20 words a day. At the same time, you should repeat them at the first opportunity.
Learning German grammar
When the vocabulary is sufficient, you can start learning German grammar. You should learn gradually: you should not immediately try to understand the difference between Dativ and Akkusativ, otherwise you may quickly get bored with German. You can turn to textbooks. You can download them on the Internet or borrow them from the library. There are a lot of authors who explain German grammar in an accessible way.
Reinforcing the material
To consolidate what you have learned will help books in German, especially simple - children's books. In addition, thanks to reading you can learn new words and improve your reading speed. A dictionary is useful during reading, where you can see how an unfamiliar word is translated. Over time, the meaning of what you read will be able to grasp and without a dictionary. Listening to TV programs, news in German is an excellent way to train the skills of quickly grasping the meaning. You can watch movies with subtitles and listen to music in German.
Communication in German
Also in self-learning it is important to learn how to talk. The most effective method is considered to be communicating with a native German speaker. For example, if there is a friend who speaks German fluently, he can practice. Communication should only take place in the foreign language. You could also come up with a penalty system as an incentive. That is, if you switch to your native language, then immediately a fine - material or non-material. To learn to speak at a basic level is enough 2-3 months.
The main thing in learning a language is the regularity of lessons. It is recommended to allocate an hour or an hour and a half a day. To achieve results, you need to study every day. During training should not be distracted by extraneous conversations and calls. The mood for work is also important. Create a comfortable environment around yourself, then learning is easy.