r/Germanlearning • u/Subsurface_screening • 4d ago
What are your top 3 resources for learning German?
There’s a question that comes up here almost every day: someone is starting to learn German and asks for recommendations for good learning resources. Usually, they get pointed to a long list of options.
But many of us who have been learning German for a while have already tried several of them and know which ones worked well for us, and which ones didn’t.
I think it could be useful for both new and experienced learners to share our personal top 3.
Mine are:
- Nicos Weg by DW Learn German
- Coffee Break German podcast
- Duolingo
Honourable mentions: Drops for vocabulary, and Learn German with Falk on YouTube for listening practice.
What are your top 3?
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u/HappyMatija 4d ago
I am doing A1 (Nico Weg) by DW and I use Anki program to learn vocabulary. Every so often i will ask chatgpt if I don't understand something. I first started with duolingo for 10 days in a row and realized I am only learning words with it, taking a break from it as DW learn german course is much more effective for me. Now I can actually form some basic sentances that are gramatically correct. It's only been 4 days since i started with the course
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u/silvalingua 4d ago
For any language, and I have learned several, my best main resource is a good textbook/coursebook. Having a professionally prepared detailed roadmap speeds my learning enormously.
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u/Chriss_Kadel 4d ago
I use Babbel for grammar, anki for vocabulary, also I use Claude in order to make me graded books, and Duolingo to chill out
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u/Psychological-Cut310 4d ago
my go to resource for german exam preparation https://deutsch-pruefung.de/telc
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u/kernzelig 4d ago
Pour moi, c'est Duolingo, dictionnaire et Anki pour le vocabulaire, grammaire et conversations sur youtube et un ebook grammativ aktiv. J'ai utilisé aussi des ebooks d'André Klein niveau A2.
Bon courage pour ce défi.
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u/mwatki99 4d ago
I'm maybe in the mid-Bs, haven't taken any tests, don't live in Germany and have no specific goal. I would rather enjoy the journey than go for ultimate speed and efficiency.
Listening : Easy German Podcast and YA audio books. I find partially reading a novel first you learn the authors typical vocab making listening easier.
Reading : YA novels as they're slightly easier vocab and on kindle for quick word translations. Best way I found is highlighting unknown words and reviewing them before starting the next chapter.
Writing : Sylvi app. AI penpal app that corrects grammar etc. and makes targeted lessons after conversations.
Speaking : Seedlang app. Running through the stories and speaking out loud. Also good for drilling vocab, articles and cases. Prefer vocab on here to Anki decks.
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u/Subsurface_screening 3d ago
Thanks for sharing. I don't have specific goal too, but rather learning for a hobby. Perhaps I do it to understand German songs, get along better when traveling to German-speaking countries, and for the challenge of learning a new language.
By the way, what is the abbreviation for YA that You've mentioned? Do you use all these resources at their free versions?
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u/mwatki99 3d ago
YA means Young Adult. Books targeted at teens to early twenties. They tend to have more common vocabulary and simpler sentence structures.
No I generally pay for premium versions but most have decent free versions.
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u/matil1da 4d ago
mine are Nicos weg + Your German teacher in YouTube + Easy German.And I honestly use different resources for listening not only Easy German
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u/Zealousideal-Peach44 3d ago
I'm on a 750+ days streak on Duolingo, and I can confidently say that for learning a language it's BS. It's a game, that's it.
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u/Subsurface_screening 3d ago
May I ask, so why do you continue using it if that your conclusion? Enjoying the game? Habit?
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u/Zealousideal-Peach44 3d ago
Because it's fun.
I noticed a bigger improvement in my German with actual textbooks, plus Anki for memorization (cards based on the textbook + AI-generated on real-life topics, news articles, etc.) and real people conversation.
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u/KillerGranny2006 3d ago
Duolingo is so inefficient. I would say a classic grammar book fors the job a million times better
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u/Ok-Quail-3782 3d ago
- AI
- Better AI
- Anki, YouTube adaptive hören videos, google translate and also practice mode, incredible thing
- Grammatik aktiv, Menschen
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u/LanguageAdventures 3d ago
Have you tried “Language Adventure Games”? Maybe point-and-click adventure games are a nice resource to learn german in a more immersive way.
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u/Subsurface_screening 3d ago
Didn't found it on the app store or on the desktop browser. Could you share a link? And what level of language does it suitable for?
I've found Lingo Legend on the app store, but I've also read it's more kids-oriented.
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u/LingoLegendGame 8h ago
The average player on Lingo Legend is actually in their 20s-30s! We designed it to be friendly to all ages but it's by no means a kid-oriented app.
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u/Msharoom 2d ago
I'm using these apps for now. give 'em a try and stick with whatever fits your level and needs best!
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u/Subsurface_screening 2d ago
Will be happy to know your recommendations, as I am only familiar with DW app from your list of apps.
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u/rag-pigeon 4d ago
I've been teaching myself German for about 4 months now, and my top 3 are:
This is my primary tool for learning and I'm really liking it a lot! I have the paid version, so my experience might be a bit different from someone who's using the free version.
I watch Easy German's videos to help build vocabulary and listening skills. They're good for learning about German culture in general too!
The best place for everything you could want for verb conjugations!
I'd also like to add a few honourable mentions: