15 Simple and Useful Tips to Learn German by Allaboutdeautsch

 




 15 Simple and Useful Tips to Learn German


Introduction


Learning a new language is a slow process. You cannot expect to make massive amounts of

progress in just one month or so. You need to be patient in the initial stages. Don't let the

struggles discourage you!


German is often considered as a difficult language. Yes, there are some really long words to

learn and even grammar can be intimidating at times. But instead of just studying a lot, if you

practice German efficiently and smartly, then you can learn the language quickly.


In this book, I have covered various useful tips to learn German. These tips will help you to

overcome a few difficulties you might encounter when you start learning the language. I have

put together these easy hacks from my own experience.


Applying these tips is easier said than done! However, they'll definitely simplify your language

learning process.


Useful Tips to Learn German


From what I've observed, these are the most helpful and practical suggestions to improve

your language. Give these tips a try and you'll be speaking German fluently like a pro.


   1. Don't expect to be perfect all the time.

   2. Stop translating.

   3. Always learn German nouns with their articles.

   4. Color code the nouns.

   5. Get a good German-English dictionary.

   6. Label your surroundings.

   7. Try to use modal verbs more often.

   8. Be consistent and study regularly.

   9. Learn at least 2 new words every day.

   10. Use flashcards.

   11. Make use of online learning resources.

   12. Watch movies or TV series in German with subtitles.

   13. Try reading out loud.

   14. Practice listening.

   15. Practice speaking.





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�   1. Don't expect to be perfect all the time


       Do you remember the days when you had to learn how to speak your mother tongue?

       You didn't learn the language overnight, right? Similarly, when you start learning

       German, you are bound to make mistakes. But don't be embarrassed by them!

       Mistakes are human. What's more important is that you should be willing to learn from

       your mistakes.


       Don't hesitate to ask your teacher where you went wrong. Once you find out the

       errors, try to analyze and correct them in future. When you understand the reason and

       logic, it will be easier for you to avoid the same mistakes in the future.


   2. Stop translating


       There are a number of words that are similar in both English and German. For

       instance:- house - ​das Haus, ​singing – ​singen, ​park –​ der Park, ​ball –​ der Ball​ etc.

       However, a few words have completely different meanings in both the languages. For

       example:- ​das Gift means poison​ in German. Learning German can be similar in some

       ways to learning English or your mother tongue, but there are always going to be

       differences.


       What I am trying to say here is avoid language interference as much as possible. Your

       brain tends to think in English first and then write or speak in German. Don't develop

       this habit of translating. It should only be temporary. If you keep translating, you will

       surely make mistakes.


       Let's have a look at this sentence. In English, we say “Speak ​in​ German.” but in German,

       we say “Sprechen Sie ​auf​ Deutsch.” We never use the preposition​ in​. As your

       vocabulary grows, stop translating and start thinking in German!


   3. Always learn German nouns with their articles


       German is a language of gender. Every German noun is either masculine (​der​), feminine

       (​die​) or neuter (​das​). These are known as articles. You must be aware that articles are

       very important in German. There are various ways to say 'the' and 'a'. Also, many

       grammar concepts depend on your knowledge of articles.


       Always learn German nouns with their correct articles. If you develop this habit right

       from day one, it will save you a lot of work afterwards. Don't let ​der, die ​and​ das​ haunt

       you! There are a few tricks to remember the correct articles. You can learn about those

       in our lesson on German articles. ​Click here​ to know the simple hacks.





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�       It is highly recommended that you also learn the plural forms of the words when you

       learn the vocabulary. In English, it is easy to guess the plural forms of the nouns,

       because we simply add 's' at the end. That is not the case in German. Different words

       have different plural endings. Example:- ​der Stuhl – die Stühle​ (chair – chairs), ​das

       Zimmer – die Zimmer​ (room - rooms), ​das Glas – die Gläser​ (glass – glasses) etc.


   4. Color code the nouns


       There are no fixed rules for identifying the gender of a noun. Even though there are a

       few endings which are associated with a specific gender, there is always an exception.

       The easiest way to remember articles is to color code the nouns.


       Assign 3 colors to the 3 genders. For example: ​der – blue​, ​die – red​ and ​das – green​.

       When you learn vocabulary, write down each word in the color assigned to its gender.

       This will add a visual aspect to your learning process and help you to remember the

       articles in an easy way.


       When you learn a color-coded noun, your brain associates the noun to the color. You

       might not remember the article the next day, but there are high chances that you will

       remember the color of the noun. If you can think of a green house, then you can

       immediately guess the article as well – ​das Haus​ because green means 'das'.


   5. Get a good German-English dictionary


       You should have a good dictionary at your disposal and learn how to use it. While

       reading a text, if you don't understand the translation of a particular phrase or word,

       check its meaning in the dictionary right away and write it down. You can also note

       down a few synonyms.


       Most words can mean more than one thing. So, don't blindly accept the first translation

       you see. Try to understand the context and then look for a suitable translation. I would

       recommend you to refer to the Langenscheidt dictionary. It has an adequate number of

       words and is extremely easy to use.


   6. Label your surroundings


       You don't need to live in a German-speaking country to immerse yourself in the

       language. You can do that at your home itself. Make your computer bilingual by

       changing its settings to German. You can also choose a place in your room and paste a

       list of important phrases, grammar rules, difficult verb conjugations or whatever you

       feel is essential.





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�       One of the easiest ways to immerse yourself in the language is to label the things

       around you. While creating labels, make sure that you include the articles and plural

       forms as well. Color coding the nouns will be helpful even in this case. For example :

       das Wohnzimmer | die Wohnzimmer​ (living room), ​die Wand | die Wände​ (wall), ​der

       Vorhang | die Vorhänge​ (curtain) etc. You will be surprised how well it works and how

       quickly you master the vocabulary.


   7. Try to use modal verbs more often


       Modal verbs are those verbs which are used to express desires, abilities, permissions or

       obligations. Just like in English, even the German modal verbs are paired with the

       infinitive form of another verb. When you use a modal verb in a sentence, the other

       verb goes at the end of the sentence in the infinitive.


       As a beginner, learning the conjugations of all the verbs can be quite exhausting.

       Wouldn't it be simpler if you learn how to conjugate just the modal verbs? So, try to

       use modal verbs as frequently as possible because you'll be able to talk about a variety

       of topics without learning the conjugations of other irregular verbs.


       Of course you need to learn the conjugations of all the verbs, but this method is helpful

       for beginners to gain confidence in speaking.


   8. Be consistent and study regularly


       Unfortunately, learning German is more complex than we realize. It is not as simple as

       reading an article or magazine and remembering all that you read. The key to

       improving your language skills is to study regularly. Try to set daily goals, but don't

       exert yourself.


       Jot down all the topics you want to work on. Choose a topic which you feel is important

       and start with it. Do not try to finish it off by studying continuously for 5 or 6 hours.

       Instead, divide the topic into smaller categories and study only 2 categories each day.

       This way, you might remember everything you studied the previous day.


       Make sure you highlight the important points while studying any new topic. So the next

       time you wish to revise it, you do not need to go through the entire page. You can just

       read the highlighted points. You will be surprised how well these study techniques

       work!


   9. Learn at least 2 new words every day


       Sometimes, it might happen that no matter how hard you try to memorize German




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�       words, you forget everything the next day. This can happen when you try to memorize

       too many words at once.


       Learning any new language already involves learning new phrases, grammar rules etc.

       In addition to it, if you try to learn too many new words on the same day, you will be

       putting yourself under a lot of pressure. That's why, learn only 2 or 3 new words each

       day. They can be either nouns, verbs or adjectives or a combination of these. Your

       learning process will surely become more efficient this way.


   10.     Use flashcards


       Each person has a different learning behaviour. Some connect well to the subject just

       by reading the text, whereas others connect well by seeing pictures. Visual aspect helps

       you to memorize words quickly.


       Start using flashcards to learn new vocabulary. Luckily, learning vocabulary with

       flashcards is just a click away! You can visit our blog​ ​All About Deutsch​ and browse

       through various topics of interest. Or, you can buy different sets of flashcards online

       and carry them wherever you go, so that you can utilize even your travel time to learn

       German vocabulary.


   11.     Make use of online learning resources


       In the current age of technology, there are endless online resources available to learn

       German. With so many interactive quizzes, German e-books, grammar exercises,

       YouTube lessons, radio channels etc. you will be fluent in no time!


       The best part is, many good quality content sites are absolutely free! They make

       learning German more fun. If you are already attending a language course, then ​All

       About Deutsch​ is definitely reliable for revision and exam practice. You might also end

       up learning something new which was not taught in your course.


   12.     Watch movies or TV series in German with subtitles


       Studying while watching TV is possible in this case. Watching movies and TV series in

       German can be one of the most useful methods to understand how natives speak.

       Search for some German movies or TV series online and turn on the subtitles in

       German language. This will not only broaden your vocabulary but will also help you to

       work on your pronunciations.





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�   13.     Try reading out loud


       Reading out loud is a really good pronunciation practice. Before you actually start

       conversing with a native, it is always beneficial to know whether you are pronouncing

       all the words correctly. After all, your end goal is to speak German fluently.


   14.     Practice listening


       It is extremely essential to train your listening skills while learning German. You must

       know how each and every German word sounds. If you don't understand what the

       other person is speaking, you will never be able to respond.


       One of the best ways to practice listening is to tune in to German radio channels. You

       can use the Internet Radio. If you love listening to music, you can buy German music

       CDs online. Even if you don't know all the words and phrases in a song that's fine. Try

       to understand the context. If you have understood a certain word but don't know its

       meaning, use a dictionary. You will learn many new words just by listening to songs!


   15.     Practice speaking


       No matter how hard you study, unless you actually practice speaking, you will never

       speak fluently. Try to find some groups or forums on social media that deal with

       German as a foreign language and interact with the group members.


       You can also try to find language learning clubs in your town online or try to find a

       native speaker. Don't hesitate to ask questions when in doubt. Lastly, if you can't find a

       conversation partner, stand in front of the mirror and talk to yourself as much as

       possible. Talk loudly as if you are conversing with someone. The only way to improve

       your speaking skills is by actually speaking!


       Bonus tip – Play quizzes or any other language games! Game based learning

       helps you to memorize words quickly.



To put it in a nutshell, learning German language is a long journey. Never get discouraged by

your mistakes. Learn from them and keep practicing the language every single day. Once you

recognize which study technique suits you the best, you will start loving this journey.





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�Disclaimer!


Copyright 2020 by All About Deutsch. All rights reserved.


No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,

mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information

storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author (except by a

reviewer, who may quote brief statements in a review).


The purpose of this e-book is to educate and entertain. The author or publisher does not

guarantee that anyone following the techniques, tips, suggestions, ideas or strategies will

become fluent in German. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor

responsibility to anyone with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused,

directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.





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