13 Fun Ways to Learn German

Why is it that so many German-learning techniques lack the most rudimentary of elements? That being, of course, fun! I’m here to give you more Spaß (fun) than you thought possible!

Keep reading to learn more about 13 fun and new ways to learn German while at work, at home or while speaking with other people.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Organize Your Office and Home in German

Maybe I’m not starting off with the most conventionally “fun” activity, but anyone who loves to organize stuff will understand where I’m coming from.

You know your office and home require your attention anyway, so why not start using your organization time to learn German? Start by labeling your files (both on your computer and in your file cabinets) in German. I find that it’s best to use a professional label maker for the file cabinets, since it looks kinda messy otherwise.

Place labels on jars and other food items around the kitchen. This is best if you have jars or containers that contain bulk foods like sugar, salt or flour. You can also label cabinets with each of their contents, saving you time and testing your German each time you move about the kitchen.

Vocabulary Stickers are a great option to use for your home and office if you’re just starting out. I also recommend making your calendar in German, whether it be digital or physical.

2. Play a German Board Game or Video Game

Imagine browsing for online games, knowing that when you find some cool ones, all the dialogue and directions are in German. If online gaming is your style, consider using a proxy to switch your browsing IP address to Germany. This way, you can search a little easier and locate the games made with the German language.

It’s also not a bad idea to try out German board games, since they have instructions in German and you can try to speak with the other players in German.

What are a few German board games I recommend?

• Kingdom Builder — Rule over your own kingdom by skillfully building your own settlements and earning as much gold as possible. Play with two to four players and negotiate with each other to get the best cards in the game.

• Die Legenden von Andor — This is an adventure-based game which is best played with four players, but you can go as low as two players. The story-based game system teaches you how to play in this unique and scenario-filled thriller.

• KLUGSCHEISSER — This is similar to the American board game Smart Ass, where you work to answer trivia questions that you’ve never given much thought to before. The idea is to guess answers to ridiculous questions and try to come out on top.

• Camel Up — Play with up to eight players, racing across the Egyptian desert on your camels. Players bet on the camels and try to see which of them will make it to the pyramid first.

In terms of physical video games, I like FIFA Fussball and the LEGO games, but these often become outdated quickly, so browse Amazon.de to find games suitable for you.

3. Find a Group or Conversation Partner

I suggest joining a German Meetup in your area, many of which meet for coffee, go to movies or participate in lively discussions.

My Language Exchange is wonderful for locating someone in Germany to Skype or write with. I asked my girlfriend to learn German with me, which makes it easier to speak the language around the house and while eating out.

4. Print Out German Lyrics and Sing Around the House

Singing gives you a connection with German culture, and it creates a habit of repetition. If you love singing in the shower or around the house, this will never feel like a chore when converting to German.

The tricky part is finding lyrics to your favorite songs in German. Whether you’re looking for classic German songs or translated Top 40 tunes, the About German Language page is a solid place to start.

5. Listen to German Music or Podcasts

The coolest parts of German music and podcasts are that you can listen just about anywhere. Pop in your earbuds and listen on your bike, while on the train, while traveling, while working or while walking around town.

An Expert Tip: Choose music that you actually enjoy, along with podcast topics you can get into. For example, if you don’t have any interest in cars, stay away from German automobile podcasts. It’s also wise to ask a friend to listen to the podcasts as well, so you can discuss them after.

6. Create Your Shopping Lists in German

When hounding the supermarket for groceries, try using a shopping list app on your phone or jotting the list on a piece of paper. Then, make the list in German!

If you’re writing the list for someone else, draw pictures next to the items so they know what you’re talking about. It helps to read off and pronounce the words when you’re actually shopping. This fun technique works for anything from grocery shopping to clothing shopping. It’s nice for covering a significant amount of words and associating items with those words.

7. Read German Newspapers, Books, Blogs and Magazines

If you like to read, you’re smarter than most. You can even turn that knowledge-absorbing hobby of yours into one that helps with learning German. From newspapers to books, blogs to magazines, reading is one of the funnest and most effective ways to learn German.

The best way is to find articles, books and newspapers that were originally written in German. I recently found a news shop near my house that has international magazines and newspapers like “Die Zeit.” I suggest looking for similar shops.

If you’d rather translate from English, or another language, to German, Google explains how to translate any page when using the Chrome browser.

8. Set Up a VPN to Access Tons of German Programming

German TV shows and movies assist in hearing and sometimes reading (subtitles) the German language. Beginners, consider watching shows that you have seen before so you can follow the story lines.

If you fancy yourself an intermediate or advanced learner, use a VPN to browse the German versions of sites like Netflix and Hulu. This is technically against the Netflix terms of use, but using a VPN is not illegal in many countries, such as the United States.

Essentially, a VPN makes it appear as if you’re using the internet in Germany rather than the United States (or wherever you are). By using a VPN, you can access content as if you were in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

An easy way to set up a VPN and magically change your location to Germany is by installing HideMyAss! VPN on any of your devices—it works on your computer, smartphone and internet-enabled TVs and game systems.

9. Locate a German Restaurant (or Grocery Store) in Your Area

I recently stumbled upon a small deli near my place where most of the people there speak German. It turns out, they’re more than happy to speak their native tongue with me!

Try to scope out your area and find a restaurant or grocery store run by Germans. If so, consider speaking German to them whenever you go in. This works well for interacting with other people and talking about important words—like food-related words.

10. Sign Up for Reddit and Discuss Topics You Enjoy in German

This technique is ideal for writing in German, since you can choose different topics and focus on building your knowledge on anything from books to bikes.

Many Reddit threads are based on learning German, but you can also find a few folks who just want to chat in German about anything. The Deutschland subreddit is a fine place to start.

11. Convert Your Phone Language to German

Since we’re on our phones so often, this serves as a powerful way to immerse yourself in the German language.
After converting your phone’s language, consider finding a few German-speaking friends who you can add to your contact list and send texts to.

Every phone is different, but Google has a helpful area for modifying languages, and Apple provides a handy guide for their products as well.

12. Seek Out Recipes Written in German

Finding recipes helps with food vocab, measurements, time and much more. You can have fun by speaking out the ingredients in German and even pretending you’re running your own little cooking show.

I also suggest using an iPad or kitchen TV to watch cooking shows or one of the cool recipe apps they have on boxes like Roku. ChefKoch is a nice place to start your search, but AllRecipes Germany isn’t bad either. Go for traditional German foods to expand your knowledge of the culture. I like Sauerbraten (pickled roast) or Schnitzel (boneless cutlet of meat).

13. Like or Follow German Companies on Social Media

Facebook and Twitter are often viewed by people numerous times per day, and you receive tons of content and updates on your wall, ranging from simple ramblings to marketing messages.

If you follow German companies, this will start injecting their German messages into your news feed. Read the messages out loud and add a few more once you become comfortable with having that much German in your news feed. I enjoy following FFP New Media GmbH and Schindlerhof Klaus Kobjoll GmbH, because they both post quite a bit, and they’re considered two of the best places to work in Germany.

Of course, feel free to follow German celebrities, musicians, comedians and just some normal folk doing their postings—whatever is fun for you will work best!

 

And, if you’re looking for a fun language learning program to keep your studies fun, you could check out the language learning program FluentU.

 

Happy learning!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)