7 Must-read German Blogs for German Learners
How can you learn German without just using textbooks?
You can try popular music, movies, podcasts, and blogs.
Blogs are especially good because they’re often thoughtfully written and give you insight on how to learn.
Until now maybe you’ve been focused on learning German essential vocabulary, proper pronunciation, and even a few popular slang words.
Blogs are a fantastic way to reinforce everything you’ve been studying because they cover a broad range of approaches and styles. In addition to language and vocabulary learning, they offer plenty of insights into the German way of life and German culture.
Here are great blogs for learning German.
Contents
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7 Must-read German Blogs for German Learners
Smarter German
Smarter German is a stellar option. It boasts an impressively diverse site which cover all the most vital topics for an enthusiastic language learner.
This blog will guide you through the ups and downs of the learning process with its learning materials, vocabulary lists, and grammar walkthroughs. The articles are fresh and compelling with occasional dollops of humor.
One of the standout qualities is its originality. It distances itself from the regurgitated pap covered by every other German blog out there. For example, in “Pigs Can’t Fly and Learning German is Difficult,” we find out about a challenge that Smarter German has set for itself: teach someone German from scratch in just 14 days.
The challenge aspect to this is riveting. Will they or won’t they succeed in their bold endeavor? Will you be the student who can achieve this goal?
GermanPod101
GermanPod101 is fast, fun, friendly and comprehensive. The blog pulls out all the stops to create an exciting learning environment. There are games, audio and video lessons, detailed PDF lesson notes and a fabulous range of learning tools.
Video and audio programs are presented by knowledgeable hosts who appear to have more energy than an Olympic athlete. The blog articles encompass numerous categories such as German culture, news in German-speaking countries, German holidays, German phrases, tips and techniques. ‘German Word for the Day’ focuses on a different word and how the word is used in a small number of contexts. GermanPod101 is a good mixture of language learning and insights into German culture.
Overall, it is informative, well written and at times, downright entertaining. Sign up for a free account, and see what you can learn here!
Daily German
Daily German makes a bold claim: learning German is easy.
Whether or not you find language learning a cinch, the scintillating and information-rich articles can certainly make a big difference. The blog is run by Emmanuel, a man with a love of languages. He has set out on a mission to convince his readers that learning German, if not easy, is far easier than we think.
Posts are divided into three principle categories. In “Word of the Day”, a German word is put under the microscope and explored in great detail. Here, students can find out such nuggets of information as a word’s origins and many examples of its usage. “Grammar Jargon” focuses on grammar terminology and explains the concepts behind linguistic terms. Although to some that may sound a little dry and academic, everyday language is used and the posts are easy to follow. The “Online Course” section is exactly that: step-by-step instruction on German language essentials.
Slow German
Slow German is a gem of a blog for absolute beginners and those who need a gentle, back-to-basics immersion into the language.
The site is filled with a plethora of podcasts that take the language student through a number of everyday scenarios such as how to order in a restaurant and getting a room in a hotel.
In the “Absolute Beginner” section, the podcast summaries are written in English and the podcasts are presented in English with a few essential German words thrown in. While in the “Slow German Audio” section, descriptions and the audio are in German.
Each Slow German episode is accompanied by a PDF of the text. The pace of the podcasts is quite slow and very easy for the beginner to follow. There is also a vocabulary section that matches key words with pictures. Love learning German through music? In the “German Music” section, the language student gets a neat cultural fix with videos of performances of popular German musicians. The blog is run by Annik, a Munich-based journalist who works for radio stations and online media.
FluentU
Yes, in our totally unbiased opinion you’re currently on one of the best German learner blogs. Welcome!
As long-time readers know, our blog is all about helping German learners achieve their language goals through authentic materials, outstanding resources, practical advice for the real world and fun methods you’ll actually want to use.
This is a great place to start if you’d like to discover more of what’s out there on the Internet.
That’s our mission, after all.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Click here to check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Integrate FluentU into your German language learning routine to bring textbook information to life and to push yourself farther.
Both the blog and the learning program offer great walkthroughs for language learning topics, from basic beginner’s introductions to grammar to targeted vocabulary lists and in-depth explanations of trickier, advanced language topics.
Use these two tools, blog and program, hand-in-hand to give your German studying routine a much-needed boost forward!
Learn Out Live!
One of the first things to grab your attention is the precise and ordered nature of the site, just like the stereotype of a typical German person. It makes for easy navigation, a blessing that contributes to an easier learning experience.
The blog contains posts for numerous languages and cultures with German being one of the largest categories. Of course, when seeking language learning blogs we’re looking for both style and substance. As far as the content is concerned, Learn Out Live passes with flying colors. The blogs are lengthy but not too long, rich with information, and generous with providing links to useful resources.
Among the topics covered are free German children’s books for language learners, Twitter feeds for German language learners, and posts about German cultural events such as the Cologne carnival. It might also be worth your while dipping into some of the other blog categories, even though they are not specifically about German. They can help to enhance the speed with which you acquire the language. For example, some of the ideas covered in “24 Techniques to Learn English Faster” are easily applicable to learning German.
Jabbalab
Prepare to dive deep into the language with Jabbalab. The team behind their German blog concentrates not only on what people say when they speak German, but how and why they say what they do.
Most of the posts are in English, but they’re interspersed with articles in German. So that should keep you on your toes! Blog categories include grammar, vocabulary, adjectives and German recipes. Additionally, there are numerous verb charts and word tables. There are even a few games to play such as German Hangman. Absolute and advanced beginners and some intermediates will gain the most from spending some quality online time with Jabbalab.
Transparent German
This excellent blog for learning the language offers a well-rounded way of getting to grips with German as well as a neat introduction to some aspects of German culture. The article titles neatly draw you in and make you want to read more. For example, “How to Watch Football Like a German” and “The Opposite of Punctuality is BVG: When Berliners are Late”.
The posts also feature a lot of handy vocabulary which is occasionally explored in some depth. These analyses explore how the words are used in sentences as well as highlighting their English equivalents. There are several blog post categories including, current events, film, folklore, grammar, history, literature, television, traditions and travel.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
