Useful Links
Here are some useful links to external websites with additional resources to learn and practice German as well as websites where you can find information on Germany and the German language.
Online Courses for Beginners
Just starting out on your journey to learn German? Then you might want to try Erste Schritte Deutsch provided by Deutsche Welle. These 10 lessons are for beginners and include videos, audios, texts and interactive exercises. Deutschakademie offers a free audio course covering basic vocabulary, phrases and grammar. Or accompany a young woman during her first days in Germany in Erste Wege in Deutschland and learn useful language for everyday situations. With Nicos Weg you can progress from A1 to B1.
Practice Listening
Want to improve your listening comprehension skills? Grüße aus Deutschland by Goethe-Institut is a series of 60 entertaining podcasts on various topics. Transcripts are available as downloadable pdf documents. I also recommend Deutsch-To-Go. Short listening texts are available for different levels, accompanied by comprehension questions, language exercises and transcripts. SlowGerman is a website with podcasts on various topics read slowly. Transcripts, which are also available, provide additional support.
Read or Listen to the News
On the website of Deutsche Welle, you can find slowly-spoken newscasts. Transcripts are also available. Inforadio is great source for news, interviews and background stories. If you are looking for the latest headlines, try Heute by the German TV channel ZDF with short news articles and videos.
Information about Germany
Do you want to learn more about Germany? On Germany.de you find topical information on politics, economics, culture, environment, knowledge and life in Germany. This includes background articles and videos and is available in German and other languages. On the website of the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung) you’ll find a huge amount of information on German politics, history and society. For interesting and curious stories and tips about life in Germany go and check out Deutschland #NoFilter by Goethe-Institute.
Dictionaries
There are many good online dictionaries out there. The preeminent language resource of the German language with the definitive set of rules regarding grammar, spelling and use of German language is the Duden. I also recommend DWDS where you can find los of information on German words from the present and past. If you are looking for a contextual dictionary, try Reverso. There you’ll find lots of examples of words in context with translations from German into other languages.
German for Work
Do you need German for work? Check out Deutsch am Arbeitsplatz (Goethe-Institut) with lots of exercises for various professions and different levels. You can also find work-related vocabulary with online exercises in Wirtschaftsdeutsch. Deutsche Welle also has a series of mini-courses for some professions. For lawyers we have lists of useful vocabulary and exercises.