5 Tips to Learn German Faster and Fluently

5 Tips to finally Learn German successfully in 2023

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VANESSA
Denisa, hast du Tipps um besser Deutsch zu lernen?
(Denisa, do you tips to learn German better?)

DENISA
Das ist eine gute Frage,Vanessa. Ich denk’ darüber nach und sage dir Bescheid.
(That’s a good question, Vanessa. I'll think about it and let you know.)

Hallo! Ich bin Denisa von Spring German. (Hello! I’m Denisa from Spring German) In this video, I’ll show you 5 tips to finally succeed in learning German this year! Let’s create a perfect strategy together to reach your German learning goals! Los geht’s! (Let’s go!)

1. Höre so viel Deutsch wie möglich (Listen to as much German as possible)

DENISA
Das Erste, das du tun solltest, ist Deutsch zu hören, so viel wie möglich.
(The first thing you should do is to listen to German, as much as possible.)

VANESSA
Ich kann Musik hören. Aber was noch?
(I can listen to music. But what else?)

DENISA
Es gibt mehrere Möglichkeiten. Das Wichtigste ist, dass du dir anhörst, was dich wirklich interessiert. Und das, soviel wie möglich. Versuche dir Wortkombinationen oder Chunks zu merken.
(There are multiple possibilities. The most important thing is to make sure you're listening to things that really interest you. And that, as much as possible. Try to recognize word combinations or chunks.)

Chunk Alert!

This chunk: so viel wie möglich (as much as possible). It tends to go at the end of the idea you’re referring to. Unser Ziel ist dir zu helfen, so viel Deutsch wie möglich zu lernen. (Our goal is to help you learn as much German as possible.)

If you check the link in the description, you’ll also get our free German essential chunking kit for the most important chunks you will need in a German conversation.

Our Spring German chunking method is based on active listening. Lots of it. Stell dir dein Gehirn wie eine Maschine vor. (Think about your brain like a machine.) The more input you can give it, the more it’ll be able to recognize and repeat sounds, words and chunks!

Here are a few examples of what you could do:

Nutze eine Streaming-Platform deiner Wahl (Use a streaming platform of your choice): There’s probably a show, a movie, a series that’s originally in German. You can start with English subtitles or the one’s in your native language.After that, you can watch with German subtitles. Nach einer Weile, kannst du komplett ohne Untertitel schauen (After a while you can watch completely without subtitles).
Finde Podcasts, die dich interessieren (Find podcasts on subjects you’re really interested in): You being interested in the information, beyond the fact that it is in German, will only help you stay active while you listen.
Nutze Musik (Use music): Find songs you like, try to understand them and then learn them by heart. You can get the lyrics online, of course.
Übe jeden Tag (Practice every day). It’ll do wonders for your pronunciation, you’ll feel awesome singing along and you’ll learn a bunch of new chunks and vocabulary.

Bonus tip!

Schaue Spring German Videos (Watch Spring German videos): Of course, this is why we’re here. We have multiple videos online that will help you improve your German. Spring German works perfectly for learning German because of the dialogue clips with subtitles and our chunk alerts. There are also other YouTube channels for German beginners which you can watch.

2. Lerne mit Chunks (Learn with chunks)

VANESSA
Ist “Wie geht’s dir” zum Beispiel ein Chunk?
(Is “Wie geht’s dir?” for example a chunk?)

DENISA
Ja, genau! Chunks sind Wiederholungsmuster, die in jeder Sprache existieren. Arbeite daran sie zu erkennen und zu wiederholen.
(Yes, exactly! Chunks are repetition patterns that exist in all languages. Work on recognizing and repeating them.)

Just keep in mind that this is how we actually talk: recognizing sounds that tend to stick together. Grammar is an entirely separate subject that can support your learning experience. Aber die Grammatik sollte nicht im Fokus stehen! (But the grammar shouldn’t be the main focus!)

You can learn the following chunks from our dialogues without understanding the grammar behind them. Try using them and see them work perfectly! Zum Beispiel (for example):

VANESSA
Ist “Wie geht’s dir” zum Beispiel ein Chunk?
(Is “Wie geht’s dir?” for example a chunk?)

Zum Beispiel (for example): after this, give alternatives, options, examples of whatever you’re talking about. Just like I just did.

Das Wichtigste ist...(The most important thing is…): you can start any sentence like this if you mean to convey that there’s an order of priority.

3. Finde Leute zum Üben (Find people to practice with)

VANESSA
Okay und wie benutze ich diese Chunks, wenn ich sie gefunden habe?
(Ok, and how do I use those chunks once I detect them?)

DENISA
Du kannst im Internet viele Lerngruppen finden. Zeigt euch gegenseitig was ihr gelernt habt! Oder finde Leute in der Arbeit, in der Schule oder in der Universität.
(You can find study groups on the internet. Show each other what you’ve learned! Or you find people in work, in school or in university.)

If talking to people on the streets seems too far fetched just yet, überlege dir Alternativen wie (consider alternatives like):

Sprachnachrichten (Voice messages): Starting out slow is always a good idea and you can do that through voice messages. Find a friend, a colleague or even a speaking partner and chat with them through voice messages
Finde online Sprachentreffen (find online language meet-ups): You can find tandems, e.g. in tandem apps and language tutors that you can find online.
Finde lokale Sprachentreffen (Find local language meet-ups): You can find this type of gatherings more and more all around the world. Es ist es wert, danach zu googeln. (It’s worth doing some googling about it.) Maybe you’ll find a coffee shop where people meet to practice German every week!
Reise in ein Land, in dem sie Deutsch sprechen (Travel to a german-speaking country): That can be Germany, but also Austria or Switzerland. Ich weiß, ich weiß (I know, I know,) this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Nonetheless, know that this is definitely worth it if it’s within your possibilities. Plus, you’ll have infinite possibilities to practice every aspect of the language and, even, die Kultur (the culture)! The culture is crucial for you to understand the fabric that makes up the language. Es geht nicht darum was wir sagen, sondern wie wir es sagen. (It’s not just what we say, but how we say it.)

4. Habe keine Angst zu sprechen! (Don’t be afraid of speaking!)

VANESSA
Ich habe einen deutschen Freund. Was ist, wenn ich einen Fehler mache?
(I have a German friend. What if I make a mistake?)

DENISA
Dann lachst du darüber und das war’s! Du kannst ihn fragen, ob es ihm was ausmacht mit dir Deutsch zu lernen. Ich bin sicher, er wird dir helfen.
(You laugh it off and that's it! You can ask him if he minds if you practice your German with him. I'm sure he will help you.)

In my language learning experience, it was the biggest problem to really speak the language. How often do you sit in a classroom, listening to the teacher in a different language, knowing you could talk to them but you are afraid. Vor was? (Of what?) I promise, people will be happy that you speak their language.

You really are going to make mistakes, eine Menge (a ton). So, start embracing that fact even before it happens and just laugh about it.

5. Übe regelmäßig (Practice regularly)

VANESSA
Manchmal komme ich aus der Übung, obwohl ich einmal die Woche übe.
(Sometimes I get out of practice, even though I practice once a week.)

DENISA
Das ist der Fehler! Du solltest einmal am Tag üben. Ungefähr fünfzehn Minuten.
(That’s the mistake! You should practice once a day. Approximately 15 minutes.)

Once a day may sound a lot for you guys but include it in your daily routine. Instead of being on social media after dinner, take your ten to fifteen minutes to practice your German. That can be trough a Spring German video or through chunks that you have written down. Watch a German movie, auf Deutsch natürlich (in German of course), and look at it as practice!

6. Summary

So, to summarize:

Höre viel (Listen a lot): In Germany, the podcast, movie and music industry is booming. There are tradition German songs but also pop and rap are bigger than ever. No matter what kind of music you like, click trough everything and listen to your favorite German song over and over.
Fokussiere dich auf Chunks (Focus on chunks): If you have heard a chunk over and over in a movie, series or song. Say it to yourself all the time, use it in your daily routine and use it when practicing German.
Übe mit jemandem (Practice with someone): Finding someone to practice with can be tough but the internet has a lot of possibilities for that.
Habe keine Angst zu sprechen (Don’t be afraid of speaking): Don’t be afraid of speaking, because everyone starts somewhere. In Germany, people are more than happy if you try to speak their language. I promise!
Übe regelmäßig ( ): Practicing 15 minutes a day will improve your German a lot. You can make it a New Years resolution and try to stick to it.

Leute, danke, dass ihr meine Muttersprache lernt, wirklich. (Guys, thank you for learning my native language, really.) I really believe that if you use these tips to create a strategy that feels challenging but sustainable and you focus on enjoying the process, you’ll reach your goals before you know it.