Additional Resources

The journey to mastering German is about getting as much natural input as possible. Beyond the daily lessons on this site, these free resources are good places to spend your 30 minutes of listening a day. Each one shows the levels it suits: start with the ones that include yours.

Start Here: How German Sounds

See how the German letters sound before Day 1 (the How to Use page has a short table too). German spelling is fairly regular, so this opens most of every lesson to you.

• Omniglot: German language, alphabets and pronunciation A1

  The German alphabet and how each letter and letter group is pronounced, in clear tables, with notes on the language and how it came to be written. Free.

Podcasts

Audio for walks and commutes, from shows made for learners to shows made for German listeners.

• Coffee Break German A1-B1

  A teacher and a learner go through German step by step, explaining in English, in short episodes you can follow from the very beginning. The podcast is free; lesson notes, videos and bonus audio are part of a paid course. Free, with paid extras.

• Slow German B1-B2

  Annik Rubens from Munich talks slowly and clearly in German about life, culture and history in Germany. The podcast is free; PDFs and exercises are part of a paid premium plan. Free, with paid extras.

• Easy German Podcast B1-C1

  The Easy German team talk in German about life in Germany and the world twice a week, explain words and expressions and answer listeners' questions. Interactive transcripts and bonus content are for paying members. Free, with paid extras.

• Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten B2

  Deutsche Welle reads the day's world news slowly and clearly, Monday to Saturday, with the full text to read along and audio you can download. Free.

• ARD Sounds C1+

  The podcasts, radio plays and audiobooks of Germany's public broadcasters ARD and Deutschlandradio, on politics, history, science, crime and comedy. Made for German listeners, so expect natural speed. Free.

YouTube Channels

Videos in German where pictures, gestures and subtitles help you understand without translating.

• Easy German A1-C2

  Street interviews and everyday conversations with people in Germany, with German and English subtitles on screen. The "Super Easy" episodes are for beginners (A1-B1), and the playlists sort every video by level. Free.

• Deutsch lernen mit der DW A1-B2

  Deutsche Welle's free channel for learners: its video courses, including Nicos Weg, and short clips about words, grammar and life in Germany. Free.

• MrWissen2go C1+

  Journalist Mirko Drotschmann explains politics, history and current events in clear German. It is made for German viewers, so expect natural speed. Free.

• MAITHINK X C1+

  Chemist Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim explains science and the research behind everyday questions, in a show made for the German broadcaster ZDF. Fast, lively, native German. Free.

Reading and Listening

Courses, news, films and books in German, from simple news for beginners to programmes and literature made for native speakers.

• Nicos Weg A1-B1

  A free video course from Deutsche Welle: a series about Nico, who has just arrived in Germany, cut into short lessons from A1 to B1, each with exercises. Free.

• nachrichtenleicht A2-B1

  News in simple German from the public radio station Deutschlandfunk: short sentences, hard words explained, and many articles read aloud. Free.

• logo! B1-B2

  The German broadcaster ZDF's news for children, as short videos and articles that explain what is happening in Germany and the world in plain words. Free.

• tagesschau in 100 Sekunden B2+

  The latest news from Germany's best-known news programme, in a video of about two minutes. Real news German, spoken quickly. Free.

• ARD Mediathek C1+

  Films, series, documentaries and talk shows from Germany's public broadcaster ARD, many with German subtitles (marked UT). Some programmes can be watched only from Germany. Free.

• Project Gutenberg: German C1+

  Free German books whose copyright has run out, mostly classic literature from the 19th and early 20th centuries, to read online or download. Free.

• LingQ German A2+

  German texts with matching audio; tap unknown words for meanings. The free plan limits how many words you can save. Free, with paid extras.

Tools

Dictionaries and helpers for looking up words, hearing how they sound and remembering them.

• Wiktionary A1-C2

  Look up a German word to see its English meanings, its gender and a table of its forms (cases, plurals or verb endings), often with a recording. Free.

• dict.cc A1-C2

  A large English-German dictionary built and checked by its users, with each noun's gender and recordings of how many of the words are said. Free.

• Linguee A2-C2

  An English-German dictionary that shows each word in real sentences taken from translated texts, so you can see how it is used. Free.

• Tatoeba A1-C2

  A large collection of example sentences with translations, made by volunteers. Search a German word to see it in short sentences with English translations, some with recordings. Free.

• DWDS B2+

  The Digital Dictionary of the German Language from the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences: meanings, idioms, word history and example sentences from real texts, all in German. Free.

• Duden B2+

  The best-known German dictionary and the usual reference for spelling: each entry gives the meaning, the grammar, where the word can be split and often a recording, all in German. Free.

• Anki A1-C2

  A flashcard program that shows each card again just before you would forget it. Free on computers and Android; the iPhone app is paid. Free.

• Language Reactor B1+

  A Chrome extension that shows German and English subtitles together on Netflix and YouTube, with click-to-look-up words. Some features need the paid Pro plan. Free, with paid extras.

Study Tips

Remember, consistent input is key. Even if you only manage passive listening while commuting or exercising, every bit of exposure helps. Incorporate these resources into your daily routine to maximize your input.

Focus on understanding what you're hearing. Don't worry about grammar topics like cases, articles or word order until you're ready. Your goal now is to get used to the sounds and rhythm of German.

Enjoy the process, and if you ever need a break, come back when you're refreshed. This constant, even passive, exposure will eventually make German feel natural and become a part of you.

For a deeper look at how this method works, check out the How to Use page.

Links checked in September 2026. These are other people's sites, not part of this course.

If this free course has helped you in your German journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.