Learn German quickly: What is the fastest way to learn German?

Where German is spoken

German is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the European Union and is spoken by around 200 million people worldwide. Even in Argentina there are around 400,000 native German speakers, in Mexico more than 80,000, in Paraguay around 160,000 and in South Africa as many as half a million. In addition to German-speaking Switzerland, German is of course spoken in Germany, but also in Austria, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, as well as in parts of France, Belgium and Italy. Attending a German course to learn German quickly is therefore not only worthwhile for living or working in Switzerland, but in many other places.

Learn German quickly: Swiss German and High German

If you live in Switzerland and want to improve your German, there are many different ways to do so. As with any other language, the most promising way to learn German quickly is to "immerse" yourself in the language as much as possible, surround yourself with German speakers, watch German TV channels, read German-language newspapers and magazines and try to understand German song lyrics. This may not always be easy, especially for language beginners. But it is important to get a feel for the language when learning German quickly. A major problem in everyday life for many foreign language learners is probably the difference between High German and the Swiss German dialects. While you usually learn High German, also often referred to as Standard German, in a German course, Swiss German is spoken on the street, in everyday business life and in families, which sometimes varies greatly from region to region. Nevertheless, most Swiss people go to great lengths to answer foreign speakers in High German so that conversation is easier and they learn German quickly.

Speak, read, listen to and understand German

To learn German quickly, it is important to interact with others, to talk a lot, but also to listen and read a lot. This can be advertising posters or comics, short podcasts or, in the beginning, books for children and young people. The most important thing is that you come into regular contact with the German language. And regular in this case means daily. If possible, attend a German course at a language school to learn German quickly. In this way, you will be introduced to the language step by step, learn the grammar rules and sentence structure, the correct pronunciation and conjugation. All of this helps you learn German quickly.

The different language courses

At most language schools you can choose between different German courses to learn German quickly, both as German for beginners and for advanced learners, depending on the language level (level A1 to level C2). German diploma courses can also be attended at many language courses, such as for the telc German language diplomas or the Goethe certificates. Such language diplomas certify your German language skills to you and your future employers and are recognized and valued. It is also possible at many schools to attend a German course that focuses on different areas, such as business German, conversation, German for vacations or grammar. This allows you to learn German quickly with a specific focus.

Different in intensity

If you want to learn High German in Switzerland, it usually makes sense to do this not just one evening a week, but as intensively as possible. This allows you to make rapid progress and you will see considerable progress after just four weeks. If you attend an intensive course five days a week with four lessons a day to learn German quickly, you can improve your language skills by one level within three months, for example from A1 to A2.

However, it is of course not possible for everyone to invest so much time in a German course. There are also suitable language courses for these people. However, if you want to learn German quickly, you should attend a language course with as many weekly lessons as possible in order to increase your learning success.

Learn German quickly at home

To ensure that you actually remember what you have learned in a language course and, above all, memorize the German vocabulary, it is extremely helpful for learning German quickly if you are also confronted with German terms in your everyday life. Therefore, stick notes with the German translation on all objects in your apartment or house, whether on the table, the sink, the mirror or the front door. Preferably with the corresponding article. In this way, you will learn to name everyday objects alongside your German course. Say them out loud as often as possible and try to use these German terms in conversations with your family, your partner or your flatmates to learn German quickly.

Learn German quickly while shopping

Supermarkets are a real paradise for learning German quickly. Whether at the meat counter or on the vegetable shelf, in the dairy products or clothing department, you will be inundated with German words. Take your time regularly and browse the shelves at Migros, Coop, Denner, Aldi or Lidl after or before your German course. The bigger the range, the better for learning German quickly. Familiarize yourself with the names, read the text on the packaging and memorize 10 new words every day. This could be "milk" or "frozen products", "chicken thighs" or "advantage pack", "handkerchiefs" or "soups".

Learn vocabulary at home and on the go

Basically, the most important thing to be able to communicate in German is to have a large vocabulary, i.e. to know as many German words as possible. To expand this vocabulary, it is important that you regularly repeat the words you have already learned and learn new ones. You will do this in your German course, but you should also do this in your free time to learn German quickly. It is not necessary to spend hours sitting over textbooks or flipping index cards back and forth. In addition to the 10 words from the supermarket, think of another 10 words that you would like to learn. Either write them down and put them in your pocket or speak them on your cell phone. This way you always have them with you to learn German quickly. Every time you wait at the bus stop, every time you spend a long time in the bathroom, five minutes before you go to bed, while you're waiting for the pasta water to boil, while you're drinking your morning coffee, ... whenever you have just a little time, take out the piece of paper or listen to the vocabulary and repeat it out loud. In this way, you can learn new words quickly and effortlessly every day, even outside of your German course. And you can learn German quickly without any great effort.

Overview of German courses - learn German quickly