Learning German on your own?
Every app promises fast results. These guides set out what each level actually demands, which tools are worth your time, and where they fall short. German only, for now.
Before you begin
- Start Here
How the guides on this site are organised and who they're for
- Learning efficiently
What actually works when learning a language, and why.
Start with German
- German learning roadmap
What actually changes at each CEFR level from A1 to C2, and a rough sense of how long the whole path takes.
- A1 Guide
What A1 German actually covers, and what's genuinely hard about it for English speakers.
- A2 Guide
What actually changes at A2: dative case, modal verbs, past tense, and where most learners slow down.
- B1 Guide
What changes at B1 German, why self-study learners tend to stall here, and what to work on.
- B2 Guide
What actually changes at B2: Konjunktiv I, nominalisation, and the shift between spoken and written register.
- Recommended Resources
German learning resources by category and level, with the trade-offs of each
- German Study Plan for Busy People
A day-by-day German study plan built around a commute, chores, and family time, not a spare hour that doesn't exist.
Tool reviews
- DW Nicos Weg review
Free, well built, and the usual answer to reaching B1 without paying. The gaps are speaking, writing, and anything past B1.
- Pimsleur German review
Unusually good pronunciation training, wrapped around thin and oddly chosen vocabulary, no writing at all, and a ceiling around A2.
- Goethe-Institut German courses review
Strong teaching, a teacher you cannot choose, and the same online course priced very differently depending on which country's institute you book from.
- Duolingo German review
Strong on daily habit and passive vocabulary, weak on grammar, and it teaches German nouns without their gender. Productive ceiling around A2.