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LEARNING GERMAN

The 5 best free apps for learning German for all levels

Too busy to improve your language skills? Here are the apps that can help you fit learning German into your everyday life.

Published: 5 September 2018 16:38 CEST
The 5 best free apps for learning German for all levels
Apps: a fun and (sometimes) easy way to learn German. Photo: DPA

Learning a language can feel like a big task, but with the growing popularity of language learning apps, technology is making it easier to get to grips with German.

You no longer have to commit huge amounts of time to pick up vocabulary and phrases – with some apps, just 10 minutes a day during your commute will gradually increase your language skills.

Here are our 5 favourite apps for Deutsch lernen, all of which are free to download on both the App Store and Google Play.

Linguee

This dictionary app which stems from linguee.com boasts a comprehensive German/English dictionary, which is also available in several other languages. It allows you to search with words and short phrases, and gives multiple translation options.

Example sentences and external sources are also always provided, giving you a glimpse at how the words are used in various contexts. All of the dictionary entries also have recordings for pronunciation, and you can even download the dictionaries for the next time you’re stuck on your U-Bahn commute, sans WiFi.

A fun added bonus: if you look up a word, the app will pop up with a notification a few days later asking you if you remember the translation. This is great for making sure that you actually remember the words you have searched for.

It is well designed and the interface is easy to use, with no adverts. A must-have app for anyone learning German.

Der Die Das

Just as the title suggests, Der Die Das is an app focused on learning the German articles. It has a very basic interface but fulfils its mission perfectly. Through a search function, you can enter a word to find its gender. A grammatical rules page also outlines the articles and rules which can help you learn them.

If you ambitiously aim to learn several articles at once, the ‘Game’ tab helps you memorize them. Simply select your German ability level and then browse through a list of words, either your own list, or a randomly generated one, selecting the article for each word. The incorrect answers then go into the next round, and this continues until you have completed them all correctly.

This app is very simple, but perfect for both those who are just starting out with German, as well as those who already have an advanced ability.

Duolingo

An extremely popular language learning app available in multiple languages. You decide how many minutes a day you'd like to commit, and then undertake a placement test or start from scratch as a beginner. Even if you take the test, the lessons can be fairly easy, although you can skip through sections by doing further tests. Because of this, Duolingo is probably the best bet for beginners or those with only a small knowledge of German.

Its huge user base shows that it is a fairly effective app and, if used every day, is bound to improve your language skills. Arguably, the web based Duolingo is more effective for language learning, but to commit to this you would have to set aside some time at home with a computer. The apps remains a good solution for on-the-go language learning.

There are adverts, but they are not particularly intrusive. A pro-version upgrade is also available but not necessary.

Memrise

Also a very popular app which allows you to learn multiple languages through the use of colourful flashcards. You can choose one of the seven German levels and then begin. The flashcards contain both text and images, but also make use of short video clips to improve your listening skills. There is also user-generated content available, which provides a large base of flashcards – for example, a set of the 5000 most frequently used German words, or sets geared towards certain language examinations.

It is a very repetitive system, but it is effective – Memrise claims to have strong science behind their way of learning. It is a great app for learning vocab and phrases no matter what your language level, but yet again there is more content for beginners.

The app has no adverts but does push the pro-version app upgrade fairly regularly.

Der Tagesspiegel

The German newspaper’s app is a great free resource for practicing your German reading comprehension. It is an especially good option for those with advanced German. There are lots of news articles in the app and for the first month you can also download digital copies of the newspaper, also totally kostenlos.

It is not only a great way to improve your German, but you can also fill yourself in about German news and culture. Even if you have only been learning German for a little while, it is still an effective way to familiarize yourself with the language and find new vocabulary and phrases. Perhaps you can challenge yourself to read one article a day?

 

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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