Have you ever considered watching videos to learn a new language? Indeed, this technique might sound a bit trivial, and too “fun” to actually work but it is in reality just as efficient as reading and exercising with books. In this article we will give you the best channels to follow in order to learn German, according to your level.
Therefore be ready to:
- Discover videos that will help you learn German easily;
- Follow the channels of our favorite German Youtubers;
- Learn about the pros and cons of learning German through videos.
Well then lights, cameras, action!
Learning German Language for Beginners: YouTube Videos to Watch
Watching YouTube videos is one of the best ways to learn German. Here is a list of videos for beginners:
Easy German German – Introducing yourself
We actually recommend the whole channel of “Easy Languages”, as it has come up with a wonderful format for learning German. Throughout their videos you, the listener, benefit from hearing real German spoken at normal speeds by native speakers.
It is perfect for beginners as the videos are supported by both German and English subtitles. This particular lesson is part of the “basic phrases” playlist and focuses on introducing yourself.
German Listening Practice – Getting Some Groceries in Germany
Fast, easy and fun. That’s the German language learning experience promised by GermanPod101’s YouTube channel, and it certainly does its best to live up to those aims. There are dozens of videos organized into such categories as “German Reading practice,” “German in Three Minutes” and “German Listening Comprehension.”
In this lesson, you will improve your listening comprehension skills from a German conversation about grocery shopping.
Learn German articles
The channel “Get Germanized” (cool name, right?) allows you to not only improve your German skills but also learn more about Germany and German culture. There are videos that discuss a variety of fascinating topics, in addition to covering all of the fundamentals such as pronunciation, numbers, and individual letter lessons. This one is about the (famous) German articles. Knowing when to use der, die, and das is critical because many grammatical rules only make sense if you know which article certain words have. Articles can be difficult to learn, but they are essential! In this video you will learn all of the German articles and find out why they are essential when it comes to learning this language.
Present tense – Regular Verbs
Here’s a task for you to complete: Michael Schmitz, a professional German tutor, believes that you can learn to speak basic but proper German in 30 days. So, what are you holding out for? On your marks, get ready to go! His German learning YouTube channel is chock-full of tutorials organized by day, so there’s Day 01, Day 02, and so on.
This lesson will teach you how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense.
The Best Videos to Learn German for Intermediate Learners
Find the best videos for intermediate users:
German Intermediate Reading Practice
This video, from the previously mentioned channel GermanPod101, is aimed at intermediate learners. This one is ideal for when you don’t have much time, as it only lasts 1 minute and 15 seconds. You will learn and practice understanding an event Guide with it. Perfect for when you want to attend an event, whether in your hometown or while on vacation.
Lingoni German – Dialoge: Wandern
Lingoni German, is a channel that provides targeted German-language tutorials and practice for beginner and intermediate learners.
The videos are divided into levels and focus on grammar skills, vocabulary, and listening comprehension exercises. There are also some uncategorized videos for general interest content and vlogs in German. This video is intended for people with a B1-B2 level, and it focuses on hiking.
Deutsch lernen | Ich habe eine Frau aus dem Internet getroffen
Deutsch Verstehen is a YouTube channel that teaches the German language through short animated videos.
The videos are entirely in German, with German transcripts displayed on the screen as speech bubbles or descriptions. The caption feature on YouTube allows you to toggle on and off English subtitles and translations.
Many of the videos cover topics such as daily life, work, love, and school. In addition to animated videos, there are German grammar lessons, such as active and passive voices in German, and general interest videos, such as the longest word in German.
This 8min long video is about meeting someone online, as you might be able to tell by the title! A very contemporary setting which will help you get acquainted with new vocabulary.
Wie funktioniert eine Impfung? | Immunsystem
This video is from the channel Schoolseasy, which only has videos in German. As a result, this channel is best suited for intermediate learners. The vocabulary is focused on school subjects (which are commonly taught in beginner German resources), and the German used is slow and easy to understand. This video is all about vaccinations and how they work. It also explains what happens in our bodies when we are sick and what our immune systems do when we are vaccinated.
The Best Videos to Learn German for Advanced Learners
Lastly, here is a list of the best videos for advanced learners:
German Listening Practice – A German Business Presentation
This video is part of a series on German Listening Comprehension for Advanced Learners. It allows you to comprehend more than “just” the key points of German conversations and fully comprehend what is going on around you in everyday life in Germany. In each lesson of this five-part series, you’ll see an image, hear a German question and dialogue about that image, and have time to respond in German!
Typische Fehler beim Sprechen und Schreiben | Teil 1. Deklinationsfehler
Deutsch mit Marija is a YouTube channel run by Marija, who assists students at all stages of their German learning journeys.
While all German learners will find useful content, Deutsch mit Marija primarily creates content in German. As a result, it is recommended that learners have a B1 level or higher in the language.
This and subsequent videos are for you if you have difficulty with speaking or writing. It’s about 6 typical types of mistakes in writing and speaking that you can correct yourself if you train patience and concentration. And this one is about the declination errors and how you can avoid them. Adjectives, nouns and pronouns are the most common declension errors.
Deutsch lernen mit geschichten | Eine Geschichte Über Urlaube
My German Short Stories is a YouTube channel that showcases Sherin’s original stories. The stories are written in German and read aloud in YouTube videos with pictures and an on-screen transcript.
While English captions are not always available on each video, YouTube auto-translations are fairly accurate. As a result, we highly suggest this channel for learners who already have a strong foundation in German. The vocabulary and grammatical structures are easy enough for high beginner and intermediate learners to understand, and the stories are told in slow, clear German.
This video is about Sherin’s New York vacations!
Die Wahrheit über Lego
MrWissen2go is a YouTube channel that puts a pop spin on history, politics, and current events. MrWissen2go’s videos are entirely in German, with German subtitles, because the channel is aimed at native German speakers. Although English subtitles are available via YouTube’s auto-translate feature, the level of spoken German is quite advanced. This video tells the story of Lego, a brand that has undoubtedly accompanied many of you throughout your childhood and youth.
Learning German Through Videos: Pros and Cons
Just like anything else, this learning technique has its own pros and cons.
The Pros
- Flexibility: Your classroom is wherever you are with online learning. Furthermore, you have complete control over who teaches you. You don’t even have to stick with the same teacher; you can have different teachers for each topic.
- Uninterrupted learning: If you are away from home for any reason, you do not have to stop learning until you return. Your lessons can continue regardless of where you are in the world, ensuring continuous learning.
- It’s time effective: You don’t have to waste time getting to and from classes. As long as you have a computer and an internet connection, you can learn online at any time and from any location.
- It’s free.
- Multi-tasking: You can listen to YouTube videos while doing multiple things at the same time, which is perfect. This even works when going to bed, to help your brain learn German while you sleep!
Cons
- Technical issues: There is a chance that you will experience technical difficulties with your computer, internet connection, webcam, microphone, and so on. On the other hand, picking up some German learning books will not cause this kind of problems.
- Fewer courses: It is very simple to enroll in an German course at any school, college, or university in the country, but there are comparatively fewer courses available online. If you live in an area where there are no German courses available in schools, for example, online learning is a great way to get one. You can read our article on the best websites to learn German or the best programs and courses to learn German.
- Videos are individualistic: Group learning promotes communal problem solving and the development of teamwork and collaborative skills, both of which are important in life, and video learning is not a good medium for this.
Some More Fun and Interactive Ways to Learn German
Watching YouTube videos isn’t the only fun way to learn German!
Learning German while watching movies and TV shows
While watching videos is a very effective method, it is very easy to become bored and burned out. As a result, TV shows and music offer a fun alternative while also assisting you in improving your listening skills!
We recommend that you begin by re-watching your favorites in German, perhaps with subtitles. However, whether on Netflix or other streaming platforms, they are also very good German content.
Dark and perfume, both available on Netflix, are highly recommended in the TV shows section. If you prefer movies, we recommend Barbara (Christian Petzold, 2012) and 23. (Hans-Christian Schmid, 1998). You can take a look at our best TV series and shows to learn German and pick the ones that you like the most.
If you have children you can watch some German learning cartoons and stories and learn the language together. Afterwards, you could even play some German learning games with them!
Learning German with podcasts and music
Listening to German podcasts is a great way to get started on your German learning journey. Indeed, it will familiarize you with the various sounds of the language as well as introduce you to a variety of different accents. The most popular podcast is probably “GermanPod101.” The name must ring a bell since we’ve recommended several of their videos in this list… Well they also offer thousands of podcast-style lessons based on students’ learning objectives, and listening to these tutors greatly improves pronunciation.
If you’re interested in German music (other than operas), you can start with Edo Saiya or groups like Jeremias.
Those activities are perfect as you can listen to them practically at any given time of the day, whether it is on your way to work, when you cook or even when you exercise!
Learning German with apps
Apps are almost just as good as YouTube videos when it comes to learning a new language. Which is why we have written an article on the best apps for learning German. Check it out if you feel like trying out a new app.
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