German Learning and Discussion Resource List

The resource list of the German Learning and Discussion Discord server.
Join us at https://discord.gg/german

Contents
1. Overview
2. Beginner Resources
3. Dictionaries
4. General Resources
5. Grammar
6. Vocabulary & Pronunciation
7. Practice Materials
8. German Textbooks
9. Software & Utilities
10. Reading (Books, Stories & Poetry)
11. News Sources
12. Videos & Streams
13. Podcasts, Radio & Audiobooks
14. Music
15. Examinations
16. CEFR Self-Assessment Tools
17. Other Languages
18. Dialects & Sign Language
1. Overview
This document provides a list of various resources for learning German, maintained
by the German Learning and Discussion Discord server. These resources range
from dictionaries and vocabulary lists to music playlists and podcasts. The list
comes from a curated pool of resources suggested by our very own community, and
resources that have been helpful for many generations of German learners.

1.1 How to Navigate

The first page of this document contains a table of contents that you can use to
navigate the document. Alternatively, you can bring up the document outline on the
left side of your screen. The arrow icon ➥ indicates a link that directs to another
part of this document.

1.2 How to Contribute

All contributions and corrections are managed through the Discord server, which
can be accessed via the following link: https://discord.gg/german

If you notice any mistakes, please let the moderators know in the #resources
channel with an @Moderator ping. Any dead links should also be reported this way.
If you need the resource before the link is fixed, you can try looking for the
resource in the Wayback Machine.

You can contribute resources to this list by using the >resource command in the
#resources channel, followed by a description of your resource and a link, if
applicable. This will add your suggestion to our queue and make sure that it is not
overlooked. We’ll regularly curate the submissions and the list to ensure our
information is up-to-date.
2. Beginner Resources
The following resources are recommended as a good starting place for absolute beginners.
Note that some of these resources may also be listed in other sections, and some links take
you to other parts of this document.

2.1 Guides
● How to Get Started (WIP)
Our guide to help you get started with learning German, and understanding how to use the
server. (This isn’t finished yet but the link will be added when it is.)

2.2 Courses
● DW Learn German (Nicos Weg)
Free interactive online course for levels A1–B1. Covers all important aspects of the language,
highly recommended for beginners.
● Grenzenlos Deutsch
Free online beginner curriculum for learning German. Make sure to read the homepage
instructions clearly, because the site is a bit difficult to navigate.

2.3 Apps
● Anki
The most popular flashcard app - see the Apps section for more info.
● Duolingo
Free interactive online course for beginners. Decent for learning vocabulary, but best used as
a supplement to another course, as it falls short on teaching grammar. You can find guides
for how best to use this app here and here.
● Seedlang
Similar to Duolingo but with more features. There is also an app for iOS and Android.

2.4 Textbooks
● ➥ Beginner Textbooks
We don’t have any specific textbook recommendations for beginners, as there are plenty of
good options. Just choose whichever one you like, as long as it’s aimed at beginners.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to buy a textbook to learn German, but many people find
them very helpful. However, there are definitely enough free resources out there to learn
without one.

You may be interested in our Textbook Reviews to help you choose a textbook.
2.5 Practice Material
● Grammar worksheets - nthuleen.com
Highly recommended. Contains many worksheets for A-B level learners. Solutions are also
provided.
● Grammar, vocabulary & reading comprehension - german.net
Interactive worksheets for various grammar and vocabulary topics, including reading
comprehension quizzes. Solutions are also provided.
● ➥ Beginner-Friendly News Sources
Great reading practice, using simplified language, but still covers real world news and events.
● ➥ German Learning Videos
Videos made to help you learn German.
● ➥ German Learning Podcasts
Podcasts made to help you learn German.

2.6 Grammar
● Deutsch Kompakt beginner grammar with exercises
A very nice overview of A1-A2 grammar. Not recommended by itself for learning the
grammar, but good for keeping track of your progress as you learn.

2.7 Vocabulary
● ➥ Beginner Vocabulary Resources
If you’re having trouble deciding which words to learn first, try these.
● ➥ Pronunciation Resources
Learning the specific pronunciation is an important early step in learning a language.
● Freerice.com
This game tests you on A1 vocabulary. The words get progressively harder as you play and for
every correct answer, the World Food Programme donates 5 grains of rice to people in need

2.8 General Resources

● ➥ Dictionaries
Choose a dictionary that you like and learn how to use it! This is a very important tool that
you will use throughout your learning. You can simply choose based on your preferences.

2.9 Recommended Links

● Easy German Video: How To Sound More Polite In German
A video from Easy German explaining how to sound polite in German. Useful if you’re
traveling to a German-speaking country.
3. Dictionaries
A list of the most commonly recommended dictionaries.

3.1 Translation Dictionaries (EN-DE, etc.)

● dict.cc
Free online dictionary that searches for words, phrases involving them, and usually has
human-recorded pronunciation examples. Perhaps the most comprehensive dictionary in
terms of number of words/phrases. Also has an app.
● Wiktionary
Free dictionary that contains useful information like conjugations, declensions, definitions,
synonyms, and example sentences. May not contain as many words as other dictionaries, but
the information it does contain is very useful.
● Linguee
Simple dictionary with good sentence examples and prettier design than most other
dictionaries, but less information. Also has an app.
● leo.org
Another popular dictionary. Generally considered an alternative to dict.cc.
● PONS dictionary
Another popular dictionary. The dictionaries above are preferred, as PONS does not always
have translations for rarer/unusual words or phrases.
● Collins Wörterbuch
Each entry is very extensive, including translations, declension, examples from their corpus,
usage history and equivalents in other common languages.

3.2 Dictionaries in German Only

● Duden
Generally considered the definitive resource for grammar, spelling and usage rules for
Standard German.
● dwds.de - Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Contains a lot of very useful information about vocabulary.
● Wiktionary
The German language version of Wiktionary. [See 3.1.2]
● Beispielsätze
A dictionary of example sentences for words.
4. General Resources
Resources that cover many things or don’t fit into one of the categories below.

4.1 General Resources

● German - Stack Exchange
A Q&A site where you can ask any question about the German language and its usage. Most
questions concern word usage.
● The German Professor
Contains various articles about the German language and German culture.
● Lingolia.com
Covers grammar, vocabulary, and information about the German-speaking countries.
● Various resources - babbel.com
A compiled list of resources with links to basic info such as “10 Useful Phrases”, “Body Parts
Vocabulary”, and so on.
● /r/German resource wiki
The resource list for the /r/German subreddit. Please note that we are not affiliated with
/r/German and therefore cannot provide any quality guarantee for the resources they
provide.

4.2 Courses
● DW Learn German (Nicos Weg)
Free interactive online course for levels A1–B1. Covers all important aspects of the language,
highly recommended for beginners.
● Grenzenlos Deutsch
Free online beginner curriculum for learning German. Make sure to read the homepage
instructions clearly, because the site is a bit difficult to navigate.
● FSI Language Courses
Four free language courses originally created by the FSI (Foreign Service Institute) of the US
Government. The courses are designed for US diplomatic staff preparing for postings
abroad. They are designed to be very intensive.
● Language Transfer
This course uses an unconventional method to teach languages. Keep in mind that this may
not be suited to all learners.
5. Grammar
Resources which may help with learning grammar. This section contains resources that
cover specific grammar sections. If you are looking for a textbook, we have a dedicated
section that covers them here. We also have practice material here.

If you’re looking for a detailed grammar reference, please check out Hammer’s German
Grammar and Usage in the Textbook section. It’s not recommended for beginners, but it
has a lot of detail covering almost every aspect of German grammar - very useful for
understanding obscure rules or verifying your understanding of a particular detail.

5.1 Basic Resources & Overviews

● Overview - German for English Speakers
Short and simple but has some very useful information, especially charts and lists.
● Deutsch Kompakt beginner grammar with exercises
An overview of A1-A2 grammar with a small exercise for each topic.
● Blog - yourdailygerman.com
A blog about the German language, including a lot of explanations of grammar and
vocabulary intended to be more intuitive rather than technical.
● Reference - germanveryeasy.com
A grammar resource with some useful information, but has a few inaccuracies.
● Articles - thoughtco.com
Various useful articles about German grammar topics. Probably easier to find the specific
page you want by using Google, since it’s not sorted very well.
● Grammar Course - german-grammar.de
German grammar arranged as a course.
● Overview - Deutsch.info
Simple grammar overview for levels A1-B1.
● Schritte Grammar overviews: A1, A2, B1
A summary of all the grammar points covered for each level, based on the Schritte textbooks.
● Sicher! Grammar overviews: B1, B2, C1
As above, but for the Sicher! textbooks series.
● Paul Joyce Beginners' German
An introductory course to most of the important grammar topics written by a lecturer at
Portmouth University in the UK.
● Pferd's Grammar Blog
Articles about grammar (mostly the passive voice) written by Pferd.
● German with Laura - Grammar Guides
Several articles explaining grammar topics.
● The German Project - Grammar Lessons
A few free beginner lessons as well as reviews of various German learning tools/courses.
5.2 Comprehensive Resources
● Reference - Lingolia.com
Very comprehensive but simple grammar reference.
● Dartmouth College German grammar review
Contains a lot of very useful information, and this page can also be used as a grammar
overview.
● Reference - Mein-deutschbook.de
Comprehensive grammar information, written in German.

5.3 Conjugation and Declension

● Declension reference sheet [PDF]
● A Brief Guide to Memorizing German Noun and Adjective Declension
Highly recommended if you’re having trouble with adjective declension. This guide is
designed to help people recognize the patterns in German declension, and use these
patterns to memorize the article/noun/adjective endings in a simplified way.
● Adjective Declension Overview - nthuleen.com
Comprehensive grammar information, written in German.
● Noun Gender Patterns
Brief notes about the patterns (endings or categories) that can help you determine which
gender a noun belongs to, including a few examples.
● Noun Gender Patterns - fluentin3months.com
Brief notes about the patterns (endings or categories) that can help you determine which
gender a noun belongs to, including a few examples.

5.4 Word Order

● Nicht ruleset

5.5 Prepositions
● ➥ Vocabulary
This vocabulary section has useful preposition resources such as lists of preposition-verb
collocations.
● Prepositions Overview - University of Michigan
Useful overview of how to use prepositions to answer questions “Wo?”, “Woher?” and
“Wohin?”
● Prepositions Overview - deutschlernerblog.de
Another useful overview covering “Wo?”, “Woher?”, “Wohin?”
● 1000 Locations with Prepositions - deutschlernerblog.de
A list of 1000 locations with their matching prepositions.
6. Vocabulary & Pronunciation
Resources which may help with learning vocabulary or pronunciation.

6.1 Beginner
● Schritte vocabulary lists: A1.1 - A1.2 - A2.1 - A2.2
These vocabulary lists come from a German textbook and are thus sorted by levels for each
textbook. They can be useful to see what kind of words you might want to know as a
beginner, but are of course not exhaustive.
● Aussichten vocabulary lists: A1.1 - A1.2 - A2.1 - A2.2
Similar to the above, but from a different textbook.
● Goethe A2 vocabulary list
This word list covers Goethe’s A2 exam. Has about 30 pages of words grouped into
categories with usage examples.
● Simple Picture Dictionary (Bildwörterbuch)
A picture-dictionary for beginners. It shows a picture of an object and the name of that
object in German.
● Lingolia - Wortschatz
Lists of words for everyday topics with exercises (German only).
● Visual German - Picture Dictionary
Another picture dictionary.
● Vocabulary learning tool (DW Deutschtrainer)
A tool from dw.com used for training vocabulary.

6.2 Intermediate
● Goethe B1 vocabulary list
Another word list by Goethe, containing 100 pages of words with definitions roughly
grouped into categories.
● Goethe B1 alphabetic vocabulary list
Similar to 5.2.2 but in a different format.
● Goethe B2 quizlet
● Aussichten vocabulary lists: B1.1 - B1.2
Vocabulary lists for B1 from the Aussichten textbooks.
● German Word of the Day Mailing List
● 180 Useful Adjectives
● Englische Vokabeln als Listen
A list of common topics with translations and example sentences. As the website is intended
for German learners of English, most information is in German.
● List of reflexive verbs with cases
Separated by level, including the following: A2, B1, B2, and C1.
6.3 Advanced / Specialized
● Noun-verb collocations
This list is suitable for B2 - C1 learners, and contains 30 pages of nouns and verbs that they
are commonly paired with, as well as example sentences for each usage. This is a great
resource if you want to learn some common phrases or sound more natural.
● Preposition-verb collocations - deutschseite.de
Idiomatic pairings of verbs with certain prepositions.
● Preposition-verb collocations - vistawide.com
Idiomatic pairings of verbs with certain prepositions.
● Preposition-verb collocations - pons.com
Idiomatic pairings of verbs with certain prepositions.
● Verben, Nomina und Adjektive mit Präpositionen
A list of verbs with details about their objects (incl. reflexive) and which prepositions they go
with.
● Liste Verben alphabetisch
Long, alphabetized list of German verbs.
● Adjektivliste - 7000+ Adjektive der deutschen Sprache
Long, alphabetized list of German adjectives.
● Mathematical terms
This list contains almost a thousand mathematical terms and their translations. Useful if you
are planning to take a math-related course in German.
● Atlas zur deutschen Alltagssprache
Provides maps showing how the usage of certain words and expressions varies by region.
● Bildwörterbuch Online
A picture-dictionary for a wide range of topics, ranging from astronomy to sport.
● Phraseo - Idiom & Phrase Dictionary
A website to look up idioms, phrases, sayings, and so on.
● Various German quotes and aphorisms
A collection of German quotes.
● List of homonyms
A list of German homonyms, words which sound the same but have different meanings.
6.4 Frequency Lists
● Top 500 German words
This list is suitable for complete beginners and contains the 500 most common German
words and their translations.
● Google Sheet of "Most-Used German Words"
This transcript of 1781 nouns, 1054 verbs, 648 adjectives & 253 adverbs is from A Frequency
Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners by Routledge - Taylor & Francis Group.
● Anki Deck: Top 4000 vocabulary
Deck to learn German with pictures and sound. Ordered by frequency with cards being both
forward and reverse.
● Anki Deck: 5000 most common words
Source: A Frequency Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners, 2nd Edition
(Routledge Frequency Dictionaries). A Frequency Dictionary of German is an invaluable tool
for all learners of German and contains the 5,000 most commonly used words of German
today.

6.5 Pronunciation
● forvo: the pronunciation dictionary
A searchable, user-driven archive of (usually) native speakers pronouncing words.
● German Pronunciation Video 1: The German Consonants and the IPA
● German Pronunciation Video 2: The German Vowels and the IPA
● German Pronunciation Video 3: The German Spelling System
A three-part series on the basics of German pronunciation and spelling.
● German Pronunciation Playlist (Learn German with Anja)
Various videos about pronunciation by the YouTube channel Learn German with Anja.
● MRI footage of someone speaking German
Videos showing the position of the tongue/mouth when pronouncing German sounds.
● How to pronounce German ö and ü
An explanation of how to pronounce ö and ü for native English speakers.
● Youglish - Pronunciation Dictionary using YouTube
This website allows you to search for a word in German and the search engine will return a
collection of videos in which German speakers are using those words.

6.6 Other
● Vocabulary Size Estimator
A test which claims to estimate the size of your German vocabulary. The accuracy of this
test has not been verified.
● Grammatical Gender of Noun Suffixes with examples
A list of various noun suffixes and the grammatical gender associated with them. May be
useful for guessing the gender of some nouns.
7. Practice Materials
Here you can find various exercises and practice materials which cover topics like grammar
and vocabulary. For resources dedicated to teaching, explaining, or outlining these topics,
make sure to check out their dedicated sections above.

7.1 Grammar
● Grammar worksheets - nthuleen.com
Contains many worksheets for A-B level learners. Solutions are also provided.
● Deutsch für Dich - goethe.de
Requires a goethe.de account.
● Grammar worksheets - grammatiktraining.de
Grammar exercises for all levels.
● Worksheets by CEFR level - schubert-verlag.de
Worksheets sorted by CEFR level from Schubert Verlag, the publisher of textbooks such as
Begegnungen and Erkundungen.
● Worksheets by CEFR level - Deutsch aber Hallo!
Free grammar worksheets by CEFR level. See the links under “Skripten” for the worksheets.

7.2 Vocabulary
● Basic German Vocabulary
A vocabulary trainer, containing 2,835 words with 10,500 example sentences, which cover
the levels A1 to B1.
● Freerice.com
This game tests you on A1 vocabulary. The words get progressively harder as you play and for
every correct answer, the World Food Programme donates 5 grains of rice to people in need.
● Wordle in German
The popular word game Wordle but with German vocabulary.
7.3 Mixed
● Grammar, vocabulary & reading comprehension - german.net
Interactive worksheets for various grammar and vocabulary topics, including reading
comprehension quizzes. Solutions are also provided.
● Various worksheets - de.islcollective.com
Large collection of free worksheets used by DaF teachers.
● Tatoeba: Collection of sentences and translations
A collection of sentences and translations, which anyone can contribute to by translating or
adding new sentences. Recommended for advanced learners.
● German Resources - Rocket Languages
Various resources for learning German, ranging from lessons to pronunciation guides.
● Grammar and vocab exercises & gender trainer - deutsch.ie
A collection of simple grammar exercises and vocabulary sorted by category. It includes a
gender trainer, which is essentially a flashcard game focussing on memorizing noun gender.
8. German Textbooks
Here you can find a list of the most recommended textbooks. You can also find a link to
reviews left by members of the server. Feel free to add your own review.

Note that due to Discord’s Terms of Service, we are not allowed to provide links to sites
where you can obtain copyrighted/pirated books illegally. We aim to provide you with
recommendations for good books and leave the means of obtaining them up to you.
However, we welcome links to any free and legal resources.

8.1 Beginner
● Schenke and Seago, Basic German: A Grammar and Workbook
Contains the basics of grammar that you need to get started, as well as exercises with
sample solutions for each topic they cover.
● German wikibook
A free textbook for German. It was not completely finished, but the first few lessons are
useful for beginners.
● A Foundation Course in Reading German
A free textbook for German written by lecturers at the University of Winconsin-Madison.
Covers all the main aspects of German grammar.

8.2 Intermediate
● Miell and Schenke, Intermediate German: A Grammar and Workbook
This book continues where the Basic German book stops, covering a wider range of tenses
and aspects of grammar suitable for intermediate learners. Each unit comes with solved
exercises that you can use to practice.

8.3 Advanced
● Durrell, Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage
A comprehensive grammar reference covering almost all of German grammar, containing
explanations and examples. Particularly useful for advanced learners who want to explore
concepts not covered elsewhere or brush up on their existing grammar knowledge.
● Modern German Grammar
Not as comprehensive as Hammer’s, but still a very useful grammar reference. It aims to
convey the key points rather than every detail, so it may be easier to follow. You may also
find some alternative explanations to grammar rules that help you understand the concepts
more easily.
8.4 Other / Various
● Practice Makes Perfect: Complete German All-in-One
A collection of the following 6 workbooks combined into one book: Complete German
Grammar; German Verb Tenses; German Pronouns and Prepositions; Intermediate German
Grammar; German Conversation; German Sentence Builder.

8.5 Reviews
● Submit a Review
You can use this link to submit your own review to our curated review list. Please keep in
mind that this is a new feature that we are trialling and we welcome any feedback.
● Read Reviews
The lists of reviews that community members have already submitted.
9. Software & Utilities
Useful software for helping you learn German.

9.1 Flashcards
● Anki
The most popular flashcard app. Completely customizable, including building your own
decks and changing the appearance of the cards. It also has spaced-repetition built in, the
settings for which can also be customized. Free on any platform except iPhone.
Note: See the Vocabulary section for Anki deck suggestions.
● Memrise
Simple, flashcard-style vocabulary app which allows you to choose from pre-created decks.
● Clozemaster
Cloze-style (fill-in-the-blank) flashcard app with pre-created decks.
● Drops
A simple flashcard app mostly involving matching a word to an image/icon, owned by the
Kahoot! company.

9.2 Verb Conjugator

● Reverso Conjugation
● Verbix
● Verbformen
The bot uses this website when the command “>verb [verb]” is used.

9.3 Translators
● DeepL
Basic auto-translator which generally performs better than Google Translate.
● ReadLang
Web reader which allows you to translate words and create flashcards directly from your
browser by simply clicking the word.
9.4 Other
● Reverso Context
Search words or phrases to find text excerpts in which they were used.
● Language Reactor
Previously called “Language Learning with Netflix”, Language Reactor is a browser extension
for Netflix and YouTube, displaying subtitles in two languages (e.g., German and English).
Can also play individual words from the subtitles, has a built-in dictionary and recommends
words to learn.
● Der Die Das - German Grammar
An iPhone app to help you learn rules and patterns for the definite articles. Free with ads.
● Toucan
A Chrome browser extension which includes various features for language learning, such as
translations and quizzes.
● Lingo Journal
Android app. Language learning activity tracker.
● Free VHS Course Apps (Android)
Free Android apps from Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband covering various German levels.
● Busuu
A website/app to meet and chat with native speakers in your target language while learning
that language.
● Lingopie
A website which teaches languages using TV shows. Requires a paid subscription.
● Readle App
An app which gives you news and stories to read based on your chosen CEFR level, as well as
grammar and vocabulary tools/exercises.
10. Reading (Books, Stories & Poetry)
This section includes book and poetry recommendations, as well as links to resources
which are available online for free.

Note that due to Discord’s Terms of Service, we are not allowed to provide links to sites
where you can obtain copyrighted/pirated books illegally. We aim to provide you with
recommendations for good books and leave the means of obtaining them up to you.
However, we welcome links to any free and legal resources.

For audiobooks, please see Section 13: Podcasts, Radio & Audiobooks.

10.1 Novels
● Tintenherz by Cornelia Funke
Popular German Young Adult novel (known as Inkheart in English).
● Momo by Michael Ende
Another popular German novel for younger readers.
● Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen by J. K. Rowling
The translations of the Harry Potter books are very popular for intermediate learners. There
is some specialized vocabulary (as with most fantasy books), but people generally enjoy it.
Only the first book is linked here, but a list of the other novels can be found here.

10.2 Story Collections

● Grimm Märchen
Traditional German fairytales. An older version is also available if you’re interested.
● Goethe.de Märchen
Includes texts and exercises to go with them.
● Wolfgang Borchert's short stories
● H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories
● H. C. Andersen Märchen
Various stories by Hans Christian Andersen in German.
● The German Project - Children's Stories
Simplified versions of traditional fairytales.
● The Fable Cottage - Children's Stories
Similar to The German Project, run by the same people.
10.3 Children’s Books
● Max und Moritz (alternate link)
● Der kleine Prinz
● Children's Books Forever
A collection of children’s books.
● Einfach Vorlesen
A collection of children’s books. The main page has books for ages 3+. Go to this page for
books aimed at younger ages.

10.4 Levelled Readers

● Dino lernt Deutsch
A German short story series for beginners starting at the A1/A2 level.

10.5 Free & Public Domain Libraries

● Public domain text collection - Project Gutenberg
● Public domain text collection - digbib.org
● Free eBooks - zulu-ebooks.com

10.6 Parallel Text

● Paralleltext.io
Displays a story in two languages side-by-side.
● F. Kafka - Der Prozess
Side by side German and English, made by our server member, Nancy.
● Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia
Same as above.
● Bilingual Electronic Books - German/English
A list of purchasable bilingual electronic books.
● L2 Press German
Parallel text books and audio. This is NOT a free resource.
● Beelinguapp - Parallel Text App
An app which encourages and facilitates learning languages by reading, specifically using
parallel text.

10.7 Non-Fiction
● Kurze Antworten auf große Fragen by Stephen Hawking
Popular pop-science book discussing some of life’s biggest questions.
● Alma Blog
A blog about various topics, written in simple German with audio recordings.
10.8 Poetry
● No resources added yet - feel free to recommend some!

10.9 Magazines
● Deutsch Perfekt
A monthly magazine aimed at German learners. It includes many articles that generally range
in difficulty from A2 to C1. Some of the texts are online, but it’s highly recommended that
you get a copy of the actual magazine.

10.10 Recipes
● Chefkoch
● Lecker
● Edeka
● Rewe
11. News Sources
German language news sources. The beginner-friendly sources are designed to be easier to
read than regular news sources, but they still cover real news.

11.1 Beginner-Friendly
● nachrichtenleicht.de
Publishes a few articles every week covering recent events in language that is meant to be
simple and easier to understand for beginners. Articles also come with a slow recording by a
native speaker that you can listen to, and after every article, some of the more complex
terms they use are explained.
● logo! Kindernachricht
Children’s news site from ZDF.de.
● Nachrichten in Leichter Sprache
Another website with news articles written with simpler language.

11.2 Websites
● Tagesschau - tagesschau.de [Germany] [Free]
● Zeit Online - zeit.de [Germany] [Free with ads]
● Der Spiegel - spiegel.de [Germany] [Free with ads]
● Die Tageszeitung - taz.de [Germany] [Free with ads]
● Süddeutsche Zeitung - SZ.de [Germany] [Paywall]
● Stern - stern.de [Germany] [Paywall]
● Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - faz.net [Germany] [Paywall]
● Mittelbayerische - mittelbayerische.de [Bavaria, Germany] [Free / Premium]
Some premium articles have a paywall.
● Neue Zürcher Zeitung - nzz.ch [Switzerland] [Paywall]
● Der Standard - derstandard.at [Austria] [Free with ads]
● Heute - heute.at [Austria] [Free]
● Österreich - oe24.at [Austria] [Free]
● Kronen Zeitung - krone.at [Austria] [Free]
● Die Presse - diepresse.com [Austria] [Free / Premium]
Some premium articles have a paywall.
● Kurier - kurier.at [Austria] [Free / Premium]
Some premium articles have a paywall.
● Deutsche Welle - dw.com [Free]
11.3 Other
● List of newspapers in Germany (Wikipedia)
Includes additional information such as political leaning of various German newspapers.
12. Videos & Streams
Various videos including material designed for learning German, as well as general media in
German.

12.1 German Learning

● Easy German
Popular YouTube series in which the host interviews people on the street in German on
various everyday topics.
● Deutsch für Euch
Various videos about grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
● Jojo Sucht das Glück
A 33 episode show about a Brazilian student in Köln.
● Mein Weg nach Deutschland
Another show for new learners.
● Schnitzel und Dolmades - Die Websoap
Another show for new learners.
● Brothers Tim - The fairytale Channel
As the name suggests, fairytales told in German.
● VlogDave
German YouTuber who publishes videos about German culture. His most popular videos are
translations and explanations of Rammstein songs.
● Natürlich German
A German learning channel using a “comprehensive input” approach.
● Deutsch mit Rieke
Various videos about grammar and vocabulary.
● DeutschLera
Various videos about grammar and vocabulary.
● Your German Teacher
Various videos about grammar.
● Learn German
Free German lessons online for all CEFR levels.
● German Stories with Illustrations - Kathrin Shechtman
YouTube channel of a German teacher who tells stories in German and provides visuals
(drawings, writing) to illustrate the story as it’s told.
● Learn German with Herr Antrim
Various videos about grammar and vocabulary.
● Lingster Academy
Various videos about grammar and vocabulary.
● Learn German with Anja
Various videos about grammar and vocabulary.
12.2 TV Series & Movies
● Dark
A popular German Netflix series. [Thriller/Mystery]
● Filme online schauen - ZDFmediathek
Various films in German from ZDF. Free to watch, but usually geoblocked outside of
Germany.

12.3 Documentaries, News & Educational Content

● Dinge Erklärt – Kurzgesagt
Short videos about interesting topics.
● Galileo
Short videos about interesting topics.
● Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden
Podcast from TV news service Tagesschau (tagesschau.de).
● Das Erste
German national TV with lots of archived videos.
● DorFuchs
A popular Youtuber with STEM students. Does videos on math and mathsy music videos.
● MrWissen2go
Makes videos about general knowledge topics, politics, history and current events.
● Techtastisch
Videos about experiments, DIYs and life hacks.
● Green Rabbit
Offers videos about psychology and philosophy.
● Terra X Lesch & Co
Weekly videos about various science topics.
● Terra X Natur und Geschichte
Like the previous link, but focuses on nature, history and space.

12.4 Lifestyle & Hobbies

● Lust aufs Land TV
YouTube channel with recipes and other food videos in German.
● Sallys Welt
Another YouTube channel with recipes in German. A lot of desserts/cakes.
12.5 Let’s Plays & Gaming
● Gronkh
One of the most well-known German YouTubers. Plays a variety of games, especially survival,
crafting and horror games.
● BeHaind
Offers Let’s Plays, prank videos and top 10 lists.
● SgtRumpel
Gaming videos, Let’s Plays and podcasts.
● Sarazar
A popular YouTuber, playing action, adventure and shooter games.
● Rahmschnitzel
Plays survival, action and indie games.
● AltF4Games
A channel for game reviews.
● Paluten
Mostly focused on Minecraft, but plays other games too.
● maudado
Usually plays multiplayer games like Minecraft, Among Us or Fall Guys.
● Zombey
Plays action, RPG, multiplayer, platformer and indie games.
● PietSmiet
A channel covering action, simulation and strategy games.
● Gameomat
A satirical channel doing videos like game sins.
13. Podcasts, Radio & Audiobooks
German language podcasts and other similar listening material. Most links are for Spotify,
but you should be able to find the podcasts on your preferred platform by searching by
name. The average episode length and frequency is also included for some podcasts.

13.1 German Learning

● Coffee Break German
Free German lessons for beginner and intermediate learners.
● Slow German
Podcaster Annik Rubens talks slowly about everyday German topics. The website can be
found here.
● Easy German
Podcast associated with the Easy German YouTube channel. The website can be found here.

13.2 News & Politics

● Das Thema
(30-60 mins, weekly) Podcast from newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ.de). Summarizes a
news topic relevant to that particular week (e.g. elections on election week).
● Was jetzt?
(15 mins, daily) Podcast from newspaper Die Zeit (zeit.de). Short overview of recent news.
● Servus. Grüezi. Hallo.
(30-60 mins, weekly) Another podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de). An Austrian, German and Swiss
editor from Die Zeit discuss news and other topics, with a focus on how it relates to their
respective country.
● Acht Milliarden
(30 mins, weekly) Podcast from newspaper Der Spiegel (spiegel.de). Detailed look into the
news of the week.
● Der Politikpodcast
(20-30 mins, weekly) Podcast from radio station Deutschlandfunk (dlf.de).
● SBS German
German language news podcast-radio from SBS, an Australian broadcasting network.
13.3 General Discussions & Interviews
● Woher weißt Du das?
(20-30 mins, monthly) Another podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de). Takes a deep dive into
random questions on phenomena, research, and interesting themes for all subjects.
● Hinter der Geschichte
(15-60 mins, weekly) Another podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de). Stories from Die Zeit journalists
about experiences they had while investigating/reporting a recent news story.
● Alles gesagt?
(2-6 hrs, monthly) Another podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de). Interviews with people who excel
in their respective field.
● Frisch an die Arbeit
(30-60 mins, fortnightly) Another podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de). Interviews with people
about the specifics of what their job/career entails.
● Nachts an der Espressobar
(1-2 hrs) A podcast featuring casual discussions between the two co-hosts about various
everyday topics.
● DIESDAS
(30-60 mins) Felix Leibelt and “MrWissen2go” Mirko Drotschmann discuss a variety of topics,
including music, politics, popular media and news.

13.4 True Crime

● Verbrechen
A true crime podcast from Die Zeit (zeit.de).
● Mordlust
Two friends discussing interesting true crime cases.

13.5 Comedy & Satire

● Fest & Flauschig
Satirical podcast about politics and society.
● Beste Freundinnen
Two guys talking about love, sex, and relationships.

13.6 Science & Educational

● Eine Stunde History
History podcast from radio station Deutschlandfunk (dlf.de).
● Bayerischer Rundfunk radioWissen
A podcast with the aim of learning about all different kinds of study areas, including history,
literature, politics, philosophy, religion, and science.
● Geschichte aus der Geschichte
A weekly podcast held by two Austrian historians where they talk about little interesting
stories from history.
13.7 Culture, Lifestyle & Hobbies
● No resources added yet - feel free to recommend some!

13.8 Fiction & Audiobooks

● Hörspiel: Gothic - Die Welt der Verurteilten
Radio play related to the Gothic games.
● Pen & Paper
Podcast in which a group of people play a pen & paper RPG.
● Kati Winter Märchenwelt
Many famous German stories.
● Spotify - Alle Hörbücher
A playlist of all German audiobooks on Spotify.
● Spotify - Hörbücher Neuheiten
A playlist of new audiobooks in German, updated weekly.
● Free Audiobooks - vorleser.net

13.9 Radio Streams

● Listen to radio from all over the world
Nearly all languages but surely you want to listen to German, right?
● German radio livestreams - deutschland.fm
See NDR if you’re looking for a station without much music.
● More radio livestreams - fluxfm.de
14. Music
German language music.

14.1 Spotify Playlists

● Spotify playlist 1
● Spotify playlist 2

14.2 Other
● YouTube playlist
● YouTube song compilation
15. Examinations
Below you can find sample tests with solutions for various paid examinations that issue
(generally) officially recognized language certificates. Remember to always check which
certificates your country, workplace or university requires and how recent your certificate
must be before doing a test.

15.1 Goethe-Zertifikat
Offers A1-C2 exams which are generally recognized in DACH countries. See this document
for details.

● Goethe A1 - Goethe A2 - Goethe B1 - Goethe B2 - Goethe C1 - Goethe C2

15.2 ÖSD (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch)

Offers A1-C2 exams which are mostly recognized in Austria, but also in other countries
depending on the circumstances. See this page for details.

● ÖSD A1 - ÖSD A2 - ÖSD B1 - ÖSD B2 - ÖSD C1 - ÖSD C2

15.3 DSD (Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz)

DSD 1 is equivalent to A2/B1 and DSD 2 is equivalent to B2/C1. See this page or this page
for details.

● DSD 1 - DSD 2
16. CEFR Self-Assessment Tools
These resources can be used to estimate your CEFR level. Keep in mind that the only truly
reliable test is an official one. Any unofficial test (such as the Online Tests listed below)
should be considered a reference point and practice tool only. They will not provide an
accurate assessment of your CEFR level.

16.1 Rubrics
● Checklists in German: A1 - A2 - B1 - B2 - C1 - C2
Checklists of requirements for each level from the University of Vienna.

16.2 Online Tests

● DW Einstufungstest
A placement test by dw.de to help you determine your competence level in German
according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
● CEFR Test - gls-berlin.de
Mostly covers grammar.

16.3 Other
● Course Content by CEFR level - Kapitel Zwei
A list of topics for each CEFR level as rated by Kapitel Zwei, a Deutsch-Sprachschule in
Berlin.
17. Other Languages
Resources in other languages besides English and German. The first list covers resources
which have quite a few language options available, and you should browse the link to find
out if your preferred language is available.

17.1 Multiple Languages

● ➥ Dictionaries
Many translation dictionaries offer several language options. However, the quality varies.
● DW Learn German (Nicos Weg)
Free interactive online course for levels A1–B1. Covers all important aspects of the language,
highly recommended for beginners. Instruction languages available include Arabic, Russian,
Persian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, French, English, and German.
● Lingolia
German grammar explanations available in Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, English, and
German.

17.2 French
● Apprende natur’allemand
A German learning YouTube channel taught via French with two videos a week, and lots of
basic explanations and tips for beginner learners.
18. Dialects & Sign Language
Resources for dialects of the German language and variations of sign language used in
German-speaking countries.

18.1 Sign Language

● Sign Language Dictionary - signdict.org
● Short Intro Course
● More Detailed Course