The Best Way To Learn German Online

Curious about the best way to learn German? I’m glad you’re here. 

When you search for German learning advice, hundreds of different apps, courses and methods pop up. And in real life, people have plenty of different pieces of advice to give. 

So what’s a curious and keen German learner like you to do? 

Well, I’m here to reduce the overwhelm and help you get started understanding and speaking German. Once you’ve started on your German learning adventure, there’s no turning back! 

Here’s what you’ll discover in this post.  

How Not To Learn German 

One of the reasons many German learners fail to learn the language is due to a phenomenon I call the Parrot Problem. 

The Parrot Problem means learning German by memorising word lists and grammar rules. It’s the “repeat after me, like a parrot” style of teaching from your school days. As German is quite a grammar-heavy language, this makes the Parrot Problem even worse. 

And the Parrot Problem isn’t just restricted to the stuffy classrooms of your school. It still persists in many of today’s German apps and courses, despite their hi-tech, modern appearance. 

No matter if it’s in a classroom or online, when you learn German like a parrot, you repeat words and put them in your short-term memory. But when you want to use them in conversation, they’re nowhere to be found. 

So when it comes time to watch “Dark” in German on Netflix or have a chat over a beer at Oktoberfest, you struggle to understand and speak German. After all, Parrots don’t learn to really use a language. 

What Is The Best Way To Learn German? 

Forget about rote learning, grammar drills, boring textbooks and silly apps that you know you’re wasting your time with. The best way to learn German online is through a method where you see the language used in context and naturally. 

At StoryLearning®, I've created courses that use story as motivation to keep going. StoryLearning is a natural, brain-friendly way to learn German. It's supported by decades of research and is being used right now by thousands of people all over the world to learn languages.

Story is the basis of all human communication. It’s how you understand the world and communicate with others. The desire to know what happens next pushes you to learn.

My StoryLearning method uses stories to teach you German so that you learn the language naturally, like a child learns their first language. The desire to read and understand the story is at the core of what will motivate you to progress. 

Thanks to this fun and motivating method, you remember the German you’re learning more easily thanks to the story. And the language makes sense to your brain naturally – on a deep level.

This story-first approach is completely different to the parrot methods you’ve experienced at school. I don’t just give you a bunch of rules and then ask you to memorise them.

Instead, your eyes and ears will be immersed in German. Your mind will begin to adapt. It’s just like learning a language naturally, when we were kids.

It’s like learning German in reverse! And that’s what makes it oh-so effective. 

Best Way To Learn German Online

You can learn German online thanks to the StoryLearning method with my popular German Uncovered courses.

My German Uncovered courses cover all levels from total beginner to advanced. They’re the best way to learn German online if you want to learn German for life. 

The StoryLearning method combines all of the benefits of online learning—like flexibility, modern engaging materials, and different types of media—with a fun and motivating method that's helped thousands of German learners get fluent. 

If you’ve failed at learning German before due to the Parrot Problem, then you’re going to love my story-first approach to learning. 

Best Way To Learn German Fast

There’s no shortcut to learning German fast – you’ll have to put in consistent effort over weeks and months to get the results you want. Despite the promises you see online, super-fast fluency in a matter of days or even hours doesn’t exist. 

That said, something that has helped me learn 8 languages (including German) relatively fast is having the support of a teacher. When I have regular tutoring sessions on my calendar, it holds me accountable and pushes me to do the work. 

That’s why I created StoryLearning VIP – a 10-week coaching programme to fast-track you to fluency in German. The VIP coaching programme is the highest level of language support we offer!

What makes StoryLearning VIP so effective is the winning combination of the StoryLearning method and your own German coach to help you understand the language from the course and practise speaking. 

I won’t lie – VIP is an intense programme that requires daily study time and twice-weekly sessions with your coach. But it's the best way to learn German fast thanks to the personalised support of your very own expert German coach. 

Best Way To Learn German For Travel

What if you don’t want to get fluent in German but just need enough German for your next visit to Berlin, Basel or Salzburg?  

The best way to learn German for your next trip to a German-speaking country is to practise real-world situations like checking into an AirBNB or hotel or eating out. 

By focusing on these real-life situations, you save time and remember the German that you do learn better thanks to learning in words and phrases context. 

If you’d like to learn German for travel, check out my blog post on this very topic that will teach you German phrases. 

Thanks to the blog post, you’ll learn German greetings, German phrases for getting around, eating out and much more. 

This hands-on approach to learning German for travel is the best way to be able to speak German on your next visit to Germany, Switzerland or Austria. 

Best Way To Learn German While Driving

Do you have a daily commute by car? Want to use that time productively to learn German? Great idea! But what is the best way to learn German while driving? 

I’m all about health and safety, so I won’t suggest anything like watching videos or playing with an app or anything else that’s too distracting for safe driving. 

The best way to learn German while driving (and safely!) is to listen to an audio course or German podcasts. Listening to German on a daily commute will help your brain to adapt to and get used to German so you can learn it naturally. 

For beginners in German, my top recommendation is the Michel Thomas German audio course which will help you get a handle on the basics. 

If you’re an Intermediate German learner, I’ve created the perfect “Goldilocks” listening material that’s not too easy and not too hard. It’s called German Conversations and it's an exciting 20-part story to immerse you in German.

If you have an advanced level in German then you need to use the listening time on your commute to challenge yourself. As an advanced learner, you can listen to native-level German podcasts on the topics of your choice. 

Best Way To Learn German On Your Own

Here’s a conclusion I’ve come to as both a language learner and teacher – languages can’t be taught, only learnt. Becoming fluent in German depends much more on your self-directed learning, than what you’re taught.

So, as you’ve probably figured out, I'm a proponent of independent language learning. In fact, learning languages on my own led me to learn eight of them and start StoryLearning!

But how can you get started learning German on your own among all the different resources available?

When it comes to the best way to learn German on your own, I don’t hesitate to recommend my German Uncovered courses. 

German Uncovered is a self-study course designed to be the heart of any self-directed German learning journey. 

German Uncovered includes all of the materials you need to improve your German and helpful advice on how to learn German on your own. 

Best Way To Learn German Fluently

Would you love to learn German fluently? 

My aim in language learning is always to reach fluency (a B2 level in my book) because that way I can interact with native speakers and never forget the language. 

But what is the best way to learn German fluently? 

If you have a system in place to learn German and you stick with it, you can learn German fast and to fluency. But here's the thing: most people need accountability to make true progress. And that includes me! 

As I’ve already said, teachers and tutors have always helped to keep me accountable in my language learning thanks to regular speaking sessions. 

Getting fluent isn’t an overnight thing or a solo venture. So don’t learn German alone if you want to reach fluency in German. 

To help achieve your German learning goals, I’ve created StoryLearning VIP – a 10-week coaching programme to fast-track you to German fluency, even if you’ve failed to get fluent in the past. 

StoryLearning VIP is our highest level of language learning support, and the closest thing to “guaranteed” you can get. You combine my course, German Uncovered, with expert German coaching to go up one proficiency level. 

You’ll learn German fluently with VIP thanks to: 

• 10 weeks of 1-to-1 coaching to to learn german fast
• A personalised learning pathway, so you learn to your strengths
• Unlimited support & corrections so you learn as fast as possible
• Hours of 1-to-1 speaking practice, to build confidence using what you learn in conversation
• Full accountability & support, so you succeed…even if you’ve failed in the past

Personalised coaching is the support system you need to learn German for life. 

Best Way To Learn German Cases

German cases are a struggle even for the most committed German learner.

One of the reasons German cases are such a nightmare is because of the Parrot Problem. When you try to memorise the case ending they don’t go into your long-term memory. 

My recommendation is to not consciously learn or memorise German cases. So what can you do instead? Here’s the best way to learn German cases. 

Once you’ve grasped the basic concept, by reading about how German cases work for instance, follow the rules of StoryLearning and read a short story in German. 

As you read and listen to German books and stories at your level, you learn the cases without studying. Seeing German grammar in its natural habitat means you’ll be able to remember and use it when you speak German. 

Reading stories is the best way to learn German cases as it’s not only more effective than trying to get your head around a textbook explanation, but also much more fun and motivating

If you’re wondering where to find German stories at your level, my top recommendation is my short story book, Short Stories in German. 

Best Way To Learn German At Home

There’s no need to drop everything and move to a German-speaking country to get fluent in German. Learning at home is the best way for beginners to start learning German. Learning without moving is how I’ve learned multiple languages. 

The best way to learn German at home is to read and listen to stories in German at your level for an hour every day. This one-hour of learning is your core study time that you need to carve out daily (or as often as you can) to make progress. 

During your core study time, your goal should be to immerse yourself in German. How that looks exactly is up to you. You can read a beginner book, work through a StoryLearning German course, or listen to a German podcast. 

As you immerse yourself in German daily, ideally by reading and listening to German stories at your level, your brain will get used to the language. You learn German naturally and you just begin to understand the grammar intuitively! 

Learning German at home through immersion is so much more effective than Parrot Methods where you pour over grammar rules and word lists. 

Best Way To Learn German FAQ 

Ready To Start Your German Learning Journey? 

So there you have it – the best way to learn German is through the power of story. 

Stories are also the best tool for learning grammar, building vocabulary, boosting comprehension, and giving you the confidence to speak German. 

StoryLearning is a fresh, exciting and motivating method. But it’s very different to the rote learning, grammar drills, boring textbooks and silly apps you may have experienced. 

Thanks to learning through story, you’ll make fast progress in German and you’ll actually be able to speak German in real-life. 

Most of all, you’ll have so much fun in the process that you’ll even forget you’re learning a language. With stories at the centre of your learning, you’ll keep coming back to find out what happens, page after page. 

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.