We’ve discussed many resources and apps throughout our blogs that will confidently make you feel like a German native speaker.
But how about trying German classes online?
Are there German language courses that will fit your budget and give you the consistent practice of your language skills?
Let’s take a look at some of these websites to help you learn German through online classes.
Why learn German through online classes?
Online learning is becoming increasingly popular. It’s a great way to study for free, and it can be done from anywhere in the world at any time of day or night.
Not only will it be your best source for improving your German skills, but it will also help you memorize basic vocabulary.
It is important for new language learners to keep a handful of words for travel, business, and vacation purposes.
If you want to learn German in front of your PC, there are ultimately two options: learning online for free or learning an intensive course at the right price.
Learning through a classroom-like class
Students may think of language classes as the usual classroom-like setting and most of the time, it really is.
Most of these types of learning classes are found in language schools, universities, non-government organizations, volunteer groups like summer camps, and even independent language professors from websites online.
Their learning levels vary from A1 to C1 levels and are usually premium (paid) services.
They also have free resources should you need to brush up on German grammar rules, look back at what you learned on the B2 levels, or even browse German possessive pronouns.
Learning on your own with a German tutor
You can study from anywhere, anytime with the internet. You don’t need to be in front of a classroom or even leave your home.
You’ll get access to an expert teacher who is available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have during your current vocabulary exercises.
However, some independent learners who want a one-on-one German tutor will have to pay more for their private classes.
Combination of both
Ultimately, online learning platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, or similar will allow you to enjoy German lessons in a classroom setting by yourself.
Some online tutors can even give you audio clips to listen to while you’re offline.
Many of these German language classes will review previous lessons for you to be familiar with this foreign language.
Absolute beginners will experience topics on basic vocabulary, grammar reviews, introduction to verbs (reflexive verbs, modal verbs, irregular verbs, etc.), and also do writing practice.
Finally, all of these German language classes have different class sizes so you can have an overview of which one you want to participate in.
Best German online courses to choose from
English speakers that might be afraid they’ll encounter non-English German courses should be happy that these courses have an English interface.
However, you may face some lessons that are purely in German to test your skills such as comprehension exercises.
Here are some of the best German online courses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced level learners can choose from.
Deutsch Akademie
Deutsch Akademie is an affordable German class for all proficiency levels. If you want to be a German speaker without having to spend so much money on online classes, you can subscribe to a personal tutor here.
The majority of course choices include a free language assessment test and a tutor, as well as a small class size.
There is a large range of courses available, both online and in-person, that are well-structured and start every month, so you won’t have to wait long.
However, like several online classes for German nowadays, there are not many professional teachers and most of them are just freelance German native speakers.
SmarterGerman
SmarterGerman used to be a business German language course. That means, it is a pricier personal tutor for a German learner.
It is one of the most popular German courses accessible today, offering courses for German language levels A1-B1.
These classes cover vocabulary, grammar, listening, and reading, as well as speaking and writing.
The course was created by a German-language specialist with over 20 years of experience to make learning German simple and rational.
Lingoda
Lingoda is a language study program that offers a variety of language courses, including German.
While they provide online programs, the goal is to simulate an in-person teaching process.
The course covers grammar and vocabulary as well as the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Its system is adaptable, allowing you to select between individual classes (lessons planned at your leisure) and group classes (lessons arranged at a set time).
It follows a curriculum organized around topic areas, and courses include PowerPoint presentations and assignments to help you remember what you’ve learned.
Coffee Break German
Coffee Break German has difficult grammatical ideas. The host, Mark, delivers in a calm manner and makes all of the episodes entertaining to listen to.
Episodes are approximately 5-15 minutes long, making them highly consumable and you can listen to it anywhere.
There are three seasons that are mostly concerned with listening and speaking.
While they are free, at the conclusion of each season, you may pay for a course that includes transcripts and lesson notes for these podcast episodes.
FluentU
FluentU is a website and a smartphone app that collects real-world German videos for instructional purposes, such as news segments, movie trailers, and music videos.
This strategy is crucial because it helps you to begin participating with the language more organically from the start, as opposed to memorizing theoretical dialogues, as many rival applications do.
It includes a quiz and takes account of your vocabulary terms. However, it is more of a tool to connect with the language than a standard planned course.
This feature makes it ideal for more relaxed learning.
While the software is good for more practical German, it lacks speech functions and only includes a limited number of written vocabulary challenges.
Most people will benefit from immersive listening, while some will miss out on their speaking skills.
RocketGerman
The audio lessons in Rocket German are given in a podcast-style format that is very easy to follow, as well as audio dialogues that provide you with only the German dialogue you require.
Rocket German’s course covers all language abilities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) quite effectively, and its built-in voice recognition is one of the most accurate and accessible (it leverages Google’s Web Speech engine).
So if you like a listening practice lesson, Rocket German offers one of the best resources for beginner level, intermediate level, and advanced learning levels.
A compelling tip for a complete beginner
Before enrolling in German language private classes, it is important to know what you want from the course.
What do you expect from your lessons? Do you need a fast-track or slow-track approach?
Are you looking for an intensive course with lots of grammar and vocabulary practice, or just a slow, casual learning experience to memorize greetings and basic conversation phrases?
A complete beginner must know what their goal is after the online course is finished.
First-time language learners should not pay for an app since there are online resources like dictionaries and Youtube series that can teach them German that suits their budget.
On the other hand, if you’re migrating to Germany or need to learn German for your business, it is non-negotiable to subscribe to an online course right away.
The reason is that many of these professional online courses are intensive and will train you to really learn hands-on, as you will be talking to native German speakers that use German more than English even if they’re bilingual.
For advanced learners, do you need to enroll in German courses?
Yes and no. There are free German lessons on Youtube that can help you save up from just watching these videos.
Some of these channels also have interactive exercises that focus on grammar tips like German articles, German idioms, false friends, and other important vocabularies to watch out for.
On the other hand, you may need to find other learning resources that will prompt you to interact and speak in German.
Besides, an intermediate or advanced learner should already be confident in speaking with other native speakers and at least hold a conversation for more than 5 minutes.
If you want a discussion, chat, or forum type of learning, there are alternatives like iTalki, Mondly, Babbel, or even meeting language learners on Reddit.
Final Thoughts
If you’re studying German, an online class will most likely help you.
Some of us require the organized atmosphere of a classroom to study, although many online programs may provide that as well.
How much you get out of it depends on what you want and if the lesson corresponds with that—do you want to learn basic German for a trip, or do you want to perfect grammar?
Do you have a problem with your pronunciation, or do you need to improve your listening comprehension?
Whatever your need is, it’s better to start enrolling in German online classes that suit your availability.
