- 1). Purchase a German lesson book to learn basic words, phrases and grammar. These lesson books can be found at a bookstore or on the Internet.
- 2). Complete the lessons in your lesson book. Finish the exercises in each chapter and create flashcards to memorize new vocabulary. If your lesson book came with a CD, make sure to listen to the materials to learn how to properly pronounce German words.
- 3). Read German literature and watch German movies. To build upon your German lessons, try to immerse yourself in the German culture. Read German picture books aloud to learn new words and to practice your speaking skills. (These books may be available at your library or can be purchased online.) Watch German movies to hone your listening skills; start off with children's movies or cartoons since they will use simple vocabulary and sentence structure.
- 4). Find a German-speaking penpal with whom to practice your language skills. Visit MyLanguageExchange.com to find a native German speaker with whom you can exchange emails. (See Resources.) German penpals are available for all levels of language proficiency, from beginner to advanced.
- 5). Form a study group with other German students. Organize an informal group to practice speaking German; try to meet at least once a week. Search for group members by posting fliers in the German language department of your local university.
- 6). Enroll in a German language class at a community college or university. Once you have learned German on your own, you may want to register in a formal class to further improve your German. If you are unable to attend an official course, consider buying a computer language program like Rosetta Stone to learn German at home.
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