Deutschzentrum Wien

Learning German is even more fun with lovely classmates and in a friendly atmosphere. Our students from the B1 course in July. Who would like to start in August (new German courses from 10 August)?

Next German courses start 6 July (and some courses also 13 July). Free spots available. Start your journey now.

Practise your German and meet new friends at our next Deutsch-Café: Thursday, 2 July, 2 pm at Café Dschungel (MuseumsQuartier)

Can I already speak German with A1?
If you have completed level A1, you can already have simple conversations in German. The A1 level is referred to as basic language usage. It means, for example:

You can understand and use simple, short sentences and frequently used expressions.
You can introduce yourself and other people.
You can ask and answer questions about personal details such as place of residence, friends, family, and hobbies.
You can shop in a store, express wishes, and ask about prices.
You can order in a restaurant and know the most important words related to food and drinks.
You can schedule an appointment and apologize for being late.
You can tell the time and describe your daily routine.
You know basic information about the culture of German-speaking countries.
You know differences in language and culture between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
You can communicate in clear German with little dialect.
You can talk about what you want, need, should, must, can, and may do using modal verbs.
You know the typical word order in German sentences.
You know the intonation for questions, statements, and imperatives.
You can use the imperative to ask or urge others to do or not do something.
You can use both formal (very polite) language and informal language with friends and younger people.
You can express your emotions using modal particles (e.g., mal, denn, doch, ja).
In summary, this means you can communicate in a simple way if your conversation partners speak slowly and clearly.
It is a great start and a solid foundation on which you can build further!

At the end of the A1 course, you can communicate in simple situations but not yet speak fluently. To speak fluently, you should at least complete level B1.
 

Learning German can be fun when you get to meet interesting and friendly people – just like at our monthly German Café.

How can one learn German quickly?
In general, it takes between 6 months and a year to learn German fluently. We have 7 recommendations for you on how to achieve it as quickly as possible.
1) Do the things you enjoy, in German
What are your personal preferences? What hobbies and interests do you have? Which YouTube channels do you follow? What is your favorite series? Which content is particularly interesting to you on Instagram or TikTok? What books and magazines do you like to read? What podcasts or audiobooks do you enjoy?
Identify your personal interests and then consume them in German. Whether you're interested in fashion, gardening, soccer, cars, cooking, architecture, or design - read the magazines, subscribe to the channels, watch the videos on this topic - in German. This is important because our minds remember things better that are interesting and relevant to them, and because you are already familiar with your favorite topics.
2) Practice regularly
Similar to sports or music, it is also important in language learning to dedicate a specific amount of time to it every day. For example, you should rather practice for half an hour every morning and every evening than once a week for four hours straight. Watch a German learning video on YouTube during breakfast in the morning. Do an online exercise in the evening before going to sleep. Focus on a specific grammar topic for one or two weeks, e.g., perfect or dative, until you really understand it. Some websites and YouTube offer many free exercises and a lot of well-made explanatory videos.
(to be continued).

We invite you to our next Deutsch-Café. Practise your German with friends. Wir freuen uns auf euch!

How do I stay motivated when learning German?
Learning German can sometimes be quite exhausting: complicated grammar, new words that completely change their meaning with a prefix, rules and exceptions.
What can you do to not lose your motivation to learn German anyway?
1) Find your "Why"
Why are you learning German? Do you want to find a good job in Germany or Austria or start your own company? Is the native language of your partner German? Do you like watching a German TV series and want to watch it in the original? Do you have German ancestors and want to get closer to them?
Visualize the reason that drives you to learn German. Hang up, for example, a picture that represents what you want to achieve – the job, the family, life in Vienna or Berlin. Keep reminding yourself why you are learning German, why you are making so much effort.
 2) Have fun - do the things you enjoy, in German
Incorporate German into your everyday life and connect it with things you enjoy. Do what you like to do – in German. Do you like yoga? Find a yoga class in German. Do you like cooking? Watch cooking videos or recipes in German and try them out. Do you play soccer? Join a team with German-speaking players and use every break to talk.
The more positive feelings you associate with German, the more naturally it will become part of your life.
3) Practice regularly
Practice regularly, but not too much. It is enough to practice German twice a day for 20-30 minutes, e.g. once in the morning and once in the evening. More important than the length of your practice sessions is the regularity. Our brain has to see new information several times to store it, and that is exactly what regular practice enables. Make regular practice a habit. For example, always watch a video for learning German on YouTube at breakfast. Do an exercise online every evening, for example. Use the time on the subway to review the new vocabulary in your vocabulary notebook.