Learning a new language can open up your world. It can also be a lot of fun! German lessons are a great way to immerse yourself in the language. Not only do they teach you vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation but they also show you how the German language works in real life situations. Babbel German lessons are especially helpful because they not only cover grammatical rules, but also culture and practical German language use. For example, you’ll learn how to correctly pronounce the umlauts (a, o and u) and why they are pronounced differently than in English. You’ll also learn about capitalization rules, noun genders and all the splendid ways to say “the” (e.g., das Zimmer, die Küche, das Haus). And finally, you’ll find out when to use formal address and when to tip a taxi driver in Germany.

Another way to boost your German is to start with the framework words (like nouns, adjectives and verbs). These are easy to learn and form the foundation of all German conversations. Then you can progress to the more complicated structures. As you do, make sure to also practice your pronunciation, since that will go a long way toward being understood by Germans.

Once you have the basics down, try to listen to a German song or read a short article in German every day. Reading comprehension is important for any language, and it can help you progress faster if done regularly. It’s especially helpful to read German news articles geared for learners, such as those found on the websites News in Slow German and Sloeful.