Globalization has emerged an urge in people to become multilingual or speak or write more than one language. These days German is becoming a choice of more and more people because of professional and educational purposes. And I am here with the best podcasts to learn German the 2020 way.
If you want to learn any European language so German is the best option to choose, and If you know English pretty well then learning German is an easy task for you, because in comparison to other European languages German is more closely related to English.
In order to understand the scope of German as a foreign language, apart from Germany, there are five European countries that speak German as their official language namely Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.
And there are many other countries that speak German as their second and third language. In total, around 220 million people speak German across the globe.
Podcasts: An Effective Way of Learning German
If you wanna learn German, then learn using German Podcasts because nowadays podcast is a new technique of learning languages without indulging in formal language learning courses.
Listening to podcasts is simply an upgraded version of listening radio, people listen to the radio to get updated regarding ongoing happenings, whereas podcasts not only provide you information related to current issues or events but also help in making you more proficient in the particular Language.
Podcasts have proven an effective tool in the process of learning languages like German, French, etc. and it has made learning German easier, more interesting, and less time-consuming.
The best part is that learning German through podcasts does not require any extra effort in the learning area, you do not need to devote any particular time to learning. You can listen to podcasts and learn German while travelling, cooking, driving and while doing other household chores, just by coming in contact with real language and native speakers through German podcasts.
Here is a list of German podcasts for you to start with and become more and more proficient in German. If this is a completely new language for you so do start from the beginner’s level and go ahead step by step to acquire a great command over German.
9 Best Podcasts to Learn German in 2020
For Beginners:
1. Learn German by Podcast
2. Coffee Break German
3. German Pod 101
For Intermediate Learners:
4. A Flavour of German
5. Deutsche Welle Warum Nicht
6. News in Slow German
For Advanced Learners:
7. Sozusagen!
8. SBS German
9. Elementarfrage
Best German Podcasts for beginners:
1. Learn German by Podcast
This podcast is specially designed for beginners so that they can give a solid start on their German learning. In this podcast, the host not only repeats sentences several times but also translates them into English so that the understanding of basics like Vocabulary, grammar and sentence pattern can easily grasp by learners.
There are 20 episodes in the series which bit by bit provides you with language competence along with general everyday usage. In simple words, the hosts try to run a real conversation by using short sentences and simple vocabulary.
You can download podcasts from the official website of Learn German by Podcast or on iTunes but a helping guide is available after paying only.
2. Coffee Break German
Another podcast from the Coffee Break Family which helps learners to learn German in an effective manner is Coffee Break German. In its 20-minute episode Thomas, a native German speaker teaches German to Mark who is a beginner just like you.
Their lesson starts by imparting basic knowledge of German, and gradually increases in every new episode. The best thing about this podcast is, through a beginner can easily relate, that is whenever there is any doubt regarding German basics and usage Mark asked for clarification, eventually learners also get the answers to most of their queries.
Podcasts are free online and on Spotify but a supplementary package that comprises materials like flashcards, audio and video content and other comprehensive notes needed to be bought from the Coffee Break German Academy.
3. German Pod 101
If you want to learn German through German podcasts then German Pod 101 is the best option to choose, as this podcast avails you, on one hand, authentic German conversation by native speakers in its proper accent in order to give you its real taste. On the other hand, a perfect translation in English by American speakers for better understanding.
In this way, language authenticity is maintained and knowledge and understanding are transmitted along with German culture in proper order.
More information regarding the podcast is available on the website where you have to make an account to access other related materials for learning German.
Best German Podcast for Intermediate Learners:
4. A Flavour of German
A Flavour of German is another podcast produced by Coffee Break German, in this one, they focus on developing and improving skills after grasping basic knowledge of German from Coffee Break German.
This 8 to 10 minutes episode also follows a similar pattern as a native German speaker teaching to a non-native German learner. But here in this podcast attention is more laid on idioms and common phrases which are used by native speakers in their daily life in order to make learners more familiar with language usage in the real world.
You can listen to it online or with iTunes.
5. Deutsche Welle Warum Nicht
Warum Nicht and Wieso Nicht are two podcast series by Deutsche Welle. Warum Nicht, is for beginning to intermediate-level German learners, whereas Wieso Nicht is for intermediate-level learners only.
Here you listen to real conversations with Andreas, a journalism student, who also works as a hotel doorman, and come to know how naturally he interacts or communicates with people. Listening to these conversations will help you to run and regulate communication in real-life contexts. You can listen to Deutsche Welle Warum Nicht online or on iTunes, and for better understanding transcripts, audio clips and exercises are also available.
6. News in Slow German
Slow news in German is an amazing podcast to listen to and learn for intermediate-level learners. Here news of current events and major issues related to society is presented at a slow pace from the usual manner so that learners who have just basic knowledge of German can improve their language proficiency by understanding the right way of articulating German words and phrases.
Moreover, the presenters do make this podcast enjoyable with their clear and perfect tone and mood and keep you updated with ongoing events as well as help you to grasp the language in a much better way.
Episodes of the News in Slow German podcast are free on the website but additional helping materials will be accessible after payment.
Best German Podcast for Advanced Learners:
7. Sozusagen!
If you have done with beginner and intermediate levels and still don’t feel confident enough to use German in everyday conversations. Then try another advanced-level podcast to polish your German skills. Sozusagen helps you to examine German from a linguistics point of view and also illustrates various dialects and accents of German through discussion.
If you really have the determination to learn, then by listening to this podcast you can fix all loopholes and language deficiencies, and learn German just like native speakers.
All podcasts are available on its website as well as on iTunes.
8. SBS German
SBS definitely gives you a feel of a radio talk show, where in each episode they talk about current major issues prevailing in society.
This podcast is again for advanced German learners, as it demonstrates how well a native speaker speaks, though it is a kind of debating program the tone used by the presenters is very much clear and appealing.
Even most of the time while listening to this you dare not to engage in any other activity because it’s so damn interesting and engaging.
You can access it through Online, iTunes, and Spotify.
9. Elementarfrage
Elementarfrage (‘Elementary Questions’) is produced by Viertausendherz, this is definitely not for beginners or intermediate learners but a great podcast to listen to if you have good German competence and want to improvise it more.
As it does not talk about grammar and vocabulary but is mainly aimed at the German-speaking population, this podcast features interviews with experts on a variety of topics. Through this platform native speakers display their proper dialects and the taste of real German is conveyed.
Certainly, not a simple podcast to listen to, but it will definitely enhance your German-speaking skills and confidence. Elementarfrage is available to download for free on iTunes and Spotify.
Learning Language is a lifelong process, by using tools like Podcasts, videos, audio, flashcards, etc. you can add more knowledge to your language faculties.
Though learning European Languages has become a trend, especially German because it is relatively close to English, so learners find it easy and less time-consuming to learn German via English by using Podcasts.
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