German Language Learning Guide
Suggests resources and strategies for learning German using materials from the library, elsewhere on campus, and on the web.
German for Beginners (DAAD video)
The following video clip introduces you to some of the most basic German words. There are numerous other DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) videos at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DAADBonn#g/u
German online resources
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U-M Germanic Languages DepartmentA wealth of really good information and resources, brought together by Hartmut Rastalsky of the German Dept
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Goethe InstitutGoethe Institut has providing German language training since 1951
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Deutsche Welle - Deutsch LernenSeveral free online courses for German. Includes a vocabulary builder, beginner and intermediate lessons, and a telenovela.
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Scientific GermanScience magazines, tv, and miscellaneous cool websites
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German Language Resource CenterFree resource guide from Gale
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DAAD: Deutscher Akademischer AustauschdienstGerman Academic Exchange Service. Find a language study program in Germany and find scholarships for language study.
Podcasts
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Listening to Podcasts in GermanTips for finding and listening to German podcasts
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Goethe Institut PodcastGrüße aus Deutschland – Ein Podcast für Deutschlerner
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Vorleser.netHundreds of audio books, many with texts to read along with
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Germanpod101.comRequires free registration
German history
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Deutsche Geschichte in Dokumenten u. Bildern / German History in Documents and ImagesThis collection presents the political, social and cultural history of Germany from 1500 to the present. A bonus for German learners is that the site provides high-quality English translations of all the documents. It is searchable, easy to use, and has been compiled by leading scholars.
General language-learning resources
There are an infinite number of free language learning resources available online. Here are some starting points for German and many other languages as well.
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MERLOT II World LanguagesMulitmedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching - "a curated collection of peer-reviewed higher education, online learning materials, cataloged by registered members and a set of faculty development support services" For instance, go to the collection Ashcombe: German Video Resources to watch a video clip and answer the interactive questions (produced by the Ashcombe School in England).
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Open CultureCollection of free cultural and educational media, including resources on 48 languages
Last Updated: Nov 6, 2025 2:29 PM
Subjects: Humanities