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Of course, there are many more than 5 reasons, however here are 5 of those reasons to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I read it several years ago, and several of my clients have read it, and they keep recommending it to their spouses and friends.

I'll leave this post and the podcast episode up after the discussion (March 2023), because I sincerely hope that you will take the time to read this outstanding novel. If you care to, feel free to leave a comment below on what you think of the bo…

Learning how to use a German-English dictionary effectively is one of the single skills which can really help support you in your German learning adventure.

German learners frequently ask: Which German-English dictionary should I buy? Is it worth buying the big one? How do I know which dictionary will be right for me? Are the online German dictionaries better?

In this blog post/podcast episode, I'll guide you step-by-step through which dictionary you can/should use as a beginner through the el…

Frustration can run pretty high when you take a German class but you just can’t seem to speak it correctly. The baker in Germany doesn’t understand you so you have to point and the person you ask for directions switches to English.

So why is it that you have taken class after class or lesson after lesson, but you still can’t speak German?

There might be more than one reason, and here are five which are common themes amongst German learners.

Which one stops you from speaking German?

N.B. Wh…

It's a 'scary' time of year and to go along with it, here is your Brothers Grimm fairy tale in a video.

You might not know Der Kobold in der Mühle, however it's every bit as eery as the other fairy tales.

What does Kobold mean?

A Kobold is a "house spirit," a German folk being who takes care of household tasks and sometimes causes mischief.

Britannica.com has a fantastic description of a Kobold that includes this important information:

"...mischievous household spirit who usually helps wi…

In this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast you'll discover when a good time is to start reading Harry Potter in German.

You'll also hear why that's a good time to start it.

We'll break down only the first two sentences of the book, both in English and in the German translation, to support this, and we'll have some fun along the way.

Think of this episode like a special map for German learning. ;-)

Giving credit where credit is due:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Page 5 © …

Finding interesting story books for A2 German learning doesn't have to be a chore - here you can read the research I've done for you and simply purchase the books and have them delivered.

Some books are available in digital versions, which does save space, however there are distinct advantages to having a physical book, from less screen time to easily writing notes on the page.

The most important part, however, is having reading material that is at your current level of German (these are all A…

Diese Woche machen Privatkunden eine besondere Aktivität, anstatt den normalen Unterricht zu haben. Sie backen, kochen oder machen ein deutsches Rezept (oder ein österreichisches oder ein schweizerisches Rezept) und schreiben etwas darüber.

Deutsches Essen zu machen ist auch Deutsch lernen. :)

Und Sie dürfen diese Woche mitmachen!

Diese Woche lesen Sie hier drei Rezepte für typische, deutsche Gerichte und es gibt sogar Rezeptkarten, die Sie herunterladen und ausdrucken können. Alles ist auf D…

If you are already living with less or a minimum amount of possessions, or would like to, this philosophy works in your favor when learning German. Experience a language which is significantly more predictable than English; German is a great language to explore!

You'll also discover here how, in many ways, German is actually easier than English. I say this as a native English speaker, a near-native German speaker, and an instructor for both languages.

Of course both languages have their own un…

Amended: This post now includes 8 Easy German Book recommendations for A1-level learners,
3 from adult literature and 5 from youth literature.

All of the books listed here are A1 books, however if you look in a bookstore, make sure you look for an emblem or a marking with "A1" on it. No matter where you buy it, I recommend you purchase a physical copy so you can take notes in the book and also so you can use the included audio/mp3 download with the book.

These are books I recommend for you fo…

There isn't much of a secret to language learning because it's all about working with the language as much as possible over a length of time. However I can give you tips on how I learned to speak German fluently (and I mean--I could say anything I wanted or needed to say) within about 6 months. Konjunktiv II? Kein Thema. Polite discourse? Absolut! Telling someone off? That, too.

Don't get me wrong--learning German in 6 months was really tough. I started at an A2 level (the second-lowest level) …