The Best Free Podcast to Learn German
Studying vocabulary, writing summaries, among other things, is crucial when learning a foreign language, especially within the framework of a language course. However, you can also learn a foreign language outside the classroom or in addition to a language course. We already got to know one of many methods in the blog post Tandem Language Learning, that is – as the title suggests – language learning through language tandems. While learning in a language learning tandem requires your active participation and responsibility for your learning process, today we will introduce a slightly more relaxing method: listen and learn German with podcasts! Put on headphones, make yourself comfortable and just listen. And in order that you do not have to spend hours looking for a suitable podcast yourself, here are some recommendations of free podcasts for learning German.
1. The podcast from Deutsche Welle
You have probably heard of Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). Among many other things, Deutsche Welle offers German learning material for all levels, including their podcasts. Here you can find the podcasts from A1 to C2 level. And here you can find all podcasts from Deutsche Welle.
For example, accompany Paula and Philipp – the two editors of Radio D (A1-A2) – on their research in Germany. Or listen to stories and learn grammar at the same time with Deutsch – warum nicht? (A1-B2). For more advanced learners, there is the podcast Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten (B1-C1) (slowly spoken news in German). Other recommended podcasts to improve your German are Wort der Woche (B2) (word of the week), Deutsch im Alltag – Alltagsdeutsch (C1) (German for everyday life), und Sprachbar (C1).
You can also find the podcasts on Spotify.
2. The podcast from Goethe-Institut
You will probably also be familiar with the Goethe-Institut. But did you know that it produces podcasts in many different languages? Here you can find an overview of all podcasts.
An example of a German podcast is Kurz & Bündig (B2-C1). It deals with social, political and economic topics.
3. The Easy German podcast
Do you watch Easy German videos from time to time? You can also listen to their podcast. Twice a week, they discuss topics from Germany and around the world, explain words and expressions, and answer questions. You can find the episodes directly on the website or also on Spotify.
4. Audios from Deutsch perfekt
The language magazine Deutsch perfekt from ZEIT produces audios on a wide variety of topics. A great advantage is that there is also a transcript to read along with each audio file. Click here for the audios.
5. Coffee Break German
Radio Lingua provides language courses through podcasts, and Coffee Break German is one of them. Whether you have just started learning German, or you are at an intermediate level or even an advanced German learner, there is something for everyone. The episodes and seasons build on each other and increase in difficulty. Here is an overview.
Didn’t find what you were looking for with the learning strategy Podcast?
I have tried to present a wide selection of podcasts for all levels. Nevertheless, it may be that this time you have not found what you were looking for. However, this does not mean that you cannot or should not learn German with podcasts. You can certainly find many more podcasts by searching the Internet or by browsing streaming services. And if you have any podcast recommendations of your own, I would be happy to read about them in the comments.
Final tips for listening to podcasts
The great thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them anywhere, anytime. But maybe you do feel the need to write something down. Especially if you have set yourself the goal of improving your German with podcasts, it can be worthwhile to listen to them with a pen and paper in hand. Or better yet, keep your personal vocabulary booklet handy to write down key words that you, in a second step, translate with your favourite dictionary or translator app.
Whether you take notes while listening or not, I hope that you have a great listening experience and that you enjoy it!
von Nelly Müller – Sprachen Akademie
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