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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?

Reason …

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 © …

Once you're past the foundational learning of the A1 level of German you're probably ready to listen to something more interesting.

Something constructive, positive. Something that piques your interest.

The A1 level materials don't go very deep. Because they can't.

At A2 you can explore more topics and you'll start to listen to German in a different way.

But you don't want to go too far and get overwhelmed.

If the regular news is too hard and too scary for you, a good solution might be Stub…

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 A2 bo…

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…

The Easy German Book Club is back!

On December 5th you can join us to discuss the book "Weihnachtskrimi in München," a part of the Detektiv Müller series from Klett Publishing.

We'll meet once for 90 minutes and we'll meet in online classroom. You can join via your smartphone, tablet or computer; use earbuds or a hea…

Escape winter with us and read "Aufregung an der Nordsee"!

"Aufregung an der Nordsee" is an easy, 30-page read for A1 German speakers. It's a fun, family-friendly story with a bit of suspense.

Lesen Sie mit? Here's a short excerpt to whet your appetite:

"Nach dem Abitur verbringt Paula zusammen mit ihrer Tante eine Woche auf der Nordseeinsel Norderney. Aber gibt es auf Norderney überhaupt andere Jugendliche oder sind dort nur ältere Leute, wie ihre Tante Gerda?

Beim Stand-Up-Paddling sie…

The next Buchgemeinschaft meeting begins next week on Dienstag, der 15. Mai. If you're interested in joining us, I invite you to check out the details below and in the event posting (click the button at the bottom).

Buchgemeinschaft is an easy-reader book club for clients at the A1-A2 levels of German. This month's story is Blinder Passagier, about a stow-away on a boat motoring down the Rhine River. The story has short chapters of just 1-3 pages and uses mainly the present tense. It's jam-packed…