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A lot of what you might read on the internet on how to learn German vocabulary words is really a lot of hot air & hooey.

In this episode we'll bust 5 myths on vocabulary learning and give you a clearer picture of why vocabulary learning is important.

After all, if you don't know what the words mean...you'll be up a creek without a paddle.

The 5 Myths:

1. You only need to learn 3,000 words to truly speak German!

2. Vocabulary isn't as important as grammar.

3. Learning vocabulary is as bo…

What did we cover in German in 2021?

Really a lot!

From the podcast episodes to blog posts, and in each week of the Weekly German Practice, we covered a huge amount of material this year!

It's good to take a step back from time to time and to 'zoom out' so you can see the big picture.

Once you do that, you'll see exactly how much progress you've made this year, and I hope this episode is helpful.

PLUS you'll hear a run-down of all the countries that listeners to this podcast live in.

It's …

Visiting a German Christmas Market is a true feast for the senses. It may forever change your expectations of the holiday season.

In this episode you'll learn about:

• the main point of the Weihnachtsmarkt

• who to go with

• the various beverages available

• what you can eat there

• what you can shop for there

I might not be able to bring you a Weihnachtsmarkt, but I can bring you an Adventskaffee (an Advent coffee hour) plus a booklet of holiday-themed puzzles for German le…

Holidays mean greetings.

In Germany that means many holiday greetings. For different people.

When do you say what to whom?

Learn in this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast:

• How to wish someone a nice Advent in German

• How to say Happy Hannukah in German

• How to say Good Yule in German

• How to say Happy Holidays in German

• How to say Merry Christmas in German

• How to say Happy New Year in German

• and a couple more.

AND you'll learn when to say which g…

You probably enjoy those lists of German words that can't be translated into English as much as I do.

They go around the internet again and again, but have you noticed they're usually the same words?

This word, schräg, never shows up on one, and it deserves to be on every list.

In this episode you'll learn all about the word schräg.

You'll learn what it means, how to pronounce it, and how to use the word schräg.

Und machen Sie Ihre Hausaufgaben! (Do your German homework.)

New Homework!

Frequently, very frequently I find myself confused by living in the US again.

The culture is simply so different from German culture, which is where I began my post-grad school life.

I couldn't put words to all of it, but then a friend of mine asked me recently, "Of all the places you've been, where did you have the most culture shock?"

It took me weeks to sort out my answer.

After considering the 21 countries and perhaps 18 states I've visited, I've finally got my answer.

In this episode w…

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…

The German National Anthem is known as the Nationalhymne or Das Lied der Deutschen, "The Song of the Germans."

In today's episode of the podcast for German learners you'll hear:

• the current national anthem

• a bit of its history
  

• the German National Anthem sung in German (by yours truly!)
  

It's really important to note the specifics of this Anthem because there is a strong connection to German history, one that is to be remembered and respected.

Besides, wouldn't you like to im…

Knowing how to pronounce hätte correctly in German is one thing. Using it correctly is another.

In today's German lesson you'll learn both how to say hätte correctly and how to use it in a few specific phrases.

Imagine how confident you'll feel knowing exactly what to say and pronouncing everything correctly. This will be a step up for your German.

Plus you'll learn how to say "shoulda, woulda, coulda" in German, which uses hätte, and will surely impress your German friends the next time they…

This episode will take the fear out of using wäre in German.

All it means is "would be," but would be has nothing to do with reality. It actually has to do with things which are unreal.

Something that isn't true now, but would be nice or would be nuts or would be fantastic.

This grammar topic is known as the "Konjunktiv II." We'll use only the present tense today.

If this is brand new for you, it's best to take it one step at a time. The first step are the very straight-forward sentences (or…