Learn German

German from A1 to C2, week by week

The Eszett course is 56 weeks across six levels. Every week has a goal you can say in one sentence, two or three grammar cards, a word field, a scene to play, something to read and listen to, a writing task and a check. The whole plan is here to read; the app is where a tutor teaches it to you.

A1 Beginner 10 weeks · 11 grammar rules · 13 scenes You understand and use everyday expressions and very simple sentences: introduce yourself, ask where someone lives and what they do, order in a café, buy a ticket, fill in a form - if the other person speaks slowly and is willing to help. A2 Elementary 10 weeks · 16 grammar rules · 14 scenes · 3 stories You handle routine exchanges about familiar things: shopping, work, family, your neighbourhood, a doctor's appointment, a short e-mail to a friend. B1 Intermediate - the level Germany asks for 10 weeks · 18 grammar rules · 10 scenes · 4 stories You follow the main points of clear standard speech on work, school and leisure, cope with most situations while travelling, write connected text on familiar topics, describe experiences and plans and give reasons. B2 Upper intermediate - work and vocational training 10 weeks · 12 grammar rules · 10 scenes · 3 stories You understand the main ideas of complex texts, including technical discussion in your field, speak fluently enough for a normal conversation with native speakers, and write clear, detailed texts arguing a point of view. C1 Advanced - university 8 weeks · 7 grammar rules · 6 scenes · 3 stories You understand demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning, speak spontaneously and fluently without obvious searching for words, and write well-structured text on complex subjects. C2 Mastery 8 weeks · 7 grammar rules · 5 scenes · 2 stories You understand practically everything you read or hear, summarise information from several spoken and written sources with reasons and explanations, and express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, bringing out finer shades of meaning.

What the levels mean

The levels are those of the Common European Framework (CEFR). In Germany they are not abstract: A1 is the certificate for the spouse visa, B1 the one for the settlement permit, naturalisation and the end of the integration course, B2 what most employers and vocational training places ask for, C1 the door to university. The Goethe-Institut's guidance is about 200-350 lessons in total to reach A2, about 350-650 lessons in total for B1, about 600-800 lessons in total for B2 and about 800-1,000 lessons in total for C1 - with a tutor in your pocket and an hour a day, a level is a few months.

How a week works

Words of the week's field, with gender and plural, read aloud by the phone.
Grammar cards: the rule in your language and in German, examples, the typical mistakes - all 71 are here.
Drills on exactly those rules, checked against the dictionary, not guessed.
Ask the tutor the questions learners ask at this point - and your own.
Read and listen: a short text and a dialogue, then questions.
Speak: a scene with the tutor as the other person, then one of your own.
Write the kind of text the exams ask for, and get it corrected.
Check: a short test on the week; pass it and the next week opens.

Exams along the way

Each level page names the exams at that level - Goethe, telc, the DTZ, TestDaF, DSH and ÖSD compared - and the app has timed mock oral exams for every one of them.