Eszett

Learn German · A2

German at A2: Elementary

You handle routine exchanges about familiar things: shopping, work, family, your neighbourhood, a doctor's appointment, a short e-mail to a friend. You can describe your background and immediate needs in simple terms.

How long: about 200-350 lessons in total (Goethe-Institut guidance). The course below is 10 weeks at this level; a week is about an hour a day.

The 10 weeks

  1. Week 1: How was your weekend? Wie war dein Wochenende?

    Tell what you did at the weekend or on holiday, say how it was, and ask others about their past.

    Grammar The Präteritum of sein, haben and the modal verbs: war, hatte, konnte
    Words and reading free time
    Drills verbs
    Speaking telling a colleague on Monday morning about your weekend
    Ask the tutor
    • How do I tell a story about last weekend? Which past tense do I use when I speak? Wie erzähle ich vom letzten Wochenende? Welche Vergangenheitsform benutze ich beim Sprechen?

  2. Week 2: Celebrations and invitations Feste und Einladungen

    Invite people, accept or decline an invitation, talk about presents and celebrations, and write an invitation.

    Grammar Personal pronouns in the accusative and dative: mich/mir, dich/dir, ihn/ihm … · The dative plural: -n on the noun
    Words and reading celebrations and invitations
    Drills dates
    Speaking planning a surprise party with a friend

  3. Week 3: Living together Zusammen wohnen

    Describe your home and household, agree on rules with flatmates and neighbours, and ask the caretaker or landlord for something.

    Grammar Two-way prepositions: accusative or dative?
    Words and reading the household
    Drills articles
    Speaking discussing kitchen rules with your flatmate · asking the caretaker about the laundry room · asking your neighbour to water your plants

  4. Week 4: Shopping and complaining Einkaufen und reklamieren

    Compare products and prices, ask politely for help, exchange or return something and complain about a meal.

    Grammar The comparative and superlative · Polite requests: Könnten Sie …? Würden Sie …? Ich hätte gern …
    Words and reading shopping
    Drills prices
    Speaking returning an item of clothing · complaining about cold soup at a restaurant

  5. Week 5: Staying healthy Gesund bleiben

    Describe symptoms, understand the doctor's instructions, talk about healthy living and excuse yourself when you are ill.

    Grammar Reflexive verbs: mich or mir? · The dative: verbs like helfen, gefallen, gehören and the prepositions aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu
    Words and reading health and the doctor
    Drills meanings
    Speaking a visit to the dentist
    Ask the tutor
    • How do I describe what I eat and give a simple recipe, with quantities and the imperative? Wie beschreibe ich, was ich esse, und gebe ein einfaches Rezept, mit Mengen und Imperativ?

  6. Week 6: Offices and services Ämter und Dienstleistungen

    Register at the citizens' office, send a parcel, report something lost, fill in a form and write a short formal message.

    Grammar dass or ob?
    Words and reading the post office and the bank
    Drills sentences
    Speaking registering your address at the citizens' office · sending a small parcel abroad · asking about a lost bag at the lost-property office · reporting a lost wallet at the police station

  7. Week 7: Work and jobs Arbeit und Beruf

    Talk about your job and working hours, say since when and for how long you have done something, and apply for a simple job.

    Grammar seit, vor or für with time expressions? · weil, denn or da?
    Words and reading work
    Drills the clock
    Speaking applying for a job at a café
    Ask the tutor
    • How do I talk about my job and say why I like it? Wie spreche ich über meinen Beruf und sage, warum er mir gefällt?

  8. Week 8: On the road and on holiday Unterwegs und im Urlaub

    Plan a trip, rent a bike or buy a ticket, describe a holiday and say what you will do next summer.

    Grammar Futur I: werden + infinitive
    Words and reading holidays, travelling by train, nature and animals
    Drills ordinals
    Speaking renting a bicycle · asking at the tourist information what to see in a town

  9. Week 9: Learning and media Lernen und Medien

    Talk about how you learn and which media you use, borrow a book, and say what you know, know how to do and are familiar with.

    Grammar kennen, wissen or können? · Adjective endings
    Words and reading school and learning
    Drills meanings
    Speaking getting a library card
    Ask the tutor
    • What can I say when I don't understand something or need a word repeated? Was kann ich sagen, wenn ich etwas nicht verstehe oder ein Wort noch einmal hören möchte?
    • How do I talk about my phone, my computer and the internet in everyday German? Wie spreche ich im Alltag über mein Handy, meinen Computer und das Internet?

  10. Week 10: People, feelings and looks Menschen, Gefühle und Aussehen

    Describe people, their character and how they feel, explain why you like someone, and talk about your looks at the hairdresser's.

    Grammar Subordinate clauses: the verb goes to the end
    Words and reading feelings and character
    Drills articles
    Speaking going to the barber shop · telling a friend about a person you met and what they are like
    Ask the tutor
    • How is the Goethe-Zertifikat A2 exam structured, and how do I prepare for it? Wie ist die Prüfung Goethe-Zertifikat A2 aufgebaut, und wie bereite ich mich darauf vor?

Grammar at A2

Conversations at A2

Reading at A2

Exams at A2

A1 · B1 · B2 · C1 · C2 · the whole course