Charlotte Walters '24 | Opinion: Fun Ways to Practice German This Summer

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Are you a prospective German Studies major (like myself) or someone interested in the German language and culture who still has yet to travel to Germany? Are you missing out on travel plans for this summer or studying abroad because of COVID? I know many of us have lost opportunities to travel to Germany and feel discouraged in our language learning abilities. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to immerse myself in the German language and culture yet, but I hope to travel as soon as possible. Although we may not all be traveling internationally this summer, I have compiled a list of fun ways to keep up with your language skills and engage with the German culture during the break from classes. 

1. Cook a German Dish

Yes, you’ve probably heard this one before, but if you have any interest in cooking or eating, this is actually a lot of fun. Look into a traditional German recipe such as Currywurst, a popular Berlin street food, or maybe find some current food trends in Germany!

2. FaceTime a Friend

Better yet, FaceTime a friend from German class and ask them to cook with you and speak some German! This is a good way to brush up on your food vocab words and conversational skills. Over winter break I made Currywurst with my friend Rachel who I met in German 205 and it was a great time. Any conversation topic over FaceTime would be super helpful!

3. Watch German TV Shows or Movies

A great way to practice your language skills is to watch German TV shows or change the language setting to German on an English show. I’ve recently been watching the German Netflix Original series How to Sell Drugs Online Fast. It’s funny so far!

4. Use Social Media

Attempt to get yourself onto the German side of TikTok. As someone who spends way too much time on TikTok, I have tried to find German content creators to alter my “for you” page. To be honest, I’m not really sure if German TikTok exists, but it’s worth a shot! If you find any cool German TikTokers please send them my way! Additionally, there are an abundance of Instagram accounts dedicated to learning German, as well as German influencers to follow. For example, Mirellativegal is a German Youtuber who is also active on Instagram!

5. Music

 Listening to German music is a super fun way to practice your language skills anywhere and on the go! If you don’t know where to start you can always check out Spotify’s International Charts and look at Germany Top 50. From my experience, it feels like Germany Top 50 is just club music, but give it a listen and pretend you’re clubbing in Germany. I’d also recommend checking out some of my favorite artists, Namika, LEA, and Cro! 

6. News

Reading German news articles is also a really helpful way to keep German in your brain and learn new vocab. I like listening to Deutsche Welle’s slowly spoken daily news.

Practicing a language over the summer can seem daunting, but taking a few minutes a week for a fun activity can help guarantee you won't lose the language in the absence of classes!