Calling all podcast lovers eager to master German! Look no further than these five incredible podcasts to help launch you forward in your language learning 🚀.
And of course, if you’re looking for a program where you can learn German online, we’ve got lots of favorites!
1. Slow German Podcasts for Beginners) (A1-B)
For beginners starting their language journey, I recommend Slow German for Beginners by Learn German with Falk. Each episode delves into diverse topics, from cultural elements like ‘die Deutsche Bahn’ to practical subjects like ‘Frühstück’ in Germany. Falk narrates engaging stories and reviews the new vocabulary (‘neuer Vokabeln’) by providing English translations for the words covered in each episode.
Episode Length ⏰: 5-10 minutes
Recommendation💡: Listen to these episodes multiple times to absorb the new vocabulary and learn more about German culture simultaneously.
2. Learn in Your Car: German Level -1
Two hosts take you through basic words, phrases, and sentences in Henry N. Raymounds’s Learn in Your Car: German series. The podcast starts with one word in English, and then the word is repeated twice in German. There are specific episodes for vocabulary on topics like hotels or restaurants, so listen to one of these episodes when you want to feel confident speaking entirely in German with your waiter on your next night out!
Episode Length⏰: 4-14 minutes, typically around 8 minutes.
Recommendation💡: Learn in Your Car is a great podcast to expand your language learning beyond German as well. Check out their episodes for Spanish, French, Italian, or even English to get your basics down in a number of languages.
3. Coffee Break German
Host Mark speaks with his co-host and native speaker, Thomas, who teaches him German. Mark has a lot of questions, and Thomas is thorough in explaining German vocabulary and grammar. The podcast also features episodes sharing different dialects. Be prepared to hear from several other members of the Coffee Break German team throughout the series as well.
Episode Length⏰: 9-45 minutes, usually around 30 minutes
Recommendation💡: Coffee Break German is the perfect podcast to play while cooking dinner, cleaning the house, or, as the title implies, taking a coffee break ☕️.
4. Speaking of Berlin – From Babbel
Speaking of Berlin is a podcast hosted by Ted, an editor at Babbel. He shares different stories coming out of Berlin, the famous capital of Germany. Ted gives some context at the beginning of the episode in English, and then the episode jumps into German. Ted will bounce back into the episode every once in a while to speak in English and explain what is going on. Babbel also offers bonus episodes without any English as well.
Episode Length⏰: 8-16 minutes
Recommendation💡: Read the transcript for the episode while listening to the episode. This is a great tool to help your listening and reading comprehension!
5. Easy German: Learn German with Native Speakers
Native speakers Cari and Manuel speak in Easy German about topics in Germany and around the world. The hosts will answer listener questions and also explain words and different phrases. This podcast is a little more advanced, so consider pairing this show with one of the podcasts covering more basic phrases.
Episode Length⏰: 19 minutes – 1+hours.
Recommendation💡: Have a long train ride? Throw on this podcast to hear native speakers teach you the language. Make sure to check out the transcript provided in the show notes for each episode as well. Become a member to get access to more bonus content!
🌟BONUS🌟: Deutsche Welle Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten
If you want to improve your German and stay up to date with German and global news, then check out DW’s slow (Langsam) daily news. New episodes come out Monday through Saturday. This podcast is arguably the most advanced out of all the podcast recommendations because it does not feature any English. However, the presenters speak slowly and clearly, and you might be surprised at how much you understand.
Episode Length⏰: 7-10 minutes
Recommendations💡: The news is spoken at the B2 level, so if you are up for a challenge, tune in to this podcast. The transcript is also available to read along.
Where Can I Listen: All of these podcasts are available on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Podcasts, and some have their own website! Listen in wherever you get your podcasts.
Interested in taking your German learning beyond the headphones and to the classroom? Look through our guide on language courses in Düsseldorf.
Best of luck with your language learning, or in the spirit of learning German, Viel Glück😉!
