CEFR Level

Beginner German A1

Learn German with a Teacher German Study Group

Learn about German A1 Topics

CORE Languages follows the CEFR standard for teaching foreign languages. That means we are required to teach specific topics in each level. In order to make learning more manageable, we have broken each level down into 2 courses.

CORE Languages offers bite size courses lasting about 10 weeks each. We split A1.1 into two courses to offer flexibility for your scheduling and the option to review specific topics without repeating a much longer course.

A1.1 is a course designed for beginners, someone who has had no previous experience with German. It covers basic vocabulary, verbs in the present tense and the German sentence structure. The activities in Level 1 focus on giving basic information about yourself, understanding numbers and how to tell the time.
The course continues to focus on the present tense, adding separable and irregular verbs. It also looks at the past tenses of haben and sein as well as accusative objects. Conversational topics of this level include shopping for groceries, the daily routine and family.

After completing these levels, you’ll be able to:
understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
introduce yourself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have.
interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

At CORE Languages, as part of this German curriculum you will learn the following (and more):
Greetings and Farewells; Introductions; Saying where one is from; Saying what languages one speaks; Asking and telling how one is doing; Talking about Family; Counting; Talking about where one is from; Talking about others (he, she, we, you, they); Filling out registration forms; Talking about what one has; Naming groceries; Expressing not having and needing things; Talking about what things are not (kein, keine); Expressing prices, units and packaging; Buying items over the counter; Ordering food; Talking about one’s apartment; Comparing things; Talking about furniture; Reading apartment ads; Telling time; Talking about daily routines (split verbs); Expressing dates; Using cardinal and ordinal numbers; Describing what one does at different times of the day; Talking about the weather; Expressing not having things (accusative); Talking about hobbies and free time; Talking about what one can and cannot do; Talking about what one wants; Expressing things in the past; Talking about daily routines in the past; Naming days of the week; Naming months.

CORE Languages offers bite size courses lasting about 10 weeks each. We split A1.2 into two courses to offer flexibility for your scheduling and the option to review specific topics without repeating a much longer course.

A1.2 focuses on the German imperative forms and the first introduction to the Perfekt tense as well as modal verbs. Students will learn about tourism in Berlin and understanding as well as actively giving directions. Another topic is finding an apartment and understanding classified ads with their typical abbreviations. This course completes the Perfekt tense, adding irregular verbs and the Perfekt tense with sein. We complete the modal verbs and use them in contexts such as health and professional life. This level also deals with reading and writing e-mails in the present and past tense, and making private and business-related phone calls..

After completing these levels you’ll be able to:
understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
introduce yourself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have.
interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

At CORE Languages, as part of this curriculum you will learn the following (and more):
Talking about jobs and professions; Talking about duration (for & seit); Naming years; Telling one’s life-story; Looking for jobs; Expressing what one has to do (muss); Giving instructions (imperative); Expressing permissions (dürfen); Filling out registration forms; Asking for clarification; Naming body parts; Expressing pain; Expressing belonging (unser, euer, ihr, etc.); Interacting at the doctor; Writing excuses; Making appointments on the phone; Giving directions (review of cardinal and ordinal numbers); Describing locations (Dativ+prepositions of location); Expressing where one is and where on is going (prepositions zu & nach); Asking for the location of places; Expressing sequences in time (vor, nach, bei); Giving precise times in relation to one another (in); Expressing requests politely (könnten; würden); Talking about the function of things; Leaving messages; Complaining about broken equipment; Naming items of clothing; Expressing likes and dislikes; Referring to items without naming them (den, die, das, mir, dir, ihm, ihr, etc.); Talking about taste and preferences; Asking about items and identifying specific items (welche, diese, etc.); Expressing belonging (gehören); Talking about dates and duration; Using accusative pronouns (mich, dich, etc.); Writing and understanding text messages in German; Reading and writing invitations; Talking about holidays in Germany; Writing formal letters.

Common German Topics

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Mastering Separable Verbs in German: A Comprehensive Guide to Splitting and Using Them Across Tenses

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Discover Germany: Unraveling Traditions, Holidays, and Social Norms for Language Enthusiasts

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Master Your Tagesablauf: Essential German Vocabulary and Phrases for Discussing Your Daily Routine

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Mastering German Word Order: Essential Rules for Crafting Precise Sentences

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Mastering German Verb Conjugations: Simplify Present, Past, and Future Tenses for Everyday Conversations

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Discover All German CEFR Level Topics

Regardless of whether you are interested in private classes or group courses, or whether you come to us as a complete beginner or advanced learner, we will keep you on track using the following CEFR level standards. Dive into each level to learn about topics that will be covered at each level. German B2 and higher cover customized topics built around our clients and students’ goals and industries.

Don’t know your German level? Take our German Placement Test.

Learn basic German with a fun and interactive German A1 course for beginners. Get prepared for your A1 German language certificate exams.
Content covered in German A1 will help learners understand and use familiar, everyday expressions and very simple sentences, which relate to communicating basic needs. Learners can introduce him/herself and others as well as ask others about themselves – e.g. where they live, who they know and what they own – and can respond to questions of this nature. Can communicate in a simple manner if the person they are speaking to speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.

Whether you’re looking to learn German to relocate, for work, or just for fun, it can feel daunting knowing where to start. At CORE Languages our teachers will guide you with immersive learning to help guide you along the way.
Content covered in German A2 will help learners understand sentences and commonly used expressions associated with topics directly related to his/her direct circumstances (e.g. personal information or information about his/her family, shopping, work, immediate surroundings). Learners can make him/herself understood in simple, routine situations dealing with a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and common topics. Can describe his/her background and education, immediate surroundings and other things associated with immediate needs in a simple way.

The world moves quickly nowadays, and sometimes it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, so the idea of taking a German course can feel daunting. What if we told you that you can opt for a German B1 online course that’s completely flexible and you’re in charge?
Content covered in German B1 will help learners understand the main points when clear, standard language is used and the focus is on familiar topics associated with work, school, leisure time, etc. Learners can deal with most situations typically encountered when travelling in the language region. Learners can express him/herself simply and coherently regarding familiar topics and areas of personal interest. Learners can report on experiences and events, describe dreams, hopes and goals as well as make short statements to justify or explain his/her own views and plans.

If you’re ready to learn at the B2 level, we don’t need to tell you how to learn a language, you’ve been working hard at it already! It’s time to expand your vocabulary, work a little harder at complex subjects and tackle real-world scenarios that will help your confidence grow.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to understand complex texts, spontaneously interact with native speakers with relative ease, produce detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and write and explain your viewpoints. When you learn with CORE Languages we’ll challenge you with comprehensive reading, writing and listening exercises to match your interests, all the while our native-level teacher will be there to give you personalized feedback in real-time.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re already pretty advanced with the German language, so well done. You can understand grammar and form complex sentences, but with CORE Languages you can cement that learning, to include work-based technical language and more. By the end of this C1 German course, you will be adept at speaking German in the workplace, socially, or in an educational setting.
With a German C1 Course you’ll understand demanding texts easily and be able to present complicated information in a clear, concise way. We’ll introduce you to the lesson structure and let you know a bit more about the process of learning German with CORE languages. Take our CERF German placement test to ensure this course is the right one for you and get started with interactive, online courses available 24/7, with native-level speakers to encourage and guide you along the way.