German A1 Level Course

A1 is the first level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the standard used across Europe to describe language ability. It is the starting point, sitting below A2 (elementary), and it is the basic user threshold — the point where German stops being a wall of unfamiliar words and starts being a language you can actually say things in.

At A1 you can:

• Understand and use everyday expressions and simple phrases about the things you actually need.
• Introduce yourself and other people, and ask and answer questions about where you live, the people you know, and the things you have.
• Shop, order food, ask for directions, and get through the simple practical situations of a visit to a German-speaking country.
• Have a simple conversation, as long as the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help you along.

A1 is also the level that every later level is built on. Getting the foundations right here — the articles, the verb endings, the word order — is what makes A2 and B1 feel manageable instead of overwhelming.

And for many learners A1 is not optional: it is the German level most commonly required for a spouse or family reunion visa to Germany, which is why a lot of our students arrive here with a very concrete deadline in mind.

No. A1 is the real beginning, and this course assumes no previous German at all. It starts from the very first sentence and builds up step by step, with every grammar point explained in plain English at the moment you need it.

When you finish A1, the natural next steps are our A2 Level Complete Course and then the B1 Level Complete Course. If you already know you want the first two, you can save by taking them together as the A1 + A2 bundle.

And if you would like to see how we teach before committing to anything, our FREE A1 trial course is a sample of this very course — the easiest place to start.

Yes. The A1 Level Complete Course contains both of our A1 courses: A1.1 and A1.2.

Each one has 10 chapters, so you get 20 chapters in total. A1.1 covers the first half of the level, and A1.2 completes it — together they take you through the entire A1 grammar and vocabulary syllabus from beginning to end.

You do not need to buy anything else to finish the level. This is the complete A1.

Yes. When you buy the complete A1 level, you save 15% with the Basic Package and 20% with the Flashcard Package, compared with buying A1.1 and A1.2 one at a time.

The discount is already included in the price you see — there is no code to enter.

There are no fixed days or times — and that is exactly the point.

This is a self-paced online course, not a live class. Every lesson is already recorded and waiting in your account. There is no timetable, no video call to join, no start date, and no group you need to keep up with.

You decide when you study. Early in the morning before work, late at night, twenty minutes on the train, or a whole Sunday afternoon — the course is available 24 hours a day, from any device with an internet connection.

The moment you sign up, everything is unlocked. And if life gets busy and you disappear for three weeks, nothing is lost. You simply pick up exactly where you left off.

If you have plenty of free time and want to move quickly, it is possible to complete this course in around 3 to 5 weeks. However, we highly suggest taking your time and working through everything thoroughly. On average, most of our students take around 3 months to finish the course.

Because you get lifetime access, there is no deadline and no pressure to keep up with anyone else.

The course is a complete package rather than a video library — everything you need to reach a solid A1 level. You get:

• Video lessons covering every grammar and vocabulary topic of the A1 level.
• Two printable PDF textbooks with clear explanations and practical exercises.
• Over 180 worksheets, with more than enough practice for every topic.
• Interactive online tests after every chapter, so you can check you have really mastered the material.
• An integrated flashcard app with audio, gender markers, plural forms, and real example sentences.
• Cheat sheets for irregular verbs, dative verbs, adjectives, and other useful shortcuts.
• Lifetime access to everything, including future updates.

Brainscape is the flashcard app that comes with the Flashcard Package. It works with spaced repetition: after each card you rate how well you knew it, and the app brings the card back just before you would forget it. So you spend your time on the words you find hard, not on the ones you already know.

With the Flashcard Package you get 6 months of free Brainscape PRO access and our A1 decks: over 1,000 flashcards with audio and example sentences, sorted into 5 decks by word class, plus our A1 Goethe Vocabulary Deck with the words you need for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 exam.

Curious how the method works? Read more about it on Brainscape.

The materials, yes. The videos, no.

All written and audio materials can be downloaded directly — the textbooks, the workbook, the worksheets, the cheat sheets, and the audio files. Print them, put them in a folder, work through them on the train without internet. They are yours.

The video lessons are streaming only and cannot be downloaded. That is purely to protect the course from piracy. You can watch them as often as you like, on any device, for as long as you have access — which is forever.

Partly — and we would rather be precise about this than oversell it.

All of our courses are built according to the official Goethe-Institut grammar and vocabulary guidelines for each level. The German you learn here is the German these exams test. The course also includes some Goethe-style exam exercises, though only a limited number.

What this is not is a dedicated exam preparation course. We do not drill exam technique, timing, or the full exam format section by section. If you want intensive exam training, you would add a specific prep course on top of this one.

That said, many of our students have passed the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 after working through our courses. Because telc Deutsch A1 follows a very similar syllabus, the same applies there.

Yes. When you complete the course, you can request a certificate of course completion from YourGermanTeacher.

Please be aware of what that is and is not. It confirms you finished our A1 course. It is not an officially recognised language certificate — only accredited institutions such as the Goethe-Institut or telc can issue certificates that count for visa applications, universities, or employers.

If you need an official A1 certificate, you will need to sit one of those exams. Our job is to get your German ready for it.

This course is created and taught by Luzi and Johannes, the two German teachers behind YourGermanTeacher. We have been teaching German professionally since 2014, including more than a decade at a European language centre in Taipei, Taiwan, where we taught with all the major German textbooks on the market. That experience went straight into this course: it is like a “best of” compilation of all the most prestigious German textbooks.

You may also know us from our YouTube channel, which we started in 2019 and where we have been explaining German grammar for free ever since. The courses use the same approach — clear English explanations, plenty of examples, and a bit of humour where the grammar gets painful.

YES! Anytime! For every single lesson and exercise, you can post your questions directly below the video, and we will answer them ASAP. In addition, you can see questions asked by other students along with our answers.

It acts like a private forum for each topic where you can gain valuable extra knowledge.

Fluent, no — that is not what A1 is, and no honest course would promise it after one level. But this is the level where you stop being silent and start actually speaking German.

After completing this course you will be able to introduce yourself, talk about your family, your job and your daily routine, ask and answer simple everyday questions, order in a restaurant, shop, ask for directions, and handle the practical basics of a visit to a German-speaking country on your own.

Speaking confidence comes from using the language, so the more you practise with real people alongside the course, the faster it will click.

Don’t rush! Take your time and do every single exercise. Follow the textbook and complete it lesson by lesson, worksheet by worksheet. Be consistent! Success isn’t about how much you can cram into one day; it’s about putting in steady work, ideally 3 times a week.

Very important: review every exercise! Writing your own examples and sentences for each grammar and vocabulary topic is crucial.

When it comes to memorising vocabulary, our flashcard app will give you everything you need to stay engaged and on track. Finally, try doing the course again from the beginning a couple of months later. It makes a huge difference!

No, you do not need to be fluent. However, you will need a basic understanding of English, because all instructions and grammar explanations are given in English.

Yes, absolutely! You can click the “Add VAT number” link in the order summary during the checkout process to enter your employer’s address and tax details.

If you don’t have those handy, don’t worry — you can easily add them later. Just click the “Update My Invoice” link in your course library after your purchase.

Yes — and we recommend it! Our FREE A1 level trial course is a free sample of this very course, built in exactly the same way, so you will know exactly what you are getting. The full A1 course simply takes you a lot further… 😊

Because you get immediate access to all course materials, including everything you can download, we do not offer refunds or a money-back guarantee once you have bought the course. That is why we would love you to try the free trial first.