Learn German

Notes

German is the third most taught foreign language in the western world after French and Spanish, and the second most spoken native language in Europe after Russian. German is one of the three working languages of the European commission, and is the second most known foreign language in the EU. A whopping 32% of citizens in the EU say they can speak German, either as a first or second language.

German is slightly more difficult to learn than English, because in addition to the standard 26-letter Latin alphabet, it has three vowels with umlauts (Ä/ä, Ö/ö, and Ü/ü) and the letter ß. Don't let that put you off, though. Choosing the right German language learning software course will help fast track your progress, not to mention make learning that much more enjoyable.

Being a popular language like Spanish, French and English, private German lessons at a language school or with a home tutor can prove expensive. Having studied German myself, and a plethora of other languages, I highly recommend buying a software course as an economical way of learning in your own time, whenever and wherever you want. I have compiled the above comparison table that compares the top six German language learning software courses on the market, which I hope will assist you in choosing the German self-study course best suited to your needs

Comparison Table Analysis

Rocket German is the clear-cut table leader for a number of reasons. The first obvious attraction is price value, but Rocket offers far more than that. It is extremely easy to get to grips with, making it suitable for all ages (14+). It scores full marks for comprehensiveness, too, providing great audio, word tools, quizzes and games. But perhaps the most attractive aspect of Rocket German is the post-purchase support. One thing that can put people off buying self-study software is the fear of being left alone to overcome things they don't understand once they have parted with their money. Rocket Languages, however, offers great post-purchase support via a virtual teacher, and via a learners' forum where you can connect with other German learners and share your study tips and progress.

Fluenz German ranks a close second, and the program's well-polished audio and DVD lessons are notable plus points. The price tag, however, is rather steep. Like Rocket, Fluenz is also very easy to use, but lacks the high-level post-purchase online support that Rocket offers. The reason for this is that Fluenz is a physical product shipped to your home address, whereas Rocket provides its learning tools in a downloadable (digital) format. Rocket will ship physical product on request (select this option upon checkout), but its primary focus is learners who want to use their computer, tablet and smartphone for on-the-go learning.

Pimsleur is another viable option that offers either downloadable or shippable media. However, Pimsleur comes it at just under $400 (the prices rises if you purchase advanced levels) making it more expensive than both Rocket and Fluenz. It also lacks the fun, interactive games offered by Rocket German.

Your first German self-study language course is an important purchase, and I therefore encourage you to read beyond the comparison table and dig down into my reviews of ach course. This will enable you to make a properly informed choice based on your personal requirements. You can find out the finer details of each course by clicking on the "Go" buttons at the bottom of the table. I hope you enjoy learning German. Viel Glück!