Your German A1 to B1 curriculum

Your first minute with a German neighbour: you greet, say your name and ask theirs.

What you will practise

• I can say hello and goodbye at any time of day, and pick du or Sie.
• I can say my own name out loud so a German understands it.
• I can read German letters aloud, including ä, ö, ü, ß, ch and sch.
• I can write my neighbours a short note with a greeting and my name.

Someone asks where you are from, which languages you speak, and how to spell your name.

What you will practise

• I can say where I am from, where I live and which languages I speak.
• I can spell my name and address letter by letter.
• I can ask a stranger the same questions politely.
• I can find a name and a country on a class list.

At the kiosk or market you need to understand a price and give your phone number.

What you will practise

• I can understand a price the first time I hear it.
• I can give my phone number and my age.
• I can ask how much something costs and say it back.
• I can keep the verb in second place, even after heute or jetzt.

At an office you must fill in a form: name, birthday, address, marital status, nationality.

What you will practise

• I can fill in a German form with all my personal details without help.
• I can say my date of birth and my address out loud.
• I understand Vorname, Familienstand, Staatsangehörigkeit and Postleitzahl on any form.

A colleague asks about your family during lunch and shows you photos.

What you will practise

• I can talk about my family and say how old people are.
• I can say whether I am married, single or have children.
• I can ask other people politely about their family.
• I can read a family tree and a birthday card.

You lost your bag and must say what was in it.

What you will practise

• I can name the things in my bag, with the right article most of the time.
• I can often guess the article from the ending, and say one thing or several.
• I can ask where something is, and say it is here or there.
• I can understand a notice about something lost or found, and write my own.

Your first real transaction: the bakery in the morning, then a café, then the bill.

What you will practise

• I can order at a bakery without pointing.
• I can say I don't want something, using kein and nicht.
• I can ask for the bill, pay and tip the German way.
• I can read a menu and a bakery board, and find what I want and what it costs.

You shop for dinner, read a simple recipe and order in a restaurant.

What you will practise

• I can say what I eat, what I don't eat and why.
• I can order a meal and ask what is in it.
• I can read a very simple recipe and a canteen menu.
• I can understand a voicemail asking me to buy food, and write a shopping list.

You call a doctor or an office and must agree a day and a time.

What you will practise

• I can ask the time and tell it, including halb.
• I can make an appointment by phone in a few sentences.
• I understand opening hours on any door, and on an answering machine.
• I can read a course timetable and write a short message moving a time.

You describe your day and agree who does what, at home or in a shared kitchen at work.

What you will practise

• I can describe my day from morning to night.
• I can use verbs like aufstehen and einkaufen correctly.
• I can say how often I do something.
• I can read a cleaning rota and agree who does what.

A colleague asks what you do at the weekend and invites you along.

What you will practise

• I can say what I like, what I prefer and what I can do.
• I can suggest something and say yes or no politely.
• I can use können, wollen and möchten in real sentences.
• I can understand a voicemail invitation and find a film or a club in a listing.

You are invited to a birthday and must reply, bring something and say the right words.

What you will practise

• I can read an invitation and answer it.
• I can say who a gift is for, using für and ohne.
• I can congratulate someone the German way, on the right day.
• I can understand a voicemail invitation and what to bring.

You find what you need in a supermarket and a Drogerie, then pay.

What you will practise

• I can ask where something is in a shop.
• I can understand offers and say something is too expensive.
• I can pay, ask for a bag or the receipt, and handle Pfand.
• I can see from a sign whether a shop is open, and write a shopping note with prices.

You need a winter jacket. You ask for a size and a colour, and try it on.

What you will practise

• I can ask for a size or a colour and say what fits.
• I can compare two things using dieser and welcher.
• I can say what I am wearing.
• I can read a sale ad and a shop's note on returns.

You describe your flat, ask about a room and read a flat ad.

What you will practise

• I can describe my flat: rooms, size and floor.
• I can read a simple flat ad and ask about rent.
• I can say where and with whom I live, using mit, bei, seit, von, zu.
• I can read a notice in my building and say where things are.

You are lost on the way to the Bürgeramt and must ask for directions.

What you will practise

• I can ask the way and follow simple directions.
• I can tell someone what to do with the imperative.
• I can say how I get somewhere: mit dem Bus, zu Fuß.
• I can follow stop announcements on a tram, and read a small town map.

You buy a ticket, find the platform and understand that your train is late.

What you will practise

• I can buy a ticket at a machine or a counter.
• I understand platform changes and delays in announcements.
• I can read a simple timetable.
• I can leave a message to say I am late, with my new time and an apology.

You book a room for a weekend and check in.

What you will practise

• I can book a hotel room and say how long I will stay.
• I can ask about breakfast, price and checkout.
• I can talk about where I travel and with whom.
• I can follow a last call and find my luggage at an airport.
• I can read a booking email and compare two places to stay.

On your first day people ask what you do and how long you have been here.

What you will practise

• I can say what I do, where I work and when.
• I can ask a colleague about their job.
• I can read a small job ad.
• I can follow people saying what they do, and read a short profile of a colleague.

You start a course or a test and must understand instructions and ask for help.

What you will practise

• I can understand instructions like ankreuzen, ergänzen and lesen Sie.
• I can ask what a word means and how to spell it.
• I can say I did not understand, and keep the talk going.
• I can read a cancelled-class notice and write a short note to my teacher.

You feel ill, or something serious happens. You must say what hurts or call 112.

What you will practise

• I can say what hurts and how long it has hurt.
• I can make a doctor's appointment and follow simple advice.
• I can call 112 and say where I am and what happened.
• I can write a short sick message to my boss or teacher.

You call an office, get an answering machine and send a short email.

What you will practise

• I can start and end a phone call and leave a message.
• I can write a short email with the right greeting.
• I can post a letter and pick up a parcel.
• I can understand a recorded message when a practice is closed.

You must register your address and open a bank account before your German is good.

What you will practise

• I can book and get through an Anmeldung in six sentences.
• I can ask for help at a counter and hand over the right papers.
• I can open a bank account and understand the basic words.
• I can follow signs and warnings in a public building, and write to an office for an appointment.

Weather is how many people in Germany start a conversation. You join in and plan a trip out.

What you will practise

• I can talk about the weather and the seasons.
• I can make small talk with a neighbour.
• I can say what one does or may not do, with man.
• I can read a weather report and write a postcard.

You say what you think of a film, a flat and a person, and give a reason.

What you will practise

• I can say what I like and give a simple reason with denn.
• I can join ideas with und, aber, oder and denn.
• I can describe someone in a few sentences.
• I can follow what people say about a place, and read short opinions online.

Someone asks where you were yesterday. You also check where you stand at the end of A1.

What you will practise

• I can say where I was and what I had, using war and hatte.
• I can read and write a short message about yesterday.
• I can follow someone telling their story in simple past sentences.
• I can sit a full A1 practice test at home, in the exam format, and read my result honestly.

Monday morning: colleagues ask about your weekend and you tell it in order.

What you will practise

• I can tell a colleague what I did at the weekend in a short story.
• I can choose haben or sein in the Perfekt for everyday verbs.
• I can react to someone else's story so the talk keeps going.
• I can follow people telling their weekend on the radio, on a voicemail and in a blog.

People ask how long you have been in Germany and why you came. You give the short version.

What you will practise

• I can tell the story of my life in 8 sentences with dates.
• I can use seit, vor and für with time correctly.
• I can answer "Wie lange sind Sie schon hier?" without thinking.
• I can follow someone else's life story, and read a short CV.

You describe your symptoms to the doctor, get a sick note and go to the pharmacy.

What you will practise

• I can describe symptoms and say how long I have had them.
• I can understand the doctor's advice and ask one follow-up question.
• I can use the dative: mir, dir, Ihnen, helfen, wehtun.
• I can tell my boss I am ill, by phone or by email, and read a package leaflet.

Moving day: you tell helpers where things go and call a tradesperson.

What you will practise

• I can say where something is and where it is going (Wo? Wohin?).
• I can use stellen, stehen, legen, liegen, hängen correctly.
• I can arrange a tradesperson by phone.
• I can read a moving checklist and flat ads, abbreviations included, and write to a new landlord.

You book a holiday flat, then tell friends what went well and what went wrong.

What you will practise

• I can book accommodation and ask what is included.
• I can talk about a past trip with wollte, konnte, musste.
• I can write a short review of a place.
• I can follow airport announcements and travel tips on the radio.

Your train is cancelled. You find another way, read the timetable and understand the traffic news.

What you will practise

• I can handle a cancelled train and find a connection.
• I understand station and traffic announcements.
• I can guess the meaning of long words by breaking them up.
• I can write a message about a change of plan and say sorry.

A colleague asks about your work. You explain what you do and why you like it or not.

What you will practise

• I can explain my job, my tasks and my hours.
• I can give reasons with weil and say what I think with dass.
• I can use wenn for conditions like "wenn ich Zeit habe".
• I can read a job ad and a short application, and understand people talking about their work.

You move a meeting, agree who does what and tell your team you are late.

What you will practise

• I can agree a time and move an appointment at work.
• I can ask for help and report a problem.
• I can write a short work email that sounds right.
• I can understand a notice about holidays at work and a short team meeting.

A colleague is getting married and you need something to wear. You describe people and clothes.

What you will practise

• I can describe what someone looks like and what they are wearing.
• I can describe character with useful adjectives.
• I can use adjective endings after der and ein in common sentences.
• I can buy clothes: say what I want, say what is wrong, and ask about changing it.
• I can understand a short article about what people wear at work.

Two phone plans, two flats, two options. You compare and decide.

What you will practise

• I can compare prices and offers and say which is better.
• I can use besser als, so gut wie and am besten.
• I can read a simple contract summary and find the catch.
• I can understand a short radio tip about contracts.

You get through the German holiday year: Christmas, Easter, birthdays, a wedding.

What you will practise

• I can say who I am giving what to, using dative and accusative together.
• I can wish the right thing at the right time.
• I can accept and decline politely.
• I can understand an invitation and a short article about a German festival.

You want to meet people. You join a club and talk about what you like.

What you will practise

• I can talk about my hobbies in several linked sentences.
• I can use deshalb, trotzdem, sondern and außerdem.
• I can ask about joining a club and its rules.
• I can write a short email to a club.

A trip to the countryside: plans, weather warnings and animals.

What you will practise

• I can plan a day out and say what we need.
• I understand a weather forecast on the radio.
• I can talk about nature in several sentences.
• I can read a park sign and tips for a day out, and find what I need.

You share a home. You describe routines and talk through what annoys you.

What you will practise

• I can describe my routine with reflexive verbs.
• I can say "ich wasche mir die Hände" and "wir treffen uns" correctly.
• I can say how I feel and what I am looking forward to.
• I can write a flatmate a polite but clear message about a problem.

A note from the neighbours and a house rules sheet. You also sort your rubbish correctly.

What you will practise

• I can read a Hausordnung and say what is allowed.
• I can use man, jemand, niemand and etwas correctly.
• I can ask a neighbour politely to be quieter, and answer if they ask me.
• I can sort my rubbish and understand someone explaining how it works.

Your phone contract has a problem. You call support and ask indirectly.

What you will practise

• I can describe a technical problem clearly.
• I can ask politely with "Können Sie mir sagen, ob...".
• I can talk about the media I use.
• I can follow a phone menu and read a contract FAQ.

Now you go back to the Bürgeramt with real German: you ask, explain and solve a problem.

What you will practise

• I can register, re-register or deregister and understand what is asked.
• I can make polite requests with könnten and würden.
• I can explain why a document is missing.
• I can follow the announcements in a waiting room and read a letter from an office.

You open an account, set up a transfer and collect a parcel.

What you will practise

• I can do everyday things at the bank and the post office.
• I can read a bank statement and spot a direct debit.
• I can complain about a lost parcel.
• I know what to do if my card goes missing, and what a bank never asks.

You cook for colleagues and friends. You read a recipe, shop and host.

What you will practise

• I can read and explain a recipe.
• I can invite guests and ask what they cannot eat.
• I can give clear instructions in order.
• I can read a restaurant review and say what was good and bad.

Your child starts Kita or school. You talk to a teacher and write a sick note.

What you will practise

• I can talk to a teacher or Kita staff about my child.
• I can write an excuse note for school.
• I understand the basic words of the school system and a parents' evening invitation.

You choose a course, book a test and prepare. You learn how test tasks are worded.

What you will practise

• I can ask about courses, levels, costs and dates.
• I understand the instructions in exam tasks.
• I can explain what I find hard and how I learn.
• I understand what the integration course is and who to ask about it.

You choose or change health insurance, see a specialist and know where to go at night.

What you will practise

• I can say which health insurance fund I have and show my card.
• I can explain a medical problem, ask for a referral and ask about an appointment.
• I know when to call 112 and when 116 117, and I can do both.
• I can read a letter from my health insurance fund, work out what I pay and write back with a question.

Your permit runs out. You book an appointment, bring the right papers and answer questions.

What you will practise

• I can ask for an appointment and ask what to bring.
• I can read a letter from the Ausländerbehörde and find the deadline.
• I can answer questions about my work, flat and income.
• I can write a formal email asking for an earlier appointment and give a reason.

Your wallet is gone, or there was an accident. You report it. You also read short news.

What you will practise

• I can tell the police what happened, in order.
• I can report something lost or stolen and say what to do first.
• I can read a short local news item and understand ging, kam, sagte.
• I can talk about a small accident and know a note on the car is not enough.

Colleagues debate a car-free street. You say what you think and why. Then you test your A2.

What you will practise

• I can give my opinion and two reasons.
• I can agree and disagree politely.
• I can follow people arguing about a local question, in speech and in writing.
• I can rate my own 60-second opinion honestly against clear points.
• I can sit a full A2 practice test at home, in the exam format, and read my result honestly.

You must write to a landlord, an office and a boss. A friend helps you get the tone right.

What you will practise

• I can write an email to any office with the right start, end and tone.
• I can keep du or Sie consistent and join 4 points into one text.
• I can use "Ich habe vor, ... zu" and "Es ist wichtig, ... zu".
• I can explain an email by phone without notes.
• I can follow a long phone message from an office and note what to do by when.

You look for a job, read ads and prepare your CV and cover letter.

What you will practise

• I can understand a job ad and say what it requires.
• I know what goes in a German CV, and I can write a short cover letter.
• I can use verbs with prepositions: sich bewerben um, sich interessieren für.
• I can present myself in 90 seconds, as at a job fair.
• I can follow a recruiter's long phone message and note what she needs.

The interview is on Tuesday. You prepare answers, questions and how to talk about money.

What you will practise

• I can answer common interview questions about my experience.
• I can ask what I want to know, using worauf, wofür and damit.
• I can talk about salary and notice period.
• I can write a short thank-you email after an interview.
• I can follow a long radio talk about what employers ask and what they may not ask.

You lost your job. You register in time, understand the letter and ask about training.

What you will practise

• I can register as looking for work and explain my situation.
• I can read an official letter and find deadlines and duties.
• I can use wegen, trotz and innerhalb like the letters do.
• I can ask on the phone to move an appointment and give a reason.
• I can write to the Jobcenter to move an appointment.

You read your contract, understand your rights and talk to your employer about a problem.

What you will practise

• I can read the main points of a work contract.
• I can explain a problem to my boss, using obwohl and trotzdem.
• I know the words for sick leave, holidays, notice and works council.
• I can follow a conversation about my rights and say where to get help.

You work in a team, present a result and handle a difficult colleague.

What you will practise

• I can present a small project in a meeting.
• I can describe people and results with correct adjective endings, in all cases.
• I can give and take feedback politely.
• I can follow who does what in a meeting, and read the minutes afterwards.

You need to explain the school system, compare it with yours and tell your own learning story.

What you will practise

• I can explain the German school system and compare it with my country.
• I can tell a story in order with als, bevor, nachdem and während.
• I can talk with a teacher about a child's options.
• I can read a school's letter and tell advice from a decision.

You want your degree recognised or to start an Ausbildung, and you ask for advice.

What you will practise

• I can ask about having my qualifications recognised.
• I can explain what happened before what, using the Plusquamperfekt.
• I can use n-declension nouns such as den Kollegen and dem Studenten.
• I can understand a long message about missing documents and write to a course provider.

Your heating bill goes up. You talk about what can be done, and read about climate.

What you will practise

• I can talk about climate change and energy with the key words.
• I can describe processes with the passive: wird produziert, muss getrennt werden.
• I can discuss what we and politicians should do.
• I can understand and question a heating bill.
• I can find what I need in a flyer on saving energy.

A friend is staying on your floor and puts everything in the wrong bin. You also go out into real nature.

What you will practise

• I can explain how waste is sorted, using the passive with modals.
• I can talk about animals and landscape with the words the list expects.
• I can argue a small environment question.
• I can complain to a property manager about the bins in a formal email.
• I can use a waste calendar to find what goes where and when.

A friend is getting divorced and another is in love. You talk about it and give advice.

What you will practise

• I can talk and write about friendship, partnership and separation.
• I can describe people with relative clauses: der Mann, den ich kenne.
• I can give advice with sollte.
• I can follow a long, rambling voicemail from a friend.
• I can read a short story in the past tense.

You help at a neighbourhood centre and talk to older people about how things were.

What you will practise

• I can discuss living together across generations.
• I can use words like der Deutsche, die Bekannte, die Jugendlichen correctly.
• I can give pros and cons of volunteering.
• I can offer my help to an organisation in a formal email.
• I can follow several short opinions on integration.

A colleague hurt you. You describe how you feel, then have the conversation.

What you will practise

• I can talk about feelings with precise words.
• I can use stolz auf, zufrieden mit, gespannt auf correctly.
• I can solve a conflict without hurting anyone.
• I can follow a long personal story and a short story, and say what happened and why.
• I can clear up a misunderstanding, and check that I've understood: Habe ich dich richtig verstanden?

Your child wants a smartphone. You discuss the pros and cons.

What you will practise

• I can talk about apps, devices and social media.
• I can say what something is for, using um ... zu and damit.
• I can discuss digital life for children, with reasons and an example.
• I can read three opinions in a forum and say who wants what.

You receive a phishing email, then buy online and decide whether to subscribe.

What you will practise

• I can recognise a fake message and report it.
• I can use ohne zu, statt zu and brauchen nicht zu.
• I can discuss whether a subscription is worth it, and cancel one in writing.
• I can find what matters in a shop's terms: withdrawal, costs, subscription.

Your coffee machine broke after a month. You complain, politely and firmly.

What you will practise

• I can return or exchange something and insist on my rights.
• I can say "das Gerät ist beschädigt" and "das Geschäft ist geschlossen" with the state passive.
• I can use participles as adjectives: die beschädigte Ware.
• I can explain the difference between a legal warranty and a voluntary one, and read signs in a shop.

A reminder letter arrives. You read it line by line, sort it out on the phone, cancel a contract and talk about money with numbers.

What you will practise

• I can understand bills, reminders and interest, and react to a reminder on the phone.
• I can answer a reminder in writing when I've already paid.
• I can talk about amounts, averages and percentages, and describe a table in 60 seconds.
• I can cancel a contract and ask about its term and notice period.

A hose comes off your washing machine and the neighbours get the water. You report the damage to your insurer, and you hear how a first tax return works from someone who has done one.

What you will practise

• I can report damage to an insurance company, on the phone and in writing.
• I can say which insurance pays for what.
• I can say what I need for a tax return and understand my tax class.
• I can use falls, sodass, indem and als ob.

You found the flat. You view it, ask about the costs, read the contract and write to the landlord.

What you will practise

• I can understand a rental contract and ask about rent, deposit and costs.
• I can use Konjunktiv II for wishes, advice and polite refusal.
• I can compare two flats and decide.
• I can follow a radio programme about rents and the rent brake.

Water is coming through the ceiling. The neighbours are too loud. You argue fairly.

What you will practise

• I can report a fault to the landlord and set a deadline.
• I can say what should have happened: Sie hätten mich informieren müssen.
• I can settle a dispute with a neighbour.
• I can say what I could not do, in the Präteritum or the perfect: Ich habe nicht kommen können.

Your used car breaks down on the motorway. You stay safe, get it repaired, read the bill line by line, and object to a fine in writing.

What you will practise

• I can talk about cars, breakdowns and traffic rules.
• I can say "Ich lasse das Auto reparieren" with lassen.
• I can say what will happen, using werden.
• I can read a fine notice and object to it in a letter.
• I can follow traffic news and find out what my foreign driving licence is worth here.

Your flight is cancelled. You insist on what you are owed, follow announcements and train rights, then tell the story.

What you will practise

• I can claim compensation for delays and cancellations.
• I can tell a long travel story with several past forms.
• I can ask for information and argue for what I need.
• I can follow announcements and short messages while I travel.

A doctor told you to eat better. You compare diets and host friends.

What you will practise

• I can talk about what I eat and why.
• I understand food labels and ingredient lists: allergens, best before, use by.
• I can discuss a healthy diet with reasons, and keep opinions apart from numbers.
• I can follow someone telling a long family story about food.
• I can write my opinion on vegetarian canteens in a forum.

You change your lifestyle: more exercise, less stress, and a chat with a therapist.

What you will practise

• I can talk about health, sport and stress in detail.
• I can build and understand words: Gesundheit, ungesund, schmerzlos, machbar.
• I can explain a health problem in depth.
• I can read a health insurer's course flyer and work out what I pay.
• I can write a friend an email with sensible advice.

You go to a concert, read a review and argue about a film.

What you will practise

• I can read and write a review.
• I can talk about books, films and events in detail.
• I understand a programme and a radio tip.
• I can follow a short story written in the past tense.
• I can talk and write about my hopes, dreams and plans.

You follow the real news: crime, weather, politics. You spot who said what.

What you will practise

• I can follow short radio news.
• I can tell "er soll gesagt haben" and "es sei" from facts.
• I can summarise a news item in my own words.
• I can check where a piece of news comes from.

You think about citizenship. You need to understand the state, the law and the test.

What you will practise

• I can explain how Germany is governed in simple terms.
• I understand the words of the citizenship process.
• I can talk about rights and duties.
• I can write a formal email to ask about the process.

You explain a machine, follow a manual, and describe shapes, sizes and steps.

What you will practise

• I can read a manual and follow it.
• I can explain how something works, step by step.
• I can describe shape, size and position exactly.
• I can follow a radio programme and an article about how inventions came about.

Friends argue: city or countryside? You present, disagree and find a middle ground.

What you will practise

• I can present a topic with an opinion, reason and example.
• I can use einerseits, sowohl als auch, je desto.
• I can disagree politely and ask my partner what they think.
• I can write a forum post with pros, cons and my own view.
• I can follow a radio interview about life in the country.

Your teacher is leaving and you plan the party. Then the last check before the mock exams.

What you will practise

• I can plan an event with a partner: suggest, react, decide.
• I can introduce myself for the oral exam in 2 minutes.
• I can summarise a plan clearly.
• I know how the planning task runs and what I may bring on exam day.