Learning a language quickly is about taking the express train rather than the regular train.

What do I mean by this?

Well, think about it. All trains are part of an interconnected network, working together to get their passengers to the right destinations. Express trains go faster than regular ones, and some trains take a direct route to your destination, while others make multiple stops along the way.

In the world of languages, there are 4 main trains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Let’s say that all 4 trains lead you to the same destination, but not in the same amount of time. One train may get you to your destination in 45 minutes, while another takes 3 hours. One is fast and direct, the other is slow and makes multiple stops along the way.

Are both fair options for getting to your destination? Yes, absolutely.

However, we know that time is our most precious asset. We want to get to our destination as fast as possible & if we find a quicker way to get there, we’ll be taking it. No question.

So which are the direct, express trains and which are the indirect, regular trains?

Regular trains = reading and writing

Express trains = listening and speaking

Study after study proves that listening and speaking are far quicker and effective in the language-learning process than are reading and writing. I’m sure this finding doesn’t upset you. It’s a good thing. After all, it’s far more entertaining and engaging to learn by audio and video, than by textbook and blog.

A 5-minute conversation with a native speaker can teach you more about the language than a 1-hour study session.

Seriously. This happened to me before. After studying an Italian textbook for 2 long hours, I met an Italian tourist in my city. Talking to him for 5-10 minutes, I learned more about his language than I did in the entire period of textbook study.

“Sami, I took 5 years of Spanish, but when I went to Spain, I could not hold a conversation longer than 2 minutes.”

“I have been learning German since middle school, and now – 10 years later – I’m still not comfortable speaking and have difficulty understanding native speakers.”

You get the point.. These stories are from 2 of my language students, and trust me, I definitely have many similar accounts to share from firsthand and secondhand experience.

These horror stories are endless – countless individuals with years of language experience in the classroom, but very little experience out in the world.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves: unless our goal is to become a writer in a foreign language, all that matters is our ability to comprehend and to express ourselves in conversation.

Okay, so now that we understand the preferred learning methods, here are the best ways to practice them:

Speaking

• HelloTalk: global community of 10 million+ members, where you can find numerous native German speakers to sharpen your conversation skills with

• TandemPartners: similar to HelloTalk, a global community of language learners seeking to practice their conversation skills with native speakers

• Meetup Groups: platform with interest-based meetup groups; by simply searching “German” or “German language” at this link, you will find your local group of speaking buddies 

• SprachDuo: a Munich-based project for finding language partners based on source and target language; as it is based in Germany, there is surely no shortage of native German speakers!

• For Intermediate/Advanced (B1-B2) Conversation Course (with Dilyana) – (sign up for this course to practice speaking, learning new words in their right context, and correcting each other’s mistakes in a safe community of German students)

Listening

For Beginners:

• My Instagram Page: follow along our weekly songs and video posts to sharpen listening, grammar, vocabulary skills, and more!

• Radio D: tune in to the suspenseful stories of King Ludwig, aliens, witches, sharks, and more; it’s so entertaining that it won’t even feel like you’re learning!

• Speechling (set to “Beginner: A1”): listen to 1000s of spoken practice sentences; after each one is read out loud, it displays the side-by-side English and German translations

• DeutschDrang: access numerous audio activities with accompanying fill-in-the-blank worksheets; the perfect way to test your comprehension and track your progress

• DeutschAkademie: enjoy this free audio course, following the story of Philip in Berlin & complete step-by-step vocabulary and grammar exercises throughout

For Intermediate/Advanced (B1-B2):

• My Instagram Page: follow along our weekly songs and video posts to sharpen listening, grammar, vocabulary skills, and more!

• Speechling (set to “Intermediate: A2” OR “Advanced: B1-B2”): listen to 1000s of spoken practice sentences; after each one is read out loud, it displays the side-by-side English and German translations

• DeutschlandFunk: stay tuned to this radio station, reporting on current global events, as well as interviews with public figures and politicians

• EuroNews: learn what’s going on around the world and practice your German listening skills at the same time with this news channel; luckily, all the videos are transcribed, so you can read along as you listen

• SlowGerman with Annik: sift through 150+ podcast episodes on various entertaining topics, with accompanying transcriptions under each video

So there you go! There are your tickets to the “express trains” – speaking and listening. If you are looking to get to fluency as fast as possible, this is the only way to go! As mentioned in previous posts, it is best to schedule time blocks on the calendar for listening and speaking practice.

This way, you will have a clear plan of action when you sit down to study, rather than wondering what you’ll be learning that day.

If you take nothing else away from this post, just promise me this:

That you will learn from mine and my students’ experiences and will take the express trains on your road to German mastery. Don’t make the mistake of prioritizing reading and writing over listening and speaking. While it will get you to your destination, it may take 3, 4, or even 5 times longer to do so. Let’s commit to working smarter, not harder — focusing on the methods with proven results.

If you can relate to my students who took many years of language in the classroom, but were still unable to speak the language, now is your time to start learning the right way!

Let us know what you think of these resources in the comments section below!