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Yes, German vocabulary learning is the featured topic right now because the most important part of learning German is learning how to learn it.

Vocabulary learning is a HUGE part of that!

N.B. While the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast no longer exists, you can still hear all of the audios here on the blog. The audios are available on the blog posts published between August 1, 2021 and October 1, 2024. Viel Spaß beim Hören!

This is what you'll hear in this episode:

• A realization a client o…

A lot of what you might read on the internet on how to learn German vocabulary words is really a lot of hot air & hooey.

In this episode we'll bust 5 myths on vocabulary learning and give you a clearer picture of why vocabulary learning is important.

After all, if you don't know what the words mean...you'll be up a creek without a paddle.

The 5 Myths:

1. You only need to learn 3,000 words to truly speak German!

2. Vocabulary isn't as important as grammar.

3. Learning vocabulary is as bo…

What did we cover in German in 2021?

Really a lot!

From the podcast episodes to blog posts, and in each week of the Weekly German Practice, we covered a huge amount of material this year!

It's good to take a step back from time to time and to 'zoom out' so you can see the big picture.

Once you do that, you'll see exactly how much progress you've made this year, and I hope this episode is helpful.

PLUS you'll hear a run-down of all the countries that listeners to this podcast live in.

It's …

Visiting a German Christmas Market is a true feast for the senses. It may forever change your expectations of the holiday season.

In this episode you'll learn about:

• the main point of the Weihnachtsmarkt

• who to go with

• the various beverages available

• what you can eat there

• what you can shop for there

The link to read more about the Adventskaffee and German Holiday Puzzles Booklet has been removed, as it is no longer for sale. Instead, feel free to sign up for the E…

Holidays mean greetings.

In Germany that means many holiday greetings. For different people.

When do you say what to whom?

Learn in this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast:

• How to wish someone a nice Advent in German

• How to say Happy Hannukah in German

• How to say Good Yule in German

• How to say Happy Holidays in German

• How to say Merry Christmas in German

• How to say Happy New Year in German

• and a couple more.

AND you'll learn when to say which g…

It's a 'scary' time of year and to go along with it, here is your Brothers Grimm fairy tale in a video.

You might not know Der Kobold in der Mühle, however it's every bit as eery as the other fairy tales.

What does Kobold mean?

A Kobold is a "house spirit," a German folk being who takes care of household tasks and sometimes causes mischief.

Britannica.com has a fantastic description of a Kobold that includes this important information:

"...mischievous household spirit who usually helps wi…

The German National Anthem is known as the Nationalhymne or Das Lied der Deutschen, "The Song of the Germans."

In today's episode of the podcast for German learners you'll hear:

• the current national anthem

• a bit of its history
  

• the German National Anthem sung in German (by yours truly!)
  

It's really important to note the specifics of this Anthem because there is a strong connection to German history, one that is to be remembered and respected.

Besides, wouldn't you like to im…

When should you use 'arbeiten' and when should you use 'funktionieren'?

All the answers are in this episode!

You'll learn these two verbs in the context of wine harvest, too, because it's wine harvest time.

Learning to differentiate synonyms in German works really well when you use context.

This way you can easily build a picture in your mind that will help you for all of your German learning.

If it helps, you can even draw yourself a little sketch of a scene you'll hear in this episode.

A…

Knowing how to pronounce hätte correctly in German is one thing. Using it correctly is another.

In today's German lesson you'll learn both how to say hätte correctly and how to use it in a few specific phrases.

Imagine how confident you'll feel knowing exactly what to say and pronouncing everything correctly. This will be a step up for your German.

Plus you'll learn how to say "shoulda, woulda, coulda" in German, which uses hätte, and will surely impress your German friends the next time they…

Summer vacation (or summer holidays) are drawing to a close for loads of people in the northern hemisphere.

So what are these called in German?

Das sind die Ferien.

And why is that word so frequently confused with "feiern"?

Because they are so similar.

In this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com podcast you'll learn how to pronounce these two words, which article you should use with Ferien (it's simpler than you might think), and a couple of example sentences so you can remember which word …