Almost 100 million people speak German as their main language. Most of them live in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, making German one of the most widely used languages in Europe. Now associated with economic success, science and technology, German also has a long-standing reputation as language of poets and thinkers.

This course with Open Learn will introduce you to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the linguistic skills you need to start understanding and using German. This introduction offers the perfect opportunity to develop the skills needed to communicate effectively in German in everyday contexts!

Part 1: say hello, goodbye and some of the first phrases to use when meeting a German speaker count from one to ten understand the basic rules of German pronunciation pronounce different German-speaking countries and places introduce oneself and say where one is from.

Part 2: understand how to use regular and irregular verbs in the present tense use the adverb gern or gerne in a sentence discuss food and drink likes and dislikes and talk about a typical breakfast table in German-speaking countries appreciate the different strategies for learning vocabulary and using a dictionary to help with verb forms understand word order in sentences.

Part 3: understand German vocabulary for items of clothing and colours express preferences, ask for and give permission, and apologise talk about television programmes use separable verbs in the present tense.