How to learn German with zero discipline

Language immersion is the best way to learn any language, but it's tough to immerse yourself in the German language if your family, friends and colleagues won't speak German to you.

These tricks will add include more German to your day and help you pick up the language without the boring study sessions.

Get the right tools

Native dictionaries

Add a German-English dictionary to your Mac, iPhone and iPad's dictionaries, and translate words with by hard-pressing them. No extra app needed!

• Add a German-English dictionary to your iPhone or iPad
• Add a German-English dictionary to your Mac

Dict.cc

Dict.cc is a kickass English-German dictionary. It covers far more technical terms, idioms and expressions than other dictionaries, and it's free. This should be the first app you install.

• Install dict.cc on Android
• Install dict.cc on iOS
• Install dict.cc on Windows Phone (unofficial)

Switch everything to German

Start with setting your devices' language to German. Android, iOS, Windows and MacOS let you change the operating system language easily. Most of your apps will automatically switch to German.

• Change the language in Windows 10
• Change the language in MacOS
• Change the language in iOS
• Change the language in Android

You can also add German to the preferred languages in your browser. This tells websites that you speak German, and that you prefer to receive the German version if it's available. You will also receive more German language results in Google, although this can be disabled.

• Change the preferred languages in Chrome

Steam can also be switched to German. The Steam interface will be in German, and most of your games will download a German language pack.

• Change the language in Steam

Add some German to your day

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the language is to sprinkle German content in your social media feeds. Here is a small list to get you started.

Facebook

• Notes of Berlin - A personal favourite
• Der Postillon - A satirical newspaper, similar to The Onion or Le Gorafi
• Barbara
• What Berliners Don't Say

Reddit

• /r/de - The German-speaking subreddit
• /r/fragreddit - AskReddit in German
• /r/ich_iel - /r/me_irl in German
• /r/kreiswichs - /r/circlejerk in German
• /r/jwd - The German-speaking Berlin subreddit
• /r/600euro - Mocking crazy people on social media
• /r/schland - For the best country in the world

Apps

• Google News (Web/Android/iOS) - Aggregates news based on your interests. Offers home screen widgets. This app did wonders for my German.
• Babbel - My favourite language learning app. It's much closer to a real German lesson than Duolingo, and it's made in Berlin.