German reading practice doesn’t always have to consist of sitting down with a famous German text like Faust or Die unendliche Geschichte (The Neverending Story). Everyday tasks like puzzling through a restaurant menu or recognizing what a German street sign is communicating count as reading practice, too! When you choose the right German materials, you can read at your level of fluency to advance your skillset. We’ll help you get started with recommended resources to guide your next German reading practice session.

Beginner (basic) German reading practice

At the beginner or “basic” level of the German language fluency levels, also known as A1 to A2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR), focus on short texts that don’t require much context to understand. Good beginner German reading practice should focus on practical, daily tasks like reading a grocery list, a short email, or common signage.

At the A1 and A2 levels, you want to develop practical German reading skills such as:

  • reading simple, common phrases and following short, written instructions
    • Bitte hier unterschreiben. = Please sign here.
    • Drücken Sie den Knopf. = Press the button.
  • being able to mentally “sound out” letters and diphthongs unique to the German language
    • Mädchen (pronounced “MAYT-khyen”) = girl 
    • Straße (pronounced “SHTRAH-suh”) = street 
    • schön (pronounced “shurn”) = pretty/already 
  • understanding the signs and directions you would read on an average day in Germany
    • Zutritt verboten. = No entry.
    • Bitte rechts halten. = Please keep right.
    • Notausgang. = Emergency exit.
  • locating certain information needed from a larger text, without needing to read the entire piece
    • Der Zug nach München fährt um 14:18 Uhr von Gleis 5 ab. = The train to Munich departs at 2:18 pm from platform 5.
    • Der neue Supermarkt in der Bahnhofstraße öffnet am Montag um 8:00 Uhr. = The new supermarket on Bahnhofstrasse opens on Monday at 8:00 am.
  • comprehending short emails and letters about themes you’re familiar with
    • Bitte schicken Sie mir die Rechnung. = Please send me the invoice.
    • Anbei finden Sie das Dokument. = Find the document attached.

Where to find easy things to read in German

At this level, it’s as important as it is simple to find reputable sources to read in German. Reliable sources will provide you with quality, grammatically accurate texts that won’t reinforce mistakes or bad German. Focus on texts that are not only entertaining but also relatively short, use starting vocabulary, and stick to simple, daily topics.

  • Navigate daily life in Germany with the Goethe Institut’s This is What Life in Germany Looks Like story section for A1 to A2 learners. The stories cover common aspects of German life, such as shopping, healthcare, and housing.
  • For practice reading common German signs, look at the U.S. Army’s German Traffic Signs Guide to learn what you need to get around while driving in Germany. You can also visit iamexpat’s Road Sign Guide for additional, easy-to-read signs that you’ll encounter in daily life in Germany.
  • Visit your local library and search for German-English phrasebooks. These are often tailored for pragmatic events like those arising from daily travel, commonplace conversation, or just finding your way around a new German city.

Tips for beginners to practice reading in German

From years of experience specializing in German linguistics, I can confidently say that grace will be your best asset during language education. Specifically, giving yourself the grace to not be the best and forgiving your errors as you build fluency will give you the patience to master this new skill.

Try to remember often the “why” behind your decision to learn German, and follow these tips to get the most out of your German reading practice.

  • Read the text as a whole, then review the story with a specific purpose. At the early levels, this can be something like circling or highlighting all the verbs of the text and noticing the patterns of where they fall in a German sentence.
  • Don’t stop at every unknown word while reading. Instead, try to see if you can glean the definition of the word from the context. Once you’re done reading, you can then go back and look up the specific term on LEO’s German/English dictionary to make sure you have it right. Gist first, details second!
  • Accompany reading with sound. It takes a certain number of times experiencing information before it becomes a permanent part of our memory. Read the text while listening to the same writing, or you can read the text aloud to yourself.
  • Ensure you know the theme of what you’re reading before you read it. Being able to select a story about shopping, then reading it, will greatly help with context and bridge gaps in terms you might not yet be familiar with.

Free beginner German reading practice paragraph

With the earlier advice soundly in mind, read this beginner-level German paragraph about introducing family members to test out your current reading skills.

Ich habe eine große Familie. Ich habe eine Mutter, einen Vater und fünf Geschwister. Drei meiner Geschwister sind meine Schwestern. Die anderen beiden sind meine Brüder. Wir gehen gerne spazieren. Meine Großeltern wohnen auch bei uns. Sie kochen sehr gerne.

I have a large family. I have a mother, a father, and five siblings. Three of my siblings are my sisters. The other two are my brothers. We like to take walks together. My grandparents also live with us. They really like to cook.

Intermediate (independent) German reading practice

The intermediate level of German fluency reflects a level of independence that allows you to move beyond short texts and simple messages to understanding longer, connected sections of reading. Consider short stories like German fairy tales, reviews, and youth magazines at the independent level for quality German reading practice. 

The CEFR states that the intermediate level of German fluency is reached between 260 and 600 hours of instruction, but you can always take the Goethe Institut’s free language evaluation test to know with better certainty that this level is correct for you. Keep in mind that reading practice supplements hours of instruction, but does not replace them or count as part of the hours of instruction received.

Your German reading practice at the intermediate level of fluency should focus on developing these skills:

  • independently comprehending longer texts consisting of a few paragraphs with more complex sentence structure and being able to summarize their overall message
    • Soziale Medien helfen Menschen, mit Freunden in Kontakt zu bleiben und Informationen schnell zu teilen. = Social media helps people stay in touch with friends and share information quickly.
    • Viele Menschen möchten mehr lesen, finden aber selten Zeit dafür. Eine einfache Lösung ist, jeden Tag nur zehn Minuten zu lesen. = Many people would like to read more, but rarely find the time to do so. A simple solution is to read for just ten minutes every day. 
  • understanding news stories on familiar topics that cover contemporary topics like weather, overarching global issues, and pop culture
    • Nach mehreren Tagen mit starkem Regen warnt der Wetterdienst vor überfluteten Straßen in Teilen Süddeutschlands. = After several days of heavy rain, the weather service is warning of flooded roads in parts of southern Germany.
    • Eine deutsche Serie sorgt derzeit auch im Ausland für Aufmerksamkeit. Besonders gelobt werden die realistischen Dialoge und die Darstellung junger Menschen in Großstädten. = A German television series is currently attracting attention abroad as well. The realistic dialogue and the portrayal of young people in big cities have received particular praise.
  • noticing the tone of the author, whether they’re attempting to be informative, neutral, persuasive, entertaining, or critical of the information in the text
    • Der neue Radweg in der Innenstadt ist ein wichtiger Schritt für eine sicherere und umweltfreundlichere Stadt. = The new bike path in the city center is an important step toward a safer and more environmentally friendly city. (Persuasive)
    • Der neue Radweg in der Innenstadt klingt zunächst nach Fortschritt, doch die Planung überzeugt nicht vollständig. = At first glance, the new bike path in the city center sounds like progress, but the plans aren’t entirely convincing. (Critical)

German reading resources for intermediate learners

Look for lengthier readings that incorporate follow-up questions, which will help mentally solidify what you’ve read and challenge you to improve your weak spots. Short articles like entries about the weather, travel, or pop culture are practical reading choices. Restaurant reviews, movie summaries, recipes for famous German dishes, and event pages for your favorite German band are also solid options for quality German reading practice.

  • Reading medium-length texts from Rosetta Stone Stories while listening to the native speaker’s narration will help mentally solidify the overall message of the story and make it easier to summarize the main message.
  • Check out the long list of free online reading material from the Goethe Institut’s independent-level resources. This will allow you to choose between texts based on theme to help you delve into lengthier stories on familiar topics and help build your contextual understanding. 
  • Take a look at the B1 practice materials and B2 practice materials from the Goethe Institut if you’re looking for a more academic approach and test-taking support.
  • You can read texts from German dot net, where the variety of materials helps you start to differentiate the intended tone of the author and glean what they want you to know or feel. They include comprehension questions.

Tips for intermediate learners to practice reading in German

Reaching the intermediate level of German fluency is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of, and there are plenty of practical reasons to challenge yourself and maintain your momentum. Keep in mind your reasons for learning the German language and be honest with yourself about where your opportunities for improvement lie.

  • Stories, news, and entertaining content will often do more for improving your German reading practice than language learning textbooks. While these textbooks are excellent for nailing down difficult grammar, they’re often written in a more academic tone than you’re likely to use.
  • Read over the entire text first without worrying about understanding every single term. Focus on the “gist” of the message and try to fill in the gaps for yourself.
  • Learn how to stop translating in your head. You’ll want to connect the meaning of the word to its written form by naming things in your daily life, like types of chairs, events, and places, by their German term.
  • Break long noun phrases into smaller parts and start by identifying what you know. When reading information-dense phrases like die steigenden Kosten für öffentliche Verkehrsmittel (the rising costs of public transportation), you can start by recognizing the simpler terms like Kosten (costs) and branch out to the other terms that feel less familiar.

Advanced (proficient) German reading practice

German language enthusiasts who have reached the advanced level of proficiency according to the CEFR need reading material that is generally intended for native German speakers in order to challenge themselves. At this point, your reading material is no longer focused on how to learn German basics, but rather on providing you with nuanced, industry-specific, and colloquial terminology that helps your German sound closer to what a native German would speak. 

German news articles, full-length novels, and transcribed debates are excellent materials to review for quality German reading practice at this level. With a near-native level of fluency in German, advanced readers should work on these skills to improve themselves even further:

  • reading critically across various tones and levels of formality in writing, including slang and academic text
    • KI in der Schule? Klar, kann mega hilfreich sein, wenn man mal bei einer Aufgabe festhängt oder schnell eine Erklärung braucht. = AI in school? Sure, it can be mega helpful when you’re stuck on a problem or need a quick explanation. 
    • Ganz ehrlich, diese neue App ist schon wieder so ein Ding, das am Anfang mega praktisch wirkt und nach zwei Tagen nur noch nervt. = For real, this new app is just another one of those things that seem super handy at first, but end up being a total pain after two days.
  • understanding highly technical writing outside of your areas of familiarity
    • Die Versauerung der Ozeane entsteht, wenn Meerwasser vermehrt Kohlendioxid aus der Atmosphäre aufnimmt. = Ocean acidification occurs when seawater absorbs increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
    • Bei einer Entzündungsreaktion werden verschiedene Signalstoffe freigesetzt, die Immunzellen zum betroffenen Gewebe leiten. = During an inflammatory response, various signaling molecules are released that guide immune cells to the affected tissue.
  • summarizing complex texts accurately and responding with an argument that is supported and thoroughly explained, with a readiness to answer follow-up questions
    • Complex text: Die geplante Umgestaltung des innerstädtischen Verkehrsraums verfolgt das Ziel, nachhaltige Mobilitätsformen zu stärken und gleichzeitig die Aufenthaltsqualität für Fußgängerinnen und Fußgänger zu erhöhen. = The planned redesign of the downtown traffic area aims to promote sustainable forms of mobility while improving the quality of the environment for pedestrians.
    • Summary: Die Stadt will den Verkehr umweltfreundlicher machen und die Innenstadt angenehmer für Fußgänger gestalten. = The city wants to make traffic more environmentally friendly and make the downtown area more pedestrian-friendly.

Where to find advanced things to read in German

Here, you’re looking for content that is meant to entertain, inform, and persuade native German readers. There’s a litany of full-length German novels out there to explore, like Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain), but news articles, transcribed debates, and pop culture magazines are quality materials for advanced reading practice as well.

  • Online German news sources like Deutschlandfunk and tagesschau are excellent places to look for advanced practice reading material because they’re where native Germans go for their news.
  • If you’re looking for more structure in your practice, place your trust in the Goethe Institut’s C1 to C2 level practice material. This will help you form your reading time around a more specific goal, like a certain industry or topic.
  • For those who want a variety of writing styles from different regions around Germany, the Literature Portal of Bavaria provides advanced cultural and literary resources with author profiles and regional historical context.
  • Check your local public university for your favorite novels translated into German. If they don’t have them already, consult the librarian to see if they can order them for you.
  • Look around for a German cultural center or cultural pop-up. These spaces often provide flyers, magazines, and historical snippets to read that are connected to real-world German culture.

Tips for advanced learners to practice reading in German

It’s time to shift your thinking away from “I am a student of German” and toward “I am a German speaker looking to improve.” This will help guide your German reading practice away from content meant for students and towards writings meant for Germans who have spoken the language their whole lives. 

When searching for reading material that will actually challenge you, consider the question “What would a German read to improve their reading skills?” 

  • Reading at the advanced level of German fluency can be the most rewarding and intellectually stimulating, so embrace it! No reason to beat yourself over the head with dense reading material just for the sake of difficulty.
  • Difficulty is not always the goal for advanced reading practice! Dense, technical material has its place in your reading practice, and rightly so, but you also want to know how to communicate in less formal contexts as well.
  • Compare the same topic or event as written about by several news sources. This gives a number of benefits, including the ability to compare the tone, register, and goal of each writing as it pertains to the topic. 
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