When people think of learning foreign languages, it’s safe to say that there are certain languages that hog the limelight and get much of the attention. French is of course a prime example as it is taught in schools across the globe, as is Spanish. One language which is growing in popularity as time goes by however, is German.
More and more people are currently learning a basic German vocabulary and mastering the language of German for a whole host of different reasons. German is actually a very important language to learn, especially from a business perspective, yet learning it is easier said than done.
Believe it or not, but people are using German vocabulary flashcards to help them learn the German language, and the results are speaking for themselves!
Here’s a look at how you can learn the German language with a flashcard template PDF.
Firstly, What are Flashcards?
Just to ensure that there’s no confusion, we’ll begin today by looking at what flashcards actually are.
Flashcards are basically small notecards which have been created to improve memory via what is known as practiced information retrieval.
You’ll find that a typical flashcard is made up of two sides, with a prompt located on one side, and then info relating to the prompt located on the other. For learning a language, flashcards can be fantastic learning tools to have at your disposal.
Learning German for beginners will be easier with the help of flashcards.
Benefits of Learning German Language with Flashcards
The process of learning a foreign language is really boring, and it will take your much time to remember some words. Flashcards are great at helping us recall our memories. Using flashcards is a traditional method of vocabulary learning, but it is so effective that it is still popular today. Here are some advantages of German vocabulary flashcards for the language study.
- Flashcards with pictures visualize words or phrases, stimulate visual memory, and help learners understand the definition more easily.
- Flashcards for German vocabulary provide a low-cost way to learn German. Anyone can download electronic versions of flashcards online or make their own flashcards by hand.
- German learners can play flashcard games by having their friends hold up a card and themselves say the word or word's meaning, which makes the learning process more interesting.
How to Use German Vocabulary Flashcards
Now we’ll look at a few ways in which you can use a basic German vocabulary flashcard to learn the language easier.
Don’t Put Your Native Language on the Cards as You Progress
As you begin to learn more and more German, to help you continue to learn and advance, resist the urge to include your native language on there.
Basically, don’t include the definition/explanation in English on your flashcard PDF, but instead make sure it’s all solely in German, rather than English – German.
Incorporate Flashcards into Drills
The most common way to use flashcards to learn a language is to do drills with them. You should read the words on the flashcards aloud over and over again, then cover the side of the card with the word and say the word according to the picture on the other side.
After learning all the words, pick a card at random and say the word based on the description or picture. Finally, stack the flashcards in any order, and describe or draw pictures to explain the meaning of the words on blank cards.
Try to Learn 10 Flashcards Each Day
Rather than learning one German word per day, to help speed things along, try to learn 10 basic German vocabulary flashcards each day.
You don’t need to make them overly complicated, just simple sentences or questions to begin with, making them more advanced as you get better.
Download German Vocabulary Flashcards PDF Templates
Rather than making your own flashcards, you can instead jump online and download German vocabulary flashcards PDF templates which are all ready to go and ready to be used. With the digital version of cards, you can use PDF software, SwifDoo PDF to edit and customize them, and learn German on mobile or laptop, everywhere and anytime.
You can even download a English vocabulary flashcard PDF template and simply open and edit it with SwifDoo PDF tool, and edit and input the text from English into German.
Translate English to German with SwifDoo PDF
One of the best things about using PDF software such as SwifDoo PDF is the fact that you can use it to translate the language to another in a PDF document.
If for example, you speak English, you can find a English vocabulary flashcard PDF full of useful phrases, then directly edit the text and translate the flashcards from English to German.
SwifDoo PDF’s editing tool is fantastic in this instance because you can use it to make your own flashcards by adding pictures and words to a PDF, and as you are making them yourself you know exactly what each card says, so the only thing you need to do now is memorize the phrase and master the pronunciation.
In addition, if you have some paper or physical flashcards, SwifDoo PDF can help you scan them to a PDF to create digital flashcards, so you can view them on your phone or computer, share them with others and archive them for future use.
How to Make Flashcards
Learning German for beginners is never easy, if you want to effectively learn vocabulary, you can make your own flashcards.
To make flashcards online:
Go to sites such as Cram, Flashcard Online, and GoConqr to free download attractive and appealing flashcard templates in PDF format;
Use SwifDoo PDF to change or add text and images to every card area on the template;
Print the PDF out and cut them into flashcards.
To make paper flashcards by hand, follow the tutorial below:
Cut a sheet of paper into equal pieces. The paper size can be determined according to the size and number of cards you need;
Write a word or phrase on the front of the card;
Write the definition of the word or draw a picture to explain the word on the back of the card;
Write the part of speech of the word and the synonyms in a corner on the back of the card. Write the example sentence using the word at the bottom on the back of the card;
Use colors to mark different categories of words.
That's how to make flashcards by your hands. Besides, it's also convenient to make flashcards in Word and print them off.
Is German Hard to Learn?
German language has a reputation for being difficult to learn, for the following reasons:
There are 4 cases in German. Many words change their form according to their role in the sentence, which makes learning German grammar difficult.
German is not easy to pronounce, for example there are several sounds in German that are not found in English.
Nevertheless, German is not as hard to learn as you might think because:
There are many German learning techniques and tools to help make German language learning simpler, such as German vocabulary flashcards. Not only can you recognize new words with flashcards, but you can also memorize word inflections.
The German and English share many similarities, which originated from the same language family, the Indo-European family of languages.
In summary, German will not be hard to learn if you make use of the learning resources and tools.
Learn to Speak German
The ultimate goal of any language learning may be to be able to speak it out. Let's see some tips on how to learn to speak German.
Lisen to News or other audios in German, or watch movies. Learn the phrases, idioms and expressions from them.
Be familiar with the 3 genders in German.
Read German books, magzines or other learning materials loudly, record what you have spoke, and check where you should improve.
Make friends with other German language learners to practice talking with each other in German.
Find native speakers on the Internet or in your real life.
