Flashcards are an ideal tool for learning any language, including German. Their interactive format makes them extremely easy to use. Cards can be turned over (one at a time or all together) and even listened to. And compared to already outdated printed cards, they are also environmentally friendly, since they do not require wasting paper.
Learning German words with flashcards is a simple, convenient and fun process. And most importantly, effective. Moreover, the effectiveness of this method of teaching has been proven experimentally and confirmed in practice.
So, you’ve decided to learn German using flashcards. You’re probably looking for decks that will help you. However, if you don’t have the experience and knowledge to objectively evaluate the quality of your content, choosing the right cards can become more difficult. In this article, we’ll show you how to choose effective AnkiPRO decks that will help you learn German as quickly as possible.
Which decks are really effective?
The correct deck includes an accurate translation and all the words necessary for communication. The translation itself should not take up the entire space of the card. Also, you should not choose decks with word meanings that are less commonly used in communication and content that does not correspond to the description.
The most effective decks are those compiled by native speakers. But they are extremely rare. And decks compiled by people whose native language is not German may contain errors. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the choice of material for study.
If you study with the wrong decks, it can take a lot of time and cause errors that you will then have to correct separately.
More is not better
Many decks are too information-heavy. They are definitely not suitable for beginners, and in general, they are not that useful. By ignoring such decks you will save a lot of time, especially when it comes to verbs. Of course, they can have many meanings, but are they all needed in everyday communication?
See what’s in the deck in question. If it contains a large number of rarely used translations, it is not suitable for you. This option is only effective for advanced levels. In ordinary life, no one needs eight forms of the same verb. If you feel like it, you can come back to them later. To begin with, it’s worth accumulating a basic vocabulary. This will improve your ability to speak and understand a new language and give you the motivation to continue studying.
What should a good deck have?
First of all, a good deck must fully correspond to its description. It often happens that material entitled “The Most Used Words” contains expressions that are found only in classical literary works. Such words certainly cannot be called frequently.
Spoken and written German are significantly different from each other. And the problem is that many decks contain the most common words from written sources that were counted by the program. If you talk using such expressions, your interlocutors will think that you came from the last century.
Do not use decks where absolutely all of its forms are indicated for each verb. For a beginner who wants to start communicating in German, it is enough to know two or three of them (the most common). In colloquial speech, all forms of verbs are rarely used.
For nouns, articles and plural forms must be indicated. Everything else is not worth wasting time on, since later you will still need to study gender and plural separately.
AnkiPRO Decks – decks with German verbs
In this deck you will find three hundred commonly used irregular verbs. Almost all of them will be really useful to you. The cards themselves have audio and all the necessary verb forms. Each verb is accompanied by example sentences, and thanks to the presence of hints, you can learn new words faster.
Here is another good deck with German verbs. Its peculiarity is that each verb is studied within a large and detailed sentence. This way, you will immediately memorize entire phrases so that you can use them in your speech in the future.
AnkiPRO Decks – decks with German nouns
In this deck you will find commonly used nouns, along with their articles and plurals. The plural form is indicated in parentheses after the word (behind the main meaning).
We also suggest you check out some great decks that have all the nouns you need to pass the Goethe Institute test. If you plan to take one of the tests, use this deck: A2 Goethe Institute (A2 Wortliste Goethe (vocab, sentenses, audio, translation).
Decks with different words
In this deck (625 German Words (fluent forever)) you will find a large number of German words that you will definitely need in everyday communication. The meanings are accompanied by audio and good, clear example sentences. By the way, if you are learning words, you should pay attention to the sentences that contain them. This will help you speak a new language faster.
Decks for Beginners
Here is a list of good AnkiPRO Decks for those just starting to learn German:
- Deutsche Artikel – German Articles.
- German Minimal Pairs (Swiss Accent).
- Deutsch – Bildungssprachliche Wörter.
And let’s add another deck with a promising name – Essential German for English Speakers. It has everything – images, sound, and examples of the use of words. There are a large number of cards (more than 1000), but all the material presented is really useful.
Let’s sum it up
In this article, we talked about the most useful AnkiPRO decks for learning German. But despite this, you should consider that the most effective way is to create flashcards and decks yourself.
If you are studying a course, write down new words on cards. If you choose to listen and listen to the same translation several times, place it in your deck.
The same can be said about reading stories. If you find new words there, put them in the deck. By building your own decks, you’ll know exactly what’s in there. Moreover, such material will be completely adapted to your needs and will facilitate the learning process.
Mix good generic decks with your own for best results.
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