Live Online German Classes with Native Teachers

Yes — online is absolutely enough when you’re doing live speaking (not just apps) and you stay consistent. Lingoda is positioned as an online school with live classes taught by certified, native-speaking teachers, and group classes typically include 2–4 other students (max 5), which creates real conversation practice.

If your definition of “fluent” is independent and comfortable, many learners aim for B2; if you need professional-level flexibility, C1 is a stronger target — and Lingoda teaches up to C1 in German.

German can seem like an intimidating language to learn, but in reality, it’s fairly accessible.

There are concepts that English-speaking learners may find confusing, with gendered nouns serving as a good example. In English, nouns are not assigned a gender, but all German nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter. The word for “the” also changes based on this, with “der” used for masculine nouns, “die” for feminine nouns and “das” for neuter nouns. When you learn nouns, you also need to learn the gender of the noun.

For instance, when learning the word for “table” in German, you would learn “the table” or “der Tisch”. As a result, you can determine that the German noun “Tisch” is masculine.

On the plus side, German spelling and pronunciation can actually be more intuitive and consistent than in English. With a structured German language course and quality teaching, you’ll progress quickly.

When you learn German with Lingoda, you will join online classes taught by native-level teachers. The precise way the class is organised will depend on the approach you select, and the options are as follows:

• Lingoda Sprint – A rapid approach to learning where you take 30-60 classes over a two-month period. You will learn in small online classes of 3-5 students with native-level teachers.
• Lingoda Flex – Our most popular option, where you can learn at your own pace, cancel or change the frequency of lessons every four weeks, and learn in either private one-to-one sessions or group classes.

These options allow you to learn German online in a way that suits your lifestyle, schedule and preferences.

Lingoda’s German course covers the following levels:

• A1: Absolute Beginner – Basic German words and phrases.
• A2: Beginner – Simple German language interactions.
• B1: Intermediate – Everyday conversations in German.
• B2: Upper Intermediate – Complex ideas and topics in German.
• C1: Advanced – Proficient use of the German language.

If you’re completely new to learning German and have never taken any lessons before, you can safely jump in at A1: Absolute Beginner level and progress from there. However, if you already have some knowledge of the German language, you’ll need to know your current level so that you start learning again from the right place.

Fortunately, we’ve developed a simple placement test, which will give you an indication of your current level. Simply work through the questions, and we’ll email you your results. The test should take around five minutes. Once you have your results and know your current level, you’re ready to learn German online with Lingoda.

For most learners, it’s not vocabulary — it’s accuracy under pressure: choosing the right article/case endings and keeping German word order in longer sentences while you’re speaking in real time. The good news is these get easier fastest when you practice them in context (introductions, appointments, emails, everyday situations) and get immediate teacher feedback. Lingoda classes are built around speaking from the start and guided practice in small groups (max 5) or 1:1.

A few patterns show up again and again:

1. Learning nouns without the article (then guessing der/die/das later)

2. Over-focusing on rules but not practicing speaking (so you “know” German but can’t use it)

3. English word order transfers (especially in longer or subordinate-clause sentences)

4. Not recycling useful phrases for daily life (doctor, housing, work emails), so progress feels slow
Lingoda helps by using conversation + role-play and giving you materials and follow-up quizzes to reinforce what you used in class.

It’s possible for some learners, but it’s an ambitious goal that depends heavily on your starting level and time commitment. C1 means you can use German flexibly for social and professional purposes, not just “get by.”

A realistic way to think about it:

* If you’re already around B2, a year of consistent, intensive practice can push you to C1.

* If you’re starting from A1, C1 in a year is unlikely unless you can dedicate near-daily study and lots of live speaking.

Lingoda supports A1–C1 and offers a placement test so you can start at the right level and keep progress structured.