This free 12-week plan takes a complete beginner through A1 and into early A2 with about 6–8 hours of study a week. Each week has one theme, one grammar focus, a vocabulary set and a speaking or writing task. You can print it and stick it on your wall.
Download the printable 12-week plan (PDF) ↓
The plan at a glance
| Week | Theme | Grammar | Vocabulary | Speaking / writing task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sounds, greetings and introductions | Alphabet and pronunciation; sein (ich bin, du bist …) | Greetings, numbers 0–20, countries | Introduce yourself in 5 sentences |
| 2 | Personal information | Regular verbs in the present tense; W-questions | Jobs, languages, numbers to 100 | Fill in a simple registration form |
| 3 | Family and friends | Articles der/die/das; possessives mein/dein | Family members, adjectives for people | Describe your family out loud |
| 4 | Food and shopping | Accusative (einen/eine/ein); kein | Food, drinks, prices, quantities | Role-play: ordering in a café |
| 5 | Time and daily routine | Separable verbs (aufstehen, einkaufen); time expressions | Clock times, days, daily activities | Write about your typical day (60 words) |
| 6 | Review week + A1 mock test | Revise weeks 1–5; correct your mistake list | Revise all vocabulary cards | Timed A1 practice quiz in the exam simulator |
| 7 | Living and housing | Prepositions with dative (in, an, auf for location) | Rooms, furniture, apartment ads | Ask questions about an apartment |
| 8 | Health and the body | Modal verbs (können, müssen, dürfen) | Body parts, symptoms, at the doctor | Role-play: making a doctor's appointment |
| 9 | Travel and directions | Prepositions with movement; imperative | Transport, tickets, directions | Ask for and give directions |
| 10 | Past experiences | Perfect tense with haben and sein | Weekend and holiday activities | Tell what you did last weekend |
| 11 | Work and appointments | Subordinate clauses with weil and dass | Workplace, appointments, emails | Write a short email to reschedule |
| 12 | Review + A2-style mock test | Revise weeks 7–11; final mistake review | Revise all vocabulary cards | Full timed practice and plan next 12 weeks |
Your weekly rhythm (about 7 hours)
- Day 1, 1 h: learn the new grammar point and write 10 example sentences.
- Day 2, 1 h: learn 25–30 new words with their articles and review older cards.
- Day 3, 1 h: reading and listening practice on the weekly theme.
- Day 4, 1½ h: do the week’s speaking task out loud and record yourself.
- Day 5, 1 h: do the writing task and check it against your mistake list.
- Day 6, 1 h: practice questions in the exam simulator.
- Day 7, ½ h: review and update your mistake list.
How to get the most out of the plan
Keep a mistake list from day one
Every corrected mistake goes into one notebook or document. Re-read it every week. Our list of 25 common German mistakes is a good starting point.
Learn every noun with its article
From week 3 on, use the patterns in der, die, das: rules that actually work to guess articles, then check.
Speak from week 1
Say every example sentence out loud. Use the speaking practice scenarios to hear natural pronunciation.
Don’t skip the review weeks
Weeks 6 and 12 feel slower, but this is where words move into long-term memory. Use them to fix gaps rather than add new material.
What comes after week 12?
At this pace most learners reach a solid A1 and part of A2 after 12 weeks. Repeat the same structure with A2 and then B1 topics. Our German learning timeline calculator shows how many weeks your next level will take.
Teachers and schools
You’re welcome to print the PDF for your students or link to this page from your course site. Please keep the attribution on the PDF intact.
More free German guides
German for Nurses: 50 Essential Phrases for the Hospital Ward (Free PDF)
Practical German phrases for admission, pain assessment, vital signs, mobility, medication and handover, with English translations and a printable phrase book.
Read the guide →25 Common German Mistakes English Speakers Make (and How to Fix Them)
False friends, word-order traps and everyday expressions that English speakers get wrong, each with a correct version and a one-line explanation.
Read the guide →Goethe vs telc vs ÖSD vs TestDaF vs DTZ: Which German Exam Do You Need?
A side-by-side comparison of the main German language exams, plus which certificate fits visas, citizenship, nursing, university and work.
Read the guide →