Download Shockwave, enabling your browser to access compatible content. You can download Shockwave at the Adobe web site. Alternatively, some web pages with Shockwave content will inform you that your browser isn't ready and may provide a download link. Once prompted by Adobe, simply click "Agree and install now" to start the download and follow the directions in the on-screen install sequence.
Watch videos that are in German. If you are doing this in a web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox), the web page in question is likely bringing the video to you via Shockwave. There is a substantial amount of German-language material on streaming video sites such as YouTube and Google video. To find some videos to watch, try simply searching for a German word. Words such as "deustch," "Kugelschreiber" and "arbeit" bring up lots of videos in German.
Complete Shockwave-based games that teach you German words and German grammar. While some of these are free of charge, companies like LearnPlus also maintain extensive online classes dedicated to teaching you an additional language. A demo on the LearnPlus site attests that users of the full programs will use Shockwave to improve their skills in listening to German as well as speaking, reading and writing it.
Play online games that feature German instead of English. For example, when you play games at a site that is in German, like Supergames.ch, you will be forced to figure out what the words in German mean. For example, you will keep seeing the world "spiel"; in time, you will figure out this means "to play" and also refers to the noun "game."
Make use of video tutorials for learning German. For example, a YouTube user called "Speedyconkiwi" has posted a video in which she teaches you the German numbers from one to 10 and also provides pronunciation tips.
Communicate with fellow learners of German via online chat rooms that are based on Shockwave. A number of these resources can be found at the Web German site. While you'll meet many people who are already fluent in German, many are also likely to let you learn at your own pace and will be patient with you. And when people aren't patient, you can simply move to the next room!
