Wanderlust World Wanderlust World German is one of the closest relatives of English. If you want to pick up the basic structures and verb forms, the best place to start is your local bookseller and get a lehrbuch (teaching book) and arbeitsbuch (workbook) on German I. In most volumes, you'll find verb conjugation tables (how each form of the verb is made for a specific action) and a phonetics guide so you can learn how German sounds. The first two verbs you're likely to learn will be "to have" (haben) and "to be" (sein). You'll also find that many words in German are cognates, or words that sound like words you already know in English. A workbook in German I is plenty of preparation your adventures in Germany and a great place to start learning your new language!
Once you master the phonetics and main verbs and their forms, invest in a small phrasebook to expand on what you already know. Phrasebooks teach practical uses for language in real-life situations. They are often divided into sections based on certain situations you're likely to encounter as a tourist (taxis, hotels, cost, and social situations). For those with a mobile addiction, such as an Iphone or Blackberry, get a German language application. There are several free apps that offer dictionaries (Woerterbuch), flash cards and quizzes. The great thing about interactive apps is that you can hear spoken German and answer questions directly instead of just on paper. Think of it as a mobile phrasebook and dictionary all in one.
Build on your skills by conditioning them using authentic materials. Authentic materials are newspapers, music, books or anything that a native German might read or listen to. Working on receptive skills (reading and listening) is helpful for most people when they're trying to learn a foreign language. Newspapers (Zeitung) are written at a low enough level that non-native speakers can not only understand, but also learn great vocabulary words. For gossip lovers, Das Bild is a good alternative to dry news sources. Also, many children's nursery tales originate from German, so check out Grimm's tales for some easy-to-follow stories you already know, but try reading them in German. Still another way to enjoy native German at a beginner's level is to listen to German music. Forget Rammstein, and download Olli Schulz if you're into folk or Kettcar if you prefer indie rock. German is a language not far from our own and learning it can be easy and fun when you incorporate simple methods into your daily routine.