this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026
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I'm just starting on German. I'm primarily using Goethe Institute's A1-Deutsch app but I'd like an English resource covering grammar too.
I'm not sure whether studying via sentence completion and conversational examples is the most efficient way for my learning style. I think explicitly studying grammar would simultaneously assist in building vocabulary and proper usage. Any suggestions for a grammar primer?
I have an Anki deck but feel as if my lack of a grammatical foundation puts me at a disadvantage with it. I need to learn a bit more about the back-end/theoretical basis for how it works; perhaps that poor understanding is getting in the way as well.
Oh, one more thing. There are also "Grammar Workbooks" which consist of hundreds of pages worth of drills.
If you are a nerd, these hundreds of pages of exercises might be more important than reference material. Buying a workbook so that you can DIRECTLY write on the pages and try immediately is also helpful.
Grammatik Aktiv by Cornelsen covers A1 through B1 pencil-and-paper drills. Very dry stuff but it kind of works...
You need a separate textbook to know what order to learn things (it sounds like your Goethe Institute course covers this). You need additional reference (Basic German: A Grammar and Workbook covers this, a 2nd clear perspective focusing on grammar). Finally you'll find that various bits of your speaking + writing skills suck.
Using Grammatik Aktiv exercises to drill on your weaknesses just makes sense. Maybe an intensive would try to complete the whole book but uhhhhh.... self study means you get to choose when you're done with exercises lol. Do as much as you see fit.
Grammatik Aktiv is however, 100% in German. You probably need to wait until you are A1+ before you buy Grammatik Aktiv, if only so you have enough vocabulary to even figure out what the drills are asking of you.
Maybe your A1 goal should be to learn enough German so that you can start Grammatik Aktiv, lol.
Excellent, I've just acquired Schenke and will incorporate it into my studying, danke!
The Cornelsen book sounds perfect! Pencil to paper reinforcement is key for my learning style so 'graduating' to that once I wrap my head around A1 makes a lot of sense. I'll digitally 'acquire' that one as well and put my recently refurbished, 10+ year old Rotring pencil to work on the blank medium Leuchtturm 'journal' I never started. (Can you tell I have an appreciation for German craftsmanship and engineering?)
I've been taking steps towards leaving America to work and/or study abroad. Learning a new language, especially via self-directed study, has been a very intimidating step. These resources will go a long way in helping me tackle it. I very much appreciate your guidance.
Basic German: A Grammar and Workbook by H. Schenke.
It's short. Too short. Too few exercises and only covers material up to A2+ or so. But at only 200 pages, it's so ridiculously short!!!! One of the fastest reads you can do on this subject.
As long as you use this book as an auxiliary, it's great. It's not a primary lesson material, it's to help explain other books / other lessons.