Learn German Before Moving Abroad: A 90-Day Expat Plan
Learn German before moving abroad with a realistic 90-day plan for expats: what to study first, how to practise daily and where LingFit fits in.
You have a flat viewing in three months, a job offer or a partner waiting, and exactly zero German. The good news: if you want to learn German before moving abroad, you do not need fluency by the day you land. You need enough to buy groceries, read a letter from the landlord and not freeze at the pharmacy counter. Ninety days of steady, small sessions can get you there.
Why starting before the move pays off
Once you arrive, life swallows your time: registering an address, setting up a bank account, finding a doctor. Expats who postpone learning "until things settle down" often discover that things never settle down. Starting at home means the first weeks abroad feel like practice instead of panic, and every sign, label and overheard sentence becomes a free lesson.
Weeks 1-4: survival core
Aim for the vocabulary you will use in your first week abroad: greetings, numbers, days and times, food and shopping, directions, and polite phrases for asking someone to speak slowly. Do not start with the grammar of the genitive case. Start with sentences you can actually say.
LingFit's main course is built as a structured path of chapters, levels and lessons, starting from the very first words at A1. If you are an English speaker, there is a German course made for English speakers, so explanations and translations are in your language. A short daily session is enough here; consistency beats length.
Weeks 5-8: build the "paperwork" layer
This is where expat German diverges from textbook German. You will meet words for rent, contract, insurance, appointment and registration far earlier than a classroom would teach them. A generic course will not cover your exact situation, so make it yourself.
LingFit's Extra Packs let you describe a topic or type your own vocabulary list (between 1 and 20 words), and the app builds a custom chapter around it with exercises. Try packs like "at the doctor's office", "renting a flat" or "talking to colleagues". You get vocabulary tuned to your move rather than to an average learner.
Weeks 9-12: ears and eyes in the real language
By now you can read slowly, so start exposing yourself to real German. Two things work well:
- Easy-language stories inside the app: short readings pitched at a level you can truly follow, which is the sweet spot between boring and impossible.
- The video feed: short clips with subtitles you can tap, translating individual words as you watch. Hearing natural speed German before you arrive takes the edge off the first conversations.
When a word catches your attention, you can save it to your personal shelf and practise it later as vocabulary cards. Keep this shelf for things you meet in the wild, like a word on a train announcement.
Speak out loud from day one
Most expats read well and speak badly, because speaking feels risky. LingFit includes speech recognition, so you say the German aloud and get instant feedback. It is not a conversation partner, but it breaks the habit of learning silently. Say your address, your profession and "Entschuldigung, können Sie das bitte wiederholen?" until they feel boring.
A realistic daily routine
- 10 minutes of the main course lesson, ideally at the same time every day.
- 5 minutes of saved words or a game round (Flash, Ping-Pong and Tug-of-War are in the app).
- Twice a week, a story or a video clip.
- Once a week, a new Extra Pack for whatever you will face next.
Add a weekly review of what you already know. The goal is not to cover everything, but to still remember it when you land.
What to expect on arrival
You will understand less than you hoped for the first two weeks, and that is normal. Locals speak fast, use dialect and drop endings. Your pre-move work still pays off: you will recognise words and ask for repetition without shame. Keep the habit going after the move, because immersion plus a structured course is faster than either alone.
If you want to try it, LingFit is available on iOS, Android and the web. LingFit is subscription-based, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan.
FAQ
How long does it take to learn German before moving abroad?
There is no fixed answer, but around 90 days of daily practice can bring you to a basic survival level. Aim for useful sentences, not perfection, and keep learning after you arrive.
Should I learn grammar or vocabulary first?
Start with high-frequency phrases and vocabulary you can use immediately, and learn grammar through them. LingFit also has grammar classes you can take when you are ready for the rules.
Can I learn German with an app only?
An app can take you a long way as a foundation, especially for vocabulary, listening and daily routine. Once you move, combine it with real conversations to speed up progress.
Is LingFit free?
No. LingFit is a subscription app. The only free element is a 7-day trial on the annual plan.
