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Ep 69 Why is German So Difficult - or is it?

Ep 69 Why is German So Difficult - or is it?

Better German Podcast vor 3 Monaten

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20:09

Episode 69: Why is German so difficult – or is
it?

In this episode, Better German Podcast, Susi takes a closer look
at one of the most common beliefs about learning German: that
it’s “very difficult.” But is that actually true—or just
something many learners have come to believe?

You’ll explore what makes German objectively more challenging
than some languages (especially for English speakers), but also
why it’s far from the hardest language out there. More
importantly, this episode focuses on what really creates
difficulty when learning—and how you can change that.

Better German Podcast+ — Exclusive Podcast &
Community

Get early access to exclusive episodes, all podcast resources in
one place, and the chance to ask questions and more! Join here:
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There’s also a free version if you just want to get
started.

Interested in Taking a Course? - Free Placement
Exam:
Free Placement with exam/questionnaire, personal program, and
interview to confirm placement and answer any questions. Courses
are online, include materials, and combine self-study and live
lessons. Pricing starts at €100/month, depending on your program.
Take the placement exam:
https://bettergerman.info/test

What you’ll learn in this episode

Why German is considered “medium difficulty” for English
speakers

The real reason German feels harder than languages like
Spanish or Italian

How cases (der, die, das) and flexible word order work

Why pronunciation in German is actually more consistent than
in English

A surprising advantage: German has fewer tenses in everyday
speech

Why some languages are objectively harder than German

The difference between objective difficulty and your personal
experience

The two main reasons why learning can feel “too hard”

How to recognize when your learning method isn’t working

Why missing steps—not lack of talent—cause frustration

How step-by-step learning makes German manageable (and even
easy)

Key idea from this episode

If something feels very difficult, it usually doesn’t mean you
can’t learn it.

It means:

either the method isn’t right

or a step is missing

When learning is structured correctly, every step should feel
doable.

Links & Resources

Foreign Service Institute Levels of Difficulty
https://www.touristsecrets.com/travel-tips/foreign-service-institute-language-difficulty-rankings/

Get Talking German (Course): https://bettergerman.info/course

Placement Test: https://bettergerman.info/test

Better German Community (free & premium):
https://bettergerman.info/community

Related Episode: https://bettergerman.info/4
Episode 4 – How to Actually Learn German

You may also like

How to Actually Learn German (Ep 4)

German Cases Explained (Podcast series)

Pronunciation-focused episodes with repeat-after-me practice

Enjoying the podcast?

If this episode helped you rethink how difficult German really
is, leaving a review is a great way to support the podcast and
help more learners find it.

Better German Podcast+ - Exclusive Podcast and
CommunityEarly access exclusive
PLUS content via your own private feed, all podcast
resources in one place, ask questions and more. Free
version is available if you just want to get started.

Join here:
https://bettergerman.info/community

Want to Take a Course? – Free Placement Exam

Free Placement with exam/questionnaire, personal program and
interview to confirm placement and answer any questions. Courses
are online, include materials and combine self study and live
lessons. Pricing starts at €100/month, depending on your program.
Take the placement exam:
https://bettergerman.info/test

Free Live Workshop | https://bettergerman.info/workshop

Website | https://bettergerman.info

️ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@Better-German/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergerman

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️ Contact | podcast@bettergerman.info

Start from Episode 1 | https://bettergerman.info/1

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