Goethe A1 study plan

Goethe A1 · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Listening (Hören) & Speaking (Sprechen)

Pronounce the German alphabet and umlauts accurately enough to spell your own name and address aloud
Identify the numbers 0–100 by ear in short spoken sequences
Greet, introduce yourself, and ask someone's name, origin, and profession in a 4-line spoken exchange
Repeat short A1 listening prompts aloud to build phoneme recognition for greetings and numbers

Record a 60-second self-introduction audio covering name, origin, profession, and one hobby, plus a spoken spelling of your surname and street

Week 2

Recognize the question words (wer, was, wo, wann, wie) by ear in short dialogues
Match 20 high-frequency A1 sight words (days, months, family, food) to their meanings without a dictionary
Read and answer 5 short personal-information notices (forms, signs, labels) at 80% accuracy
Shadow 3 short listening dialogues aloud, imitating rhythm and intonation

Complete a 15-item mixed listening-and-reading quiz on personal information and score at least 11/15

Week 3

Extract the key detail (time, price, place) from 10 short announcements heard once
Scan 6 short texts for specific information (opening hours, prices, addresses) within a time limit
Distinguish formal (Sie) from informal (du) register in written and spoken A1 texts
Build a personal vocabulary list of 60 A1 words with article and plural forms

Submit a log of 10 listening extracts, each with the one key detail you extracted and the time it took you to identify it

Week 4

Write a 30-word message (SMS or email) giving personal information using correct verb position in main clauses
Fill in a standard A1 form (name, address, date of birth, nationality) with no spelling errors
Use present-tense forms of sein and haben correctly in 10 written sentences
Take dictation of 5 short sentences and transcribe them with at least 90% word accuracy

Write two 30-word messages (one informal, one semi-formal) and one completed registration form, all self-corrected against a checklist

Week 5

Write a 40-word informal email inviting a friend and stating time, place, and what to bring
Connect sentences with und, aber, and weil and place the verb correctly after weil
Read a 120-word A1 text and answer 4 comprehension questions in writing
Apply capitalization rules for nouns and sentence starts across a full written text

Produce a corrected 40-word invitation email plus written answers to 4 questions on a 120-word reading passage

Week 6

Ask and answer 10 everyday questions (shopping, directions, appointments) in a simulated dialogue
Use the polite request forms ich möchte and ich hätte gern correctly in 5 spoken turns
Write a 50-word semi-formal email requesting information, with a greeting and closing formula
Self-correct two written texts for article, verb position, and capitalization errors

Record a 2-minute role-play dialogue (shopping and asking directions) and submit the 50-word request email

Week 7

Complete a full mock listening section under exam timing and review every missed item
Sustain a 3-minute spoken monologue on a familiar topic (family, work, free time) with minimal pauses
Respond to 8 follow-up questions about your monologue without repeating prepared phrases
Identify and correct your three most frequent pronunciation errors from recordings

Complete one timed mock listening section with a written error analysis, plus a 3-minute recorded monologue and 8 answered follow-up questions

Week 8

Complete a full timed mock reading and writing section and self-score it against the A1 criteria
Write one 30-word message and one 40-word email in under 25 minutes combined
Deliver a full simulated speaking exam (introduction, questions, requests) in one take
Compile and review a final list of recurring errors from weeks 1–7

Submit one complete timed mock exam (reading, writing, speaking recording) with a self-scored error sheet and a one-page personal error summary

Week 2: Score at least 11/15 on the mixed listening-and-reading quiz on personal information

Week 4: Write two 30-word messages and a form with no more than 2 errors across the three texts

Week 6: Sustain a 2-minute role-play and produce a 50-word email with correct greeting, closing, and verb position in main clauses

Week 8: Complete a full timed mock exam in all four domains and achieve at least 60% in each, with a written error summary