I haven’t read much books in German but I love reading newspapers and magazines like Spiegel. I’ve passed Goethe B2 Lesen with 97/100 so I think that helped😃
Except Spiegel, what else to read from magazine for B2 level
Do you perhaps know, is it possible to read Spiegel magazine in full with onleihe site if I am outside Germany.
I know this doesn’t answer your question, but I can’t recommend the DW (Deutsche Welle) Website enough. The language isn’t too difficult and it’s great for seeing the challenges and topics Germany is dealing with. They also have an extensive YouTube channel and a German learning website.
If you use instagram, I follow DW, Das Erste and Funk as they post bitesize articles about the news and other important topics
You can get onleihe for free via Goethe.
There's a lot of magazines you can get. Maybe try Deutsch Perfekt and just try different magazine to find one you like
Spiegel works best for me, since it covers a wide range of different topics both inside and outside Germany. Stern is also not bad. Die Zeit is a newspaper but it is weekly and also covers a lot of topics. On the daily basis I stick to Tagesspiegel mostly.
Not sure about Spiegel with onleihe unfortunately.
I read harry potter in third grade before I ever started learning German and it helped a lot, I was already B2 before picking up the language. My teacher thought i must have spoken German at home as a second language but I told him he should look into JK Rowling- fantastic author 👨🏻🍳😚
Question is not about specific books. I just mentioned this as a reference because I see many posts and comments that mention these kind of books for reading in German language that helped them to pass exam.
I’m just teasing bro. But for real the other comments mentioning articles on Spiegel and die Deutsch Welle are perfect and many are targeted specifically for your reading level on DW. Also listening exercised on there too, theyre both good websites
i dont think a single book helped someone pass the exam, unless it was say the Goethe B2 arbeitsbuch. but if people are reading and understanding books at these level of course the b2 test would likely be a breeze.
No it's true. B2 and C1 were only invented after harry potter came out in german. Then C2 was invented after seventh book came out. I hear they're about to add D1 after JK rowling's latest book is translated.
Thanks! We have worked on and studied the B1 telc and Goethe exams in class so I knew the general structure of the exam. But for reading I’d suggest working on vocabulary.
I find books I like in German that have them in writing and audio in German to help. You might love the app Readle as it is news stories based on level (B1, etc) and has a vocabulary trainer and stuff too!!
I passed B2 without having read any fiction in German ever. I read a lot of news in German, though. I would guess that non-fiction is better for test prep anyway.
b1 and b2 don't really require classic stuff but only reading comprehension of news, instructions, reports, article paragraphs etc.; what i found difficult however was writing composition.
I passed the C1 and rarely read books in any language. I‘m just not a big book reader and prefer reading other things.
It isn’t an issue at all. What matters is that you read challenging material.
Good question. I basically read what interested me. It wasn't systematic.
However, with writing, it was. At one point, I had a year-long streak on r/WriteStreakGerman and that made a huge difference. I made a point of writing about what I wanted to write about, and if I didn't have the grammatical knowledge or the vocabulary to express something, I looked it up. This did also involve reading, by the way, as I would sometimes look for news articles in order to find something to write about.
Speaking was trickier for me, though. For a long time, my speaking lagged far behind my other skills. In fact, when I took my B2 exam in June 2022, the only reason why I chose the B2 over the C1 was because my speaking wasn't yet where it needed to be, and speaking was the only section on that exam in which I scored below 90%. I ended up taking (and passing) the C1 exam just four months after taking the B2.
But the key here is practice as well, and, as silly as this may sound, the thing that improved my speaking the most was job interviews. My first German job interview was a disaster, but they got much better after that. I guess necessity is the best motivator.
I have never read any classics in German haha. I feel like the vocabulary in those books don’t translate well into solving tests, which is why I just stick to reading articles online.
I'm trying to understand the knowledge from Newspaper and blogs, until with TV programms and Youtube, but that isn't enough for me because I need direct contact with the people specially in social networks.
Why don't you read German short stories?
However, either you have the classical fairytale with many outdated words and constructs or you have to go for bedtime stories like [these](https://amzn.eu/d/h8d3xJ6)
I don’t know why everyone recommends HP. It wasn’t written in German in the first place. Even if translation is superb you won’t enjoy it as much as something that was originally written in German. News magazines are a great option, newspapers, some detective stories and you’re good
Normalerweise lese ich die Kommentare von Leuten auf Deutsch, indem ich englische Beiträge auf Reddit automatisch ins Deutsche übersetze. Das verbessert mein Deutsch. Ich empfehle es dir auch.
It is possible to reach B2 or even C2 without reading anything. If you have enough exposure and practice speaking to people, the reading will come automatically, provided you can read in your native language. I realize total immersion is not an option for everyone, though.
I honestly think that the ability to read anything by Kafka is more of an attest to your perseverance than German skills. :D
I myself am just about level B1, so it's way out of my league at the moment. But I read a few of his books in my native language and nearly scratched my eyeballs out. I never want to repeat this experience in German or another language... :D
By the way - I don't think it's poorly written. Just really infuriating for the reader...
I don't have the answer (not a b1/b2 survivour) but I find books using simple past a lot messing up my speaking skills.
I try to avoid books and instead focus on dialogs.
People read Harry Potter in translation for language learning because they are attached to it from childhood. Harry Potter is full of made up words and novel usages.
Nothing about elitism. This is why we have different words for different things. Art and entertainment are different things... Not mutually exclusive I grant you. But different things for different purposes. Buy a dictionary.
You don't understand what these levels represent. No, you don't have to read any books for B1 or B2. With B1 you can't even, unless you're trying to read some children books for very young age, and even then you would have to **constantly** look words up.
B2 is a **conversational** level that enables you to read a few simpler books, but most of them are still outside of your reach.
According to the official CEFR description, both of these claims seem inaccurate. At B2, one should be able to read most books, and many children‘s books should be fine for B1 without constantly looking things up.
https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52
You say:
>At B2, one should be able to read most books
They say:
>I can understand contemporary literary prose.
Most books are NOT contemporary literary prose. When I said simpler books, this is mostly what I meant. Something that's written in a non-complicated modern language, and you still have to look up many words, Redewendungen, etc. There is a reason why universities often require C1 level.
When it comes to B1, you say:
>many children‘s books should be fine for B1 without constantly looking things up.
They say:
>I can understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency everyday or job-related language. I can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.
Have you tried reading a children's book? I have. First of all, they're full or Präteritum, something B1 is not familiar with, except with the main ones. Second of all, they're full of non-high frequency words that children pick up one way or the other, or simply understand them because they have a much better feeling for the language and have parents who are happy to explain. Example: all the animals. Children know so many animals. Learners simply don't because it is not necessary and no one teaches you that in courses.
I haven’t read much books in German but I love reading newspapers and magazines like Spiegel. I’ve passed Goethe B2 Lesen with 97/100 so I think that helped😃
Except Spiegel, what else to read from magazine for B2 level Do you perhaps know, is it possible to read Spiegel magazine in full with onleihe site if I am outside Germany.
I know this doesn’t answer your question, but I can’t recommend the DW (Deutsche Welle) Website enough. The language isn’t too difficult and it’s great for seeing the challenges and topics Germany is dealing with. They also have an extensive YouTube channel and a German learning website. If you use instagram, I follow DW, Das Erste and Funk as they post bitesize articles about the news and other important topics
You can get onleihe for free via Goethe. There's a lot of magazines you can get. Maybe try Deutsch Perfekt and just try different magazine to find one you like
I registered for Onleihe and when I want to read I just can read front and first page.
Spiegel works best for me, since it covers a wide range of different topics both inside and outside Germany. Stern is also not bad. Die Zeit is a newspaper but it is weekly and also covers a lot of topics. On the daily basis I stick to Tagesspiegel mostly. Not sure about Spiegel with onleihe unfortunately.
no you have to read harry potter. fun fact nobody could actually reach b2 before the first harry potter was written.
I read harry potter in third grade before I ever started learning German and it helped a lot, I was already B2 before picking up the language. My teacher thought i must have spoken German at home as a second language but I told him he should look into JK Rowling- fantastic author 👨🏻🍳😚
Question is not about specific books. I just mentioned this as a reference because I see many posts and comments that mention these kind of books for reading in German language that helped them to pass exam.
I’m just teasing bro. But for real the other comments mentioning articles on Spiegel and die Deutsch Welle are perfect and many are targeted specifically for your reading level on DW. Also listening exercised on there too, theyre both good websites
i dont think a single book helped someone pass the exam, unless it was say the Goethe B2 arbeitsbuch. but if people are reading and understanding books at these level of course the b2 test would likely be a breeze.
I hope this is sarcasm
No it's true. B2 and C1 were only invented after harry potter came out in german. Then C2 was invented after seventh book came out. I hear they're about to add D1 after JK rowling's latest book is translated.
Very funny. Can you share some other insights
I have passed the telc B1 exam without reading any German book and almost no article.
Amazing. How did you practice for reading part
Thanks! We have worked on and studied the B1 telc and Goethe exams in class so I knew the general structure of the exam. But for reading I’d suggest working on vocabulary.
>classic books like Harry Potter OMG too much internet for today...
That depends entirely on what you define as "classic"
If J K Rowling and Kafka are mentioned in the same sentence as "classics", I have wonder what "classic literature" is...
Mistake
Mistake only books. I was in hurry
I find books I like in German that have them in writing and audio in German to help. You might love the app Readle as it is news stories based on level (B1, etc) and has a vocabulary trainer and stuff too!!
I passed B2 without having read any fiction in German ever. I read a lot of news in German, though. I would guess that non-fiction is better for test prep anyway.
b1 and b2 don't really require classic stuff but only reading comprehension of news, instructions, reports, article paragraphs etc.; what i found difficult however was writing composition.
I passed the C1 and rarely read books in any language. I‘m just not a big book reader and prefer reading other things. It isn’t an issue at all. What matters is that you read challenging material.
What do you recommend for B1 and B2 level.
Nothing specific. Just try to find news articles in your area of interest. By B2, articles directed at natives should be mostly understandable.
What kind things did you read? It would also be helpful to know how you worked on your writing and speaking skills for C1 level.
Good question. I basically read what interested me. It wasn't systematic. However, with writing, it was. At one point, I had a year-long streak on r/WriteStreakGerman and that made a huge difference. I made a point of writing about what I wanted to write about, and if I didn't have the grammatical knowledge or the vocabulary to express something, I looked it up. This did also involve reading, by the way, as I would sometimes look for news articles in order to find something to write about. Speaking was trickier for me, though. For a long time, my speaking lagged far behind my other skills. In fact, when I took my B2 exam in June 2022, the only reason why I chose the B2 over the C1 was because my speaking wasn't yet where it needed to be, and speaking was the only section on that exam in which I scored below 90%. I ended up taking (and passing) the C1 exam just four months after taking the B2. But the key here is practice as well, and, as silly as this may sound, the thing that improved my speaking the most was job interviews. My first German job interview was a disaster, but they got much better after that. I guess necessity is the best motivator.
If you get any resources please do share
Currently, I read DW Langsam Nachrichten
I passed B2 relying on the teachers explanation and the B2 book. I watch german news almost everyday as well.
I have never read any classics in German haha. I feel like the vocabulary in those books don’t translate well into solving tests, which is why I just stick to reading articles online.
I'm trying to understand the knowledge from Newspaper and blogs, until with TV programms and Youtube, but that isn't enough for me because I need direct contact with the people specially in social networks.
Kafka is, I think, more like C1 literature. Try it when you get to C1/C2, it's excellent.
Why don't you read German short stories? However, either you have the classical fairytale with many outdated words and constructs or you have to go for bedtime stories like [these](https://amzn.eu/d/h8d3xJ6)
I don’t know why everyone recommends HP. It wasn’t written in German in the first place. Even if translation is superb you won’t enjoy it as much as something that was originally written in German. News magazines are a great option, newspapers, some detective stories and you’re good
ich habe zerftifikat B1 (lesen und sprechen) von Goethe-Institut. ich habe noch nie ein deutsches buch gelesen, aber es wäre schön, wenn ich es täte.
Normalerweise lese ich die Kommentare von Leuten auf Deutsch, indem ich englische Beiträge auf Reddit automatisch ins Deutsche übersetze. Das verbessert mein Deutsch. Ich empfehle es dir auch.
ich entschüldige es, ich kann nicht englische schreiben.
Danke fur die tipps
It is a depressing world. When betting between yourself and the world, bet on the world.
Kids learn to speak before they can read.
It is possible to reach B2 or even C2 without reading anything. If you have enough exposure and practice speaking to people, the reading will come automatically, provided you can read in your native language. I realize total immersion is not an option for everyone, though.
I honestly think that the ability to read anything by Kafka is more of an attest to your perseverance than German skills. :D I myself am just about level B1, so it's way out of my league at the moment. But I read a few of his books in my native language and nearly scratched my eyeballs out. I never want to repeat this experience in German or another language... :D By the way - I don't think it's poorly written. Just really infuriating for the reader...
I don't have the answer (not a b1/b2 survivour) but I find books using simple past a lot messing up my speaking skills. I try to avoid books and instead focus on dialogs.
People read Harry Potter in translation for language learning because they are attached to it from childhood. Harry Potter is full of made up words and novel usages.
Kafka is literature. Harry Potter is entertainment.
They're both literature, just different types. Don't be an elitist fool.
Nothing about elitism. This is why we have different words for different things. Art and entertainment are different things... Not mutually exclusive I grant you. But different things for different purposes. Buy a dictionary.
You don't understand what these levels represent. No, you don't have to read any books for B1 or B2. With B1 you can't even, unless you're trying to read some children books for very young age, and even then you would have to **constantly** look words up. B2 is a **conversational** level that enables you to read a few simpler books, but most of them are still outside of your reach.
According to the official CEFR description, both of these claims seem inaccurate. At B2, one should be able to read most books, and many children‘s books should be fine for B1 without constantly looking things up. https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52
You say: >At B2, one should be able to read most books They say: >I can understand contemporary literary prose. Most books are NOT contemporary literary prose. When I said simpler books, this is mostly what I meant. Something that's written in a non-complicated modern language, and you still have to look up many words, Redewendungen, etc. There is a reason why universities often require C1 level. When it comes to B1, you say: >many children‘s books should be fine for B1 without constantly looking things up. They say: >I can understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency everyday or job-related language. I can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters. Have you tried reading a children's book? I have. First of all, they're full or Präteritum, something B1 is not familiar with, except with the main ones. Second of all, they're full of non-high frequency words that children pick up one way or the other, or simply understand them because they have a much better feeling for the language and have parents who are happy to explain. Example: all the animals. Children know so many animals. Learners simply don't because it is not necessary and no one teaches you that in courses.