Learn German Language: Complete German Course – Beginners vs Preply English Tutoring

The course covers the complete A1 to A2+ German curriculum across seventeen hours of video instruction. Topics are sequenced logically from alphabet and pronunciation through personal pronouns, verb conjugation (present tense, separable verbs), possessive pronouns, family vocabulary, food and shopping, daily routines, telling time, house and furniture, plural forms, grammatical gender and articles, negation, colours, weather expressions, hobbies, professions, job application vocabulary, prepositions, travel phrases, body parts, and health vocabulary. Each lesson concludes with a dictation exercise — learners hear German sentences and transcribe them — which trains both listening comprehension and spelling simultaneously. The interactive whiteboard format is the course's structural signature: every lesson is built around on-screen annotation, with new vocabulary, grammar patterns, and sentence examples written and highlighted as they are taught. Learners across language backgrounds and age groups consistently describe this format as clearer than talking-head video or slide-presentation formats, because the visual construction of the lesson content reinforces comprehension more effectively than static slides. Content currency is not a material concern for a language course at this level — A1 and A2 German grammar has not changed, and the vocabulary domains covered (family, work, food, travel, health) are stable. Unlike technology courses, language instruction at beginner level ages slowly, making this curriculum as valid for the current cohort as for those who enrolled in the first version.

The course is taught by Razvan Savu, founder of AbcEdu Online, described as a native speaker with over thirty years of language teaching experience. His teaching style is characterised by clear, deliberate enunciation of German pronunciation, systematic explanation of grammar patterns, and consistent use of the interactive board to visually anchor new information. Learners with no prior German exposure specifically cite his pronunciation modelling as the component that gave them the most confidence to begin speaking. Positive reviews frequently describe Savu as "clear," "patient," and "methodical" — three descriptors that reflect a teaching approach optimised for learners who are encountering the language for the first time and need consistent, predictable instruction rather than entertaining variation. The phrase "the instructor explains everything very clearly and is easy to understand" appears in multiple aggregated review summaries from opencourser.com. The limitation of this teaching style is that it is pedagogically oriented rather than communicatively oriented. Savu teaches German through explicit grammar explanation and structured input — a method that builds solid reading and listening comprehension — but the course does not include speaking exercises, pronunciation drills with feedback, or conversational practice scenarios. Learners who need to speak German in the near term will find the instruction method valuable for understanding but incomplete for production.

The course is priced at approximately $12.99 at standard Udemy promotional pricing with regular sale prices available. Seventeen hours of structured A1–A2+ content, downloadable PDF lesson notes, a certificate of completion, and lifetime access represent strong value at this price relative to alternatives. Comparable language learning subscriptions (Babbel at approximately $15/month, Rosetta Stone at $12/month) cost more on an ongoing basis and cover the same CEFR level range with different methodology. The cost-per-hour of instruction is among the lowest available in formal German language learning. For learners who are self-directed and have the discipline to work through seventeen hours of structured content independently, the value relative to a formal language class (typically $20–$60 per hour of instruction) is substantial. The dictation exercises and downloadable PDF notes extend the learning value beyond passive video consumption. The caveat is that spoken German production — which is the goal of most language learners — requires additional investment beyond this course. Babbel, a conversation-focused app with structured speaking exercises, or a platform providing live tutoring sessions with a native speaker (italki, Preply) would need to be added to the learning stack, which increases the total cost of achieving conversational competency above what the Udemy course price alone suggests.

Preply has no curriculum of its own — content quality is whatever the English tutor brings to each session. Many tutors build a tailored lesson plan after the trial around a learner's target (IELTS, business English, conversation, accent work), which gives Preply slightly more structure than a pure pay-as-you-go board. The ceiling is high, but the floor depends on careful tutor selection, and reviewers note there is no built-in tool to check your level of English between lessons.

The English pool is enormous — over 40,000 tutors spanning certified teachers and native community tutors from the US, UK, South Africa and beyond. A well-chosen tutor is repeatedly named the single highest-leverage decision. The catch is vetting: anyone can sign up to teach, Preply does not control what or how tutors teach, and reviewers flag some profiles claiming native-speaker status who clearly are not, so screening via the trial lesson falls on the learner.

English is one of Preply's deepest and cheapest markets — classes start around $2 and native US/UK tutors typically sit in the $20-30/hour range. Value is dented by the package model: lessons are bought as subscription credits up front rather than one at a time, and unused credits do not always carry over. For committed weekly learners the per-lesson math is strong; for casual or irregular learners the credit model creates friction.

The subscription/weekly-credit model is the most polarising feature, and it cuts both ways on retention. Learners who pre-commit to a recurring slot describe it as the most durable English habit they built — committing to a schedule means flaking less, and the easy booking flow curbs procrastination. Learners with busy, rotating schedules find the same model strict, and several flagged auto-renewal and expiring credits as a drag. Net positive for habit formation, friction for irregular schedules.

Scheduling, messaging and tutor-matching are reported as smooth, and the free-trial-replacement flow (a second trial with a different tutor if the first disappoints) is praised. The weak spot is billing and cancellation: the cancellation window is strict, and a recurring complaint across user reviews is being charged after cancelling or struggling to stop the subscription. This is the most-cited support frustration.

The clearest strength. Regular 1-on-1 conversation with a native or near-native English speaker is the most direct route from app-bound recognition to real speaking, and learners describe sessions cementing pronunciation, fluency and confidence they could not build alone. The format exposes gaps — speaking at speed, listening to a real accent, handling interview or IELTS-style prompts — that apps never surface, and tutors adapt vocabulary to each learner's actual goals.