When you're buying a Christmas gift for someone who is studying German, you may not know exactly what they need. With one small piece of information, that is which level of German they are at, you can do some quality gift buying right here.
Be sneaky! Look on your German learner's book for one of these combinations: A1, A2, B1, B2, or C1. There might be a "+" after it or the book might show a range of levels, for example A2-B1. Sometimes the letter/number combination is on a blue square with the golden stars of the European Union on it. Look for a gift based on that letter/number combo.
Each section of this gift guide is labeled with the learning level according to the Common European Reference Framework for Languages and it starts with the easiest level and increases in difficulty: A1, Kids, A2, B1, B2/C1, with several gifts for virtually everyone listed at the bottom--even your German exchange student! You'll see a variety of gifts for lots of different learners and for all different budget sizes.
Some of the links below are affiliate links. They are marked with an (A), which means that if you click through that picture/link and make a purchase, I'll receive a small amount of that purchase as a thank-you. And the prices are as of today's publication (Dec. 1, 2016). Enough details!
More than anything, I want you to buy the best gift possible for your favorite German student!
Los geht's!
Level A1: Beginner
 
(A) $6.00 |
Langenscheidt's German-English, English-German Dictionary This is the dictionary the majority of my clients have used and recommend. They love the ease of use, the accuracy of the translations, and the size. It's a great value for them and hopefully for you, too!
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(A) $4.95 |
German Grammar (Quickstudy: Academic) The clear layout makes each section of this guide easy to read and for their length, each section is surprisingly in-depth. I think this is a sign of quality. Descriptions are concise and effective and it's a really helpful guide for new German students.
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(A) $42.27 |
Hammer's German Grammar and Usage Everybody who uses this book loves it. Period. I've seen students at the beginning AND intermediate levels of German use this book and get help and clear explanations. A must-have for any German student.
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There's one more book for the A1-B1 levels that I've included in the B1 section below, look for "Klipp und Klar."
