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."
For Kids Learning German!
 
(A) $1.99 |
Color & Learn Easy German Phrases for Kids by Roz Fulcher
This is a fun, playful way to introduce German phrases to kids and it starts with phrases like "Guten Tag," "Auf Wiedersehen," and "Bis Später!" And at $1.99, it's a steal!
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(A) $8.29 |
Bin ich klein? / Am I small? This is the #1 Best Seller in Children's German Language Books on Amazon.com and it's bilingual German & English. Fantastisch!
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(A) $14-15 |
Ritter Winzig (Sir Tiny) This book is from Bilibri, a German publisher that specializes in mutli-lingual childrens' books. These are wonderful books made of excellent materials! Because Bilibri = ♥
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Level A2: Elementary
 
(A) $6.11 |
Der Schatz von Hiddensee (The Treasure of Hiddensee) by Andrea Maria Wagner **Book with audio to download** Although this book is marked level A1, I've found it to be a more comfortable read for A2 students. This is a short, 32-page storybook with an audio to download. The book comes with a code and a link; to download the audio, you go to the website and enter the code and then you can listen and read at the same time. A bit of a challenge for A1 students, a more comfortable read for A2 students.
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(A) $6-$13 (depending on format) |
Wilde Pferde im Münsterland (Wild Horses in the Münsterland) by Andrea Maria Wagner **Book with audio to download** It seems Amazon has marked this Level A1, however it is indeed level A2. The story of Katja who spends the Fall Ferien riding and the adventures she has there.
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(A) $44.23 |
Colins German Unabridged Dictionary, 8th Edition Earlier this year I picked up a copy of this dictionary and I haven't looked back. It's huge, contains almost every word you could wish for, and although it's large, it's easy to work with. A must-have for the serious German student.
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Level B1: Intermediate
Level B2: High Intermediate/C1: Advanced
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(Sorry, no picture available.) (A) $22 |
Klipp und Klar Buch + Audio-CD B2-C1 For the very, very, very serious student. This one is a challenge and includes a lot of grammatical language and definitions. Text samples are from real publications and the audio CD features native speakers (of course).
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(A) $3-7 |
Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod. by Bastian Sick To get the word play in the title, you'll have to be an ace at the Dativ and Genitiv cases. And if you know this, then you'll understand and enjoy this book. A fantastic read for true German geeks.
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(A) $13 |
Auf gut Deutsch! 2017 Duden, the German version of the Oxford dictionary, has created a tear-off calendar with insights into the German language as well as short grammar quizzes you can do in under 5 minutes. If you get this one, please email me and tell me what you think! I just ordered it and I can't wait!
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For ALL German Students
 
(A) $14-16 |
Deutsch üben: Band 8 "der", "die" oder "das"? This book is composed entirely of methods of learning and practicing articles--one of the hardest parts of German. Learn how to group together words by their endings and by topic. Highly recommended!
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Gift German lessons!You can gift a month, two month's, or a year's worth of German lessons to your favorite German speaker. $192/mo. |
Click here to read more about German lessons; when you enter your information in the Inquiry at the bottom, be sure to mention that you're gifting the lessons.
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(A) Used $12, New up to $82 |
The Germans by Norbert Elias in English! Norbert Elias was Professor Emeritus at the University of Frankfurt; this is the English translation of his sociological work on Germany's society from the 17th century until now.
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(A) $8-14 |
Emil und die Detektive/Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner A classic German tale-the yellow cover is the one in German, the white cover is the one in English. This story is so popular and so beloved it's featured in German learning textbooks.
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(A) $4 Kindle, $13 paperback |
The Ultimate Nutella Cookbook - Delicious and Easy Nutella Recipes: Nutella Snack and Drink Recipes for Lovers of the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (I'll skip the description here so you can get to ordering this one faster.)
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(A) $22.50 |
A CASE of Kinder Schokolade Bitte sehr. :-)
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If you still don't know what to get your favorite German student, there's always this 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S, selling for a mere $154,800.00.
Viel Spaß beim Einkaufen!