Nicos Weg is Deutsche Welle's free German course built around a video drama. Each lesson follows Nico, a young man who arrives in Germany without speaking the language, as he looks for work, finds somewhere to live, and makes friends. The story gives every grammar point and vocabulary set a real situation, and interactive exercises after each video check what you have understood.
The course is part of DW Learn German, the language-learning service of Germany's international broadcaster. It is free, and the interface is available in English and many other languages.
Eighteen chapters at A1
The A1 level alone is organised into 18 themed chapters, each containing several short lessons:
| Chapters | Themes |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Meeting people, contact details, in company, around the world |
| 5-8 | Things, living, days and times, appointments |
| 9-12 | Working life, orientation, eating and leisure, food |
| 13-18 | Weather and holiday, clothing, family, sports and exercise, health, home |
The themes move from introducing yourself to handling everyday life in a German city, which mirrors the priorities of someone who has just moved there. The course continues beyond A1 with further levels on the same site.
Learning through a story
The video format is the main reason to choose this course. Hearing German spoken by actors in natural settings trains listening from the very first lesson, and following one character creates motivation to continue. Each video is followed by exercises on vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension, so you practise actively rather than only watching.
Because Nico is himself a beginner, many scenes show the misunderstandings and simple phrases that new learners actually need, such as asking someone to repeat or spelling a name.
How it complements the other German resources here
The Idiomary guides in this category explain grammar topics such as verbs, connectors, and adverbs, and the vocabulary lists cover core words. Nicos Weg adds what those references cannot: a full, guided path with audio and video. A practical approach is to follow the course as your main route and open the German Verbs Book or German Daily Phrases Book when a lesson raises a question.
Getting the most from it
- Watch each video once without subtitles, then again with them.
- Complete all the exercises before moving on, even the ones that seem easy.
- Repeat Nico's lines aloud and imitate his intonation.
- Create a free DW account if you want your progress saved across devices.
The course suits complete beginners and learners who find textbook German dry, and it works particularly well for anyone preparing to live or work in a German-speaking country.