How to learn A1 in three months (a realistic plan)
Level A1 is completely doable in three months, if you know exactly what it covers and how much time a day it really takes. Here's the plan, month by month.
Three months for A1 isn't a marketing promise. It's the standard duration under the Common European Framework of Reference, and it's exactly how long our group courses last. But the plan has to be realistic, not heroic.
What A1 actually means
By the end of A1 you should be able to introduce yourself, say where you're from and what you do, order in a café, make an appointment, describe your day and understand simple sentences about familiar topics. That's not nothing, but it's not the whole language either.
The grammar A1 covers
- The present tense of regular and the most important irregular verbs
- Definite and indefinite articles in the nominative and accusative
- Modal verbs: können, müssen, wollen, dürfen
- Separable verbs: aufstehen, einkaufen, anrufen
- The perfect tense for talking about the past in everyday speech
- Word order in statements and questions
The plan by month
Month 1: foundations
Pronunciation, the alphabet, numbers, introductions, the present tense, articles in the nominative. This month has one goal: that you can say who you are and what you do, without thinking.
Month 2: everyday life
The accusative, modal verbs, separable verbs, time and appointments, shopping and food. This is where you gain the most. You start building the sentences you actually need.
Month 3: the past and fluency
The perfect tense, describing past events, longer sentences, revision and conversation. The end of this month is the moment you notice you understand far more than you thought.
How much time a day
| Activity | Time | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Class (live or video lesson) | 60 to 90 min | 2× a week |
| Vocabulary (Quizlet, revision) | 10 to 15 min | every day |
| Exercises and writing | 20 to 30 min | 3× a week |
| Listening (podcast, series) | 15 min | as often as you can |
The most common mistake: waiting until you're ready
People spend months learning words and grammar "until they're ready to speak". That moment doesn't arrive on its own. Speaking starts when you start speaking, even with five words and three mistakes. That's why with us you speak in the very first lesson.
- 1Choose a format you can actually keep up with. A video course you watch beats a group course you keep missing.
- 2Put study time in your calendar like a meeting, not as "when I get round to it".
- 3Use every new word straight away in a sentence about yourself.
- 4Don't skip the listening exercises. That's where people fall behind the most.
Want this explained step by step?
In our courses we go through the whole level like this: with explanations in our language, exercises and corrections.