German for Beginners

A self-paced course built around your learning role, so every lesson feels like it was designed for you. Because it was…

The Role-Play™ Method identifies your natural learning style and adapts the course to match it. You’ll move faster, retain more, and meet people you can practice with.

A self-paced course where every lesson
feels like it was designed for you. Because it was…

The Role-Play™ Method adapts the course
to match your personality. Learn faster and meet
people you can practice with.

full access for 30 days, cancel anytime ↲

↳ full access for 30 days, cancel anytime

The Four Types of Language Learners thumbnail

What will I achieve?

By the end of Lektion 7, you’ll be able to…

✔ Have conversations and make plans
✔ Build proper sentences & questions
✔ Think in German (not translate from English)
✔ Keep on learning in your natural way

Zainab Hashmi

“100% recommended! I’ve been learning German with Francisco for over a year now. He is a highly competent language teacher, and thanks to his approach, I can now speak German very confidently. His language learning techniques have been very beneficial for me, helping me train my brain to think in German and truly retain what I’ve learned.”

Madison Lindeman

“I started taking lessons with Francisco because I wanted to get back into learning German after many years off. Francisco is a fantastic tutor who makes lessons engaging, supportive, and easy to follow. I’ve enjoyed learning from Francisco and would highly recommend Acacia to anyone looking to learn a language.”

Axel F. Casanova

“His way to structure the course is very professional and it always includes the development of teaching and active strategies to support the students. I did two language courses in which he was involved and he was always there, assisting and supervising that all ran well.”

Laura Mandelli

“He is the only teacher who made me stick to this language! He knows a lot, is very friendly and has a lot of patience.

He has a unique way of teaching that is fun and never boring. Thank you Francisco for being the best German teacher!”

Tomás Cecere

“With help from Francisco and Martyna I went from A2 in German to C1 !!
Both were great teachers, helping you to learn the language through things you like, and doing exercises that you can really apply in real conversations.”

Kat Thompson

“I have had a number of language teachers and Francisco is definitely a standout. He is able to balance professionalism with good humour, and I found his communication and teaching style excellent. I studied German with him and would not hesitate to recommend him.”

What's inside?

Interactive coursebook

A fully fillable digital coursebook. Every exercise, every note, every lesson, accessible on any device. Scroll through it or flip page by page, exactly like a real book.

Video lessons

28 short, focused videos. Explanations and conversation. Taught by two teachers who learned German as adults. Two regular guys who’ve been exactly where you are.

Flashcard app

1,000+ flashcards organised by module, with spaced repetition built in. Flip, listen, mark as correct or try again. Your progress is tracked automatically.

Role-specific guidance

Every module includes tailored callouts: Builders get structure, Detectives get patterns, Sailors get real-life application, Athletes get drills and challenges. You can explore how the others learn too.

Tests and scores

Each lesson ends with an 8-question test with immediate scoring, recorded to your profile. You’ll always know exactly where you stand.

You can take the test as many times as you need.

Community

Each lesson ends with a call to action to use what you’ve just learned in our Discord community. Role-specific channels where you practise with real people, get feedback, and stay accountable.

Who's this course for?

✔ You’re willing to invest some time
✔ You’re starting from zero, or know the basics
✔ You’ve tried apps, books or classes before
✔ You know the best teacher is often not a native speaker

full access for 30 days, cancel anytime ↲

FAQ

What is the Role-Play™ Method?

Most language courses are built for an imaginary average learner. The Role-Play™ Method starts from a different premise: everyone learns differently, and the right method depends on who you are.

After working with over 1,000 language learners, we identified four learning archetypes: the Builder, the Detective, the Sailor, and the Athlete. Each one represents a different approach to acquiring new skills. The course adapts to yours, so every lesson feels like it was designed for you. Because it actually was!

Who are the teachers?

Francisco Marcos is an Argentinian polyglot based in Barcelona and London. He speaks nine languages and has spent over a decade helping adults do the same. He co-authored the book Role-Play: 16 Principles to Be Fluent in Any Language (2024), the methodology behind every course at Acacia Languages.

Martyna Szymkowiak is Polish and learned German as a teenager, quickly reaching a level of fluency indistinguishable from a native speaker. She is also fluent in Spanish and English and will help you practice conversation at the end of each lesson.

Is there a free trial?

Of course! You get full access to the course for 30 days, completely free. No content is locked, nothing is held back. You can go through the entire first lesson, try the flashcard app, complete the test, and decide from there. A credit card number is required to start the trial, but you won’t be charged until the 30 days are up. Cancel any time before then and you pay nothing, nilly-willy.

What are the payment options?

You can access the course for €29/month or unlock everything permanently with lifetime access for €297. Both options include all 7 lessons, the flashcard app, lesson tests, and access to the Role-Play community.

Do you offer a guarantee?

Indeed, Sire! A 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. If you go through the course and feel it wasn’t right for you, get in touch and we’ll refund you in full. We’d rather you leave happy than stay frustrated.

What's the course's level?

This is a beginner course, A1 level. You don’t need any prior knowledge of German. However, the course has also proven to be extremely effective in helping intermediate students brush up and solidify their foundations.

If you already have some German and are unsure whether this is the right level, take our free role quiz and drop us a message. We’ll point you in the right direction.

How long does it take to complete the course?

That depends on your pace and your role. Most students complete one lesson per week, which puts you at roughly 7 weeks from start to finish. Athletes will probably go faster. Builders will want to make sure each level is solid before moving on. There’s no deadline – the course is yours to work through at your own rhythm.

Will this work if I've failed at language learning before?

Almost certainly it will, and here’s why… Most people who “fail” at language learning weren’t bad at it. They were using the wrong method for the way they naturally learn. Our method is specifically designed to fix that. Take the quiz, find your role, and start again. This time on your own terms.

For those who want more

12 sessions. 4 weeks. Just me and you.

Some learners want to move faster, go deeper, and have someone experienced making sure nothing slips through the cracks.

Over 4 weeks, we work through the course together in 12 live private sessions (3 per week, one hour each).

Every session is built around your learning role and your specific needs. Where you’re getting things right, we accelerate. Where something isn’t clicking, we fix it before it becomes a habit.

By the end of the four weeks, you won’t just have covered the material. You’ll understand how you learn and you’ll have the tools, the system, and the confidence to take it further on your own.

What’s included: ✔ 12 private live sessions with Francisco (3/week over 4 weeks) ✔ Full access to the self-study course and all its materials ✔ Role-specific curriculum adapted to you from session one ✔ Direct feedback on your pronunciation, grammar, and fluency ✔ A personalised learning plan to continue after the course ends ✔ Access to the Role-Play™ community

*Spots are limited. I work with a small number of Fast Track students at a time.

"Since starting this course I've improved massively in my confidence, listening skills and overall fluency. I still have a long way to go but for the first time I genuinely feel like becoming fluent is a realistic prospect. I'm now living in Spain as well, which helps with immersion and the lessons have given me the confidence to actually use the language day to day."

"His perspective of learning a new language as a foreigner is one that I appreciate greatly.

I am now able to initiate and speak (besides introduction) in Dutch when I meet new people/locals here. I highly recommend Fran as a language tutor!"

"He is the only teacher who made me stick to this language! He knows a lot, is very friendly and has a lot of patience.

He has a unique way of teaching that is fun and never boring. He is flexible and able to adapt methodology to make concepts stick in your brain. Thank you Francisco for being the best German teacher!"

"Francisco transformed my language skills. When I started, I couldn’t speak a word of Dutch, but thanks to his excellent methodology and pragmatic approach, I am now able to communicate."

"The lessons did not feel like classroom lessons, but rather conversations between friends. I cannot recommend him enough!"

"I had been searching for the right language school for advanced French, beginner Dutch, as well as Spanish. I had tried several schools (in Paris) and couldn't find one that was personalised to what I needed which is a mix of learning to converse more fluidly as well as fine-tune grammar. Francisco's method is extremely efficient in picking up languages quickly. Francisco and his team are extremely great and engaging teachers and just wonderful to learn from!"

"I have had a number of language teachers and Francisco is definitely a standout. He is able to balance professionalism with good humour, and I found his communication and teaching style excellent. I studied German with him and would not hesitate to recommend him."

"I started taking lessons with Francisco because I wanted to get back into learning German after many years off. Francisco is a fantastic tutor who makes lessons engaging, supportive, and easy to follow. I've enjoyed learning from Francisco and would highly recommend Acacia to anyone looking to learn a language."

"His way to structure the course is very professional and it always includes the development of teaching and active strategies to support the students. I did two language courses in which he was involved and he was always there, assisting and supervising that all ran well."

"Francisco is a great teacher! He focused on practical Dutch for everyday life, which made the lessons very useful and easy to apply outside the classroom. Lessons were always engaging. Highly recommended!"

"With help from them I went from A2 in German to C1 !! Both were great teachers, helping you to learn the language through things you like, and doing exercises that you can really apply in real conversations."

"I needed to improve my German (which was already at an advanced level) to feel more confident working in German. He helped me a lot with grammar through exercises, examples, and rules tailored specifically to me. I found the process really entertaining and developed a great connection with him. I highly recommend him :)"

"I am the happy recipient of language instruction by Francisco in Spanish and Dutch. His course covers all the linguistic nuances. Learning a language can be tedious, but Francisco brings great energy and a sense of humour and I have been enjoying each classes tremendously. I give him my highest recommendation."

"Francisco is a great teacher, very easy and structured. Exactly what you want when you wish to learn a new language. Highly recommend !"

"I’ve had a very positive experience learning German here. I am currently taking classes with Francisco and Brigitte, and both are excellent teachers who are clearly passionate about what they do.

The lessons are well-structured, engaging, and even filled with humour at the right moments, which makes learning much more enjoyable :)"

"Great experience, I can only recommend it! German is hard but finding and engaging fun and friendly teacher made the time the lesson time fly. I'm learning German with them online since one year and it has helped me enormously. I was already relatively advanced (B2) but I am now more confident and we worked a lot on the basic (and difficult) grammar."

"I had classes with Francisco to learn Dutch and he was a very good teacher. He was great at using more fun study methods like recommending an easy book to read between classes."

"The lessons are super relaxed but still really focused and effective. It’s very conversational, and a bit tied to your real life surroundings, which makes it a lot easier to kind of develop the right "muscles" in your Spanish-thinking brain in a way. I enjoyed that. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to improve or learn a language in a natural, easygoing way!!"

"Fran is a very fun teacher to learn from, i was not ready when he instantly started talking to me in Dutch 😂 It was a pleasure to meet him, 10/10 would recommend."

"I was using flashcards and popular apps to learn Spanish but making slow progress. A friend recommended Acacia and Francisco for weekly on line classes. The pace of progress accelerated through guided learning with Francisco and JP.

I highly recommend them for anyone serious about learning a second or third language."

"I had a wonderful experience for over two years. The teachers are excellent, and the teaching methodology is very effective. I highly recommend this school to anyone who wants to learn English in a supportive and professional environment.

They make learning engaging and productive."

"My confidence in using Italian has improved with every lesson. If you are interested in learning a language I would recommend Acacia Languages. The tutors are great and the methodology really works."

"I learned Dutch with Francisco. He was a very good and fun teacher. He makes learning engaging and productive. Works with you in a fun and easy way to actually learn!"

"Francisco combines focus and hard work with a light and approachable personality, creating an environment that is both encouraging and effective. He has a unique ability to break down complex concepts into simple, digestible steps, always pushing you to achieve more. His dedication and commitment to his students’ progress are truly inspiring.

Price for value was extremely good, I can only recommend!"