Frog-Job · Self-study
Teach yourself German without getting lost
The problem with self-study isn't a lack of material; there is plenty online. The problem is not knowing what to learn first, what comes next and how much is enough. This page gives you a concrete self-study plan for German using what Frog-Job offers today.
At a glance
- Materials: 3 books for A1–B2 (the vocabulary book has video lessons) and 1 specialist dictionary
- Price: from 400,000 ₫ per book
- Read online on your phone, tablet and computer
- Track your progress right in your account
- Suggested pace: 4 sessions a week · 20–30 minutes each
Not sure which book to start with? Ask Frog-Job, free of charge and with no need to buy anything.
Available materials
Ready to use today
Four books and Frog-Job's YouTube channel are ready now. Once you buy a book, you can start reading straight away.
Mein Deutsch: vocabulary A1–B2
The backbone of the plan: 40 chapters, over 5,000 words by topic, each with an example and a pronunciation video.
Tiếng Đức Bậc Thầy: A1 grammar
Explanations in Vietnamese, exercises after every chapter and answers via QR codes printed in the book.
Tiếng Đức Bậc Thầy: A2 grammar
Follows on from the A1 book, with exercises after every chapter and a full four-part A2 mock exam.
Hotel, restaurant and kitchen dictionary
774 bilingual pages for trainees and people already at work, with IPA pronunciation for every entry.
YouTube channel “Deutsch lernen mit Nam”
Free video lessons. Watch a few first to see whether the teaching style suits you.
Books cost from 400,000 ₫ each. You can see the price of each book on the Books page.
A concrete plan
What a week of self-study looks like
Four short sessions during the week work better than one long one at the weekend. This is the rhythm most self-directed learners can keep up over time.
New vocabulary
Work through one topic in the vocabulary book. Read each word aloud with the video so you remember the pronunciation too, not just the spelling.
The grammar of the topic
Learn the structures that go with that topic, do the exercises in the book, then write 5 sentences of your own using the vocabulary from session 1.
Listen and repeat
Watch a short video on the same topic. Hear a sentence, pause, say it back. Say it out loud, not in your head.
Revise last week
Go back to last week’s topic instead of learning something new. This is the session most often skipped, and the one that decides whether any of it sticks.
Self-study can't train your speaking. You can build vocabulary, grammar and reading skills very well with books, but nobody corrects your pronunciation or the way you phrase things. Many people study on their own up to A2 and then, just for speaking practice, add a few one-to-one lessons. This costs less than doing everything with a teacher.
If you are training or working in a restaurant or hotel. Keep the four-session rhythm above, but replace session 1 with a topic group from the specialist dictionary. Words you heard on your shift that same day stick much faster than general vocabulary.
Straight talking
Self-study does not suit everyone
It is the cheapest option, but also the one most people give up halfway. Read the two cards below and judge for yourself before you buy any books.
Self-study works if you…
- Have taught yourself something properly before, not necessarily a language
- Have a schedule too irregular for classes: shift work, young children or frequent moves
- Are on a tight budget: buying books once costs far less than monthly course fees
- Are already taking a class and want extra practice: books used alongside a class give better results
Think twice if you…
- Have an urgent application deadline: it is hard to control your pace on your own
- Need to speak, not just understand: without someone correcting you, speaking barely improves
- Tend to give up when nobody reminds you: be honest with yourself here
- Have never learned a foreign language: pronunciation mistakes from A1 are very hard to fix later
With a tight deadline, the safer choice is exam preparation with a teacher. If you need a fixed schedule to keep going, choose a group class.
The platform
Frog-Job books are not PDFs sent by email
Each one is an online reading course inside your account. Buy it and it opens immediately; there is nothing to wait for.
In your learner account
After payment, the book is unlocked straight away in your Frog-Job account and you can reread it any time.
- Read it on a phone, tablet or computer; you only need to log in
- The content is split into lessons, and you return to exactly where you left off
- Progress tracking: see how far you've got and what percentage you've completed
- The vocabulary book's video lessons sit right inside the matching lesson
- Books are online-only, with no download or printing, to protect copyright
The parts still being built
This is a plan, not a feature on sale today. Frog-Job only launches it once it is finished and won't promise a date in advance.
- Self-marking exercises after every lesson
- A plan that suggests the next lesson based on what you have covered
Self-study is already selected in the consultation form. Just write “Notify me when the exercises launch” in the field “Your goal, or what you would like advice on”.
Frequently asked questions
Before you start
What newcomers often ask before teaching themselves German with Frog-Job's books.
Don't see your question? Add it to your consultation request and Frog-Job will answer free of charge.
Can self-study get me to B1 for an application?
For reading, listening and vocabulary, yes. Speaking and writing are harder, because the exam is marked against criteria you can't assess yourself, and pronunciation mistakes that creep in during self-study are very hard to spot on your own. Many people study alone up to A2–B1 and only in the final stage switch to exam preparation with a teacher. This way is both cheaper and safer.
How much time does it take each day?
20–30 minutes at a time, four times a week, is a pace most self-learners can keep up for a long time. Studying for three hours on Sunday and then taking the week off leaves almost nothing behind, because the brain needs to meet words again several times with gaps in between, not once for a long time.
Which book should I buy first for self-study?
Complete beginners: start with the A1 grammar book, because without a grammar base it is hard to turn vocabulary into sentences. If you have already done A1: the Mein Deutsch vocabulary series lasts longer because it goes all the way to B2. If you are training or working in a restaurant, hotel or kitchen, your everyday companion should be the specialist dictionary. Not sure? Just ask Frog-Job. The consultation is free, and you don't need to buy anything.
Can I switch from self-study to lessons with a teacher?
Yes, and many people do exactly that: they learn the material on their own, then add a few one-to-one lessons when they need speaking practice or before an exam. The books you bought can still be used in class, so nothing goes to waste.
Are there exercises to test myself with?
Yes. Both grammar books, A1 and A2, have exercises after every chapter, with the answers reached by a QR code printed in the book, so you can mark your own work without anyone checking. The A2 book also has a full four-part mock exam in the real format, to measure yourself before booking an exam. The vocabulary book comes with example sentences and pronunciation videos so you can check your own reading.
Where do I read the book after buying it?
Right in your Frog-Job account, not as a file sent by email. After payment, you can open the books any time on your phone, tablet or computer. The books can only be read online; they can't be downloaded or printed. You log in on the account page.
When will self-marking exercises be available?
There is no set date yet, because Frog-Job wants the feature fully finished before launching it rather than promising in advance. Progress tracking is already there: in your account you can see how far you've got and what percentage you've completed. In the meantime, the exercises in the grammar books and the A2 mock exam are enough to test yourself.
Start your self-study with the Frog-Job books
Watch a few lessons on the YouTube channel to see whether the way things are explained suits you, and only then decide to buy.
