When I was at Goethe back in 2011, we would use Studio D by Cornelsen, but when I went back in 2015, they were using Netzwerk by Ernst Klett Sprachen. Both the series work very well if you want to learn everyday German.
The Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan in India changes the book of instruction every 5 or 6 years. Many institutes in German, Austria and Switzerland have their own books which are exclusive. This way, you learn the language directly and learn how not to interpret or translate it word to word without context. Because these books are in German, you will need the help of an instructor to help you with the basics. Yet, there are many who self-taught German with such books and have cleared the B2-C1 exams successfully.
A reminder that the best books to learn German from should be in German only. Language is fluid, flexible and ever-changing, which is why there is not just one book which one must learn from. On the same note, learning from only one book is never enough for your growth.
The books mentioned below are for the learners above the age of 16 years unless stated otherwise. The books are versatile, they may not have the same "syllabus". Please read our article Is there a syllabus for CEFR levels? to gain clarity on what exactly does the "syllabus" contain.
Some of the series for CEFR A1-B1 are as follows:
Netzwerk A1, A2, B1
Studio D A1, A2, B1
Themen Aktuell 1, 2, 3
Tangram Aktuell 1, 2, 3
Menschen A1, A2, B1
Begegnungen A1+, A2+, B1+
Ideen 1, 2, 3 (for teens and young adults)
Beste Freunde (for teens and young adults)
The following table contains the most popular books loved by students and tutors all over the world. Ash's German School is proud to have used all the books mentioned here and that's how our students have gained confidence. The more versatile a course is, the more aspects of the language you are able to grasp and use in your conversation!
Some of the series for CEFR B2-C2 are as follows:
Kompass DaF B2
Aspekte neu B1+, B2, C1
Mittelpunkt neu B1+, B2, C1
Studio d: Die Mittelstufe B2/1, B2/2, C1
Sicher! Aktuell B2, C1
Ziel B2, C1
Erkundungen B2, C1, C2
AusBlick 2, 3 (for teens and young adults)
For the CEFR Exams, there are three exam prep books which offer you 3 levels of the difficulty for casual and serious learners.
The books are as follows:
Fit fürs (name of the exam) by Hueber Verlag
Mit Erfolg zum (name of the exam) by Ernst Klett Sprachen
Prüfungstraining (name of the exam) by Cornelsen
Apart from these, there are hundreds of books by Langenscheidt, Hueber Verlag, Cornelsen, Ernst Klett Sprachen, PONS, Springer, Schubert Verlag which offer grammar exercises, exam prep, vocab, listening, writing and reading comprehension practice, short stories, etc. There are a bunch of books written in Indian languages to learn German from and many other miscellaneous books written by thousands of people on adapting different learning techniques to learn German.
Business Communication in German and Business German
Some German Publishers publish books which are used for Business Communication in German as well as Business German, mainly for the telc Beruf Exams.
Some useful books for Business Communication as well as Business German are as follows:
Alltag, Beruf & Co A1/1 A1/2, A2/1 A2/2 and B1/1 B1/2
Linie 1 Beruf A2, B1 and B2
Geschäftliche Begegnungen A2+, B1+
Entscheidungen (B2-C1)
Wirtschafts-Kommunikation Deutsch (used for PWD)
German for Medical Professionals - Caretakers, Nursing Staff and Doctors
German for Medical Professionals is also on the rise in India, however, not a single institute in India offers any course for this program. Many Indians seek courses to write the telc Medical German Exams in Germany, Austria or Switzerland directly. Some of the books used for this program are:
Menschen im Beruf - Pflege A2 und B1
Kommunikation im Krankenhaus B1/B2
Menschen im Beruf - Medizin B2-C1
Deutsch für Pflegekräfte: Kommunikationstraining für den Pflegealltag
Deutsch für Ärztinnen und Ärzte
Menschen im Beruf Series by Hueber Verlag offers books on learning tourism related German as well.
For both Business and Medical courses you should ideally complete the base level first, i.e. you should have completed A2 to pursue A2+ course so that your foundation is set, you get acquainted with the grammar and it makes for an easier transition to get on a much focused and advanced vocabulary and sentences.
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