Studien und Plaudereien First&Second Series in One Volume by Sigmon M. Stern [Special Editions]

This special volume includes Sigmon M. Stern's legendary Studien und Plaudereien's First&Second Series (im Vaterland) together. (680 pages total)

(The font used in the book is fraktur as it is in its original)

Find the audio recordings here.

Studien und Plaudereien. First Series by Sigmon M. Stern is a German beginner’s course originally crafted in the early 20th century for English-speaking learners of all ages—children in school settings but equally suitable for adults beginning German. Published as a graded reader, it immerses learners in German from the first page with simple, repetitive dialogues between a teacher and students on topics like greetings, basic vocabulary, numbers, and everyday conversation. The book emphasizes active use of language through constant practice rather than isolated vocabulary lists: learners read, answer questions, and repeat patterns so that basic structures become familiar through usage.

Structured to build confidence and fluency step by step, Stern’s method combines dialogues with pronunciation guidance, grammatical tables, transitional exercises, and short pieces of German verse, enabling beginners to internalize core language patterns before progressing. Its conversational and study-oriented format makes it a practical choice for adult self-study as well as classroom instruction, offering a clear, incremental path into spoken and written German.