Hallo zusammen! 👋

I'm currently learning German (A2 level, with grammar knowledge up to B1), and I'm struggling with vocabulary acquisition.

I'm trying to follow Stephen Krashen's Comprehensible Input approach by consuming as much German content as possible, including videos, reading materials, podcasts, etc.

However, I feel like my vocabulary learning is becoming mechanical. I'm learning new words, but when it comes to actually using them, especially in writing, I struggle to recall the right words.

For example, I might understand a sentence perfectly when reading or listening, but when I try to write something on my own, I suddenly realise that I don't have enough vocabulary to express my thoughts.

I'd love to hear from people who have successfully improved their German vocabulary:

How did you build your vocabulary naturally without simply memorising long word lists?

Did you use Anki or any other spaced repetition system (SRS)?

How did you bridge the gap between recognising words (passive…