What are the most effective learning methods for beginners when learning German?

Many people are somewhat frustrated because they don‘t know where to start when learning German. They would like to learn German because they live in Germany or Austria, have their family, friends, or work here, but they find it difficult to find the gateway to this language.
So how should one begin?
Here are 12 useful tips.

1. First, try to collect only words. Words of things you are surrounded by. Food, drinks, clothing, the furnishings in your apartment, objects you deal with every day. Write the words down in a small notebook. Add five to ten new words each day. Read and practice the new words every day. In the morning at breakfast, on the subway, before falling asleep.
2. Go to stores, e.g. supermarkets, clothing stores, or furniture stores, and read the labels of the goods on offer. By seeing the things right in front of you, your brain can remember them well.
Sit in cafés and listen to people speaking. Try to recognize individual words and phrases.
3. Look for German-language music on YouTube that you like. There are many types of German music, and you will surely find a singer or a band that you like. Save the lyrics and the translation and listen to the music until you understand all the words. This way, you will learn the pronunciation of the words very well, and through the connection with the music, the words and sentences will stick in your mind very well. Any kind of music (except Rammstein) is suitable.
4. Avoid learning apps. They are a waste of time. Put your phone aside as much as possible and listen to people. Try to talk to people. We humans are not robots and do not learn best through exercises on a small screen, but through interaction with other people.
5. Of course, you should use a good online dictionary. Instead of Google Translator, prefer deepl.com or leo.org
Subscribe to German-speaking channels on your social media. Just choose topics that interest you, but in German.
6. Do not try to be perfect. You do not have to understand everything at the beginning. Your goal should be to understand 30% of what you hear at the start. Slowly you can increase this number.
7. Regularity is key. Engage with German several times every day. Make it a habit to practice German. Watch a short video in German on YouTube at breakfast. Read the advertisements in the subway. Listen to people. Look up a few words from a dictionary every day.
8. Be curious: If you don’t understand something, ask someone.
9. Don’t lose patience. There is a German proverb: no master has fallen from the sky. Give yourself time.
10. A good offline language course at a language school can accelerate the learning process. It should be interactive, contain many speaking exercises from the beginning, not just work with a single textbook, the teachers should be native speakers, and they should motivate and help you. If your current language course does not meet these criteria, you should cancel it and look for another one. If the food in a restaurant doesn’t taste good, you should choose another restaurant.
11. Try to do the things you enjoy in German. If you have a special hobby: snowboarding, building guitars, climbing, crafts, bookbinding, dancing, or whatever, look for a course or a group with people who have the same interests. While exchanging ideas and pursuing your interests together, you will use German without thinking about it.
12. Have fun learning German. This might be the most important advice.