Aravind is an Indian Expat living in Konstanz (Germany).
He is an Electrical Engineer from University of Applied Sciences Kempten (Germany) , who worked in Siemens Logistics in Konstanz as Embedded System Software Developer for Robotic Vision systems.
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2.
Right after finishing my A2 Module he saw the big difference to traditional methods he had tried before:
He was interested in taking an official B2 exam.
I told him that just going through my A2 and B1 Module would be enough to pass a B2 exam since my B1 Module covers almost the complete B2 grammar curriculum.
He trusted my learning system and in November this year, he gave it a try and took the official B2 TELC exam.
A few weeks later he finally got his results.
He was able to pass it with an incredible 91% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 70/75 (93%)
- Listening: 55/75 (73%)
- Writing: 39/45 (87%)
- Speaking: 68/75 (91%)
Here’s a complete interview I did with him so you can learn from his journey going through my program.
Let’s jump right into it.
Aravind,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
Attended 20 sections of 45 minutes in VHS Konstanz.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Learning German grammar is challenging,especially adjective endings, genitive etc. Also the double meaning of certain words is really challenging (eg : gehören- belong,hear).
What kind of program were you looking for?
A program which could be very efficient which has all the necessary ingredients to master the language (Grammar,vocabulary etc.) in a short span of time.
What was your goal when you started?
To understand the German language and to speak it in a way so that I will not have problems expressing my ideas to native Germans speakers.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
At first when I saw the advertisement of the program in German I was skeptical about this course as I do not have a direct contact with the Teacher. But my belief changed once I started hearing the podcasts. It is the part which evoked my interest to learn German through this program. It is interesting to hear actual life situations of other students
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
- Manuel’s method was not boring compared to the traditional working out of textbooks (lehrbuch und arbeitsbuch).
- The program is highly structured with all ingredients necessary for success. It is like the typical structured German system (traffic , or supermarket etc. ) .
- One could save time searching for study materials or travelling time to language schools.
- One could repeatedly hear the podcasts (even 100 times !) until the concepts are clear.
- One could proceed according to our own pace.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
I could express my ideas and thoughts in German .The “language barrier” problem is solved. Even I could have a half an hour phone call with the official German authorities who speak only in German like Arbeitsagentur .
I could express myself efficiently during several interviews for Software Developer jobs that were completely in German. Even after completing A2 level in this course, I could manage German job interviews.
How did you prepare for your B2 exam?
I was actually not preparing for the B2 exam instead learning the language as a means of better communication medium. The most exciting part is that I have studied only Manuel’s materials from A2 to B1 for the B2 Telc exam. It was also done in a short time span of 5 months. I have heard all the podcast materials on Manuel’s web page 4 to 6 times in the first learning part. I did this for A2 to B1 sections. The B2 section podcast is of C level standard which I have heard only 2 times. Manuel told to concentrate on his B1 level sections for the B2 exam. Then as a preparation for the B2 exam I have repeated to hear the A2 and B1 podcasts again 2 to 4 times. In order to be active in the study process, this time I was also writing down the sentences which were told in the podcasts. Altogether I had prepared for the exam only based on Manuel’s materials on his website. Sometimes I had doubts in Adjective endings and Genitive Grammar part, which Manuel explained me quickly through his Email replies.
How long did it take to prepare your B2 exam?
I have tried to learn the German language and then to test my knowledge at the end of 6 months. From middle of June 2020 to middle of November 2020 with 5 to 6 hours of listening to podcasts of Manuel, unknowingly I was updating to B2 level.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
The most difficult part was to speak German correctly, as there was no time to think about the Grammar part and put it into words while speaking. I think this can be overcome by having speaking training sections with Manuel which I haven’t done yet .
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
I have used only Manuel’s podcasts. I am really thankful to Manuel for the wonderful structured course materials which made the way to B2 level in a very short span of time.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
I had a wish to learn German language once when I was studying my Masters in Electrical Engineering in Hochschule Kempten and also when I was working in Siemens. But it was very difficult to find time to learn a new language .
I came to know about this course in June 2020. In Manuel’s programm, one could learn German just by listening to the Podcasts. Magically the level of German got improved. The conversations of Manuel with students are very interesting, which could keep oneself focused. I never noticed by myself that my German language level is improving day by day.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
I have tried to learn German with a full time job but it was very difficult to have the necessary Energy levels.
How did a typical daily learning routine look like?
Due to the corona pandemic I got a lot of extra time which I could effectively utilise to relax and learn German. Typically 5 to 6 hours of learning (actually hearing Manuel’s Podcasts) each day.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
On an average 4 to 6 hours of listening to podcasts for 5 months.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
I tried to stay focused on the Grammar part and vocabulary part which arise during the interesting conversations . The Key learning sections helped to understand the concepts very effectively.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
My biggest obstacle was that sometimes I feel sleepy while listening to podcasts for a long time. I tried to take short breaks and also tried to write down the sentences while listening to the podcasts and pausing it and playing it again. This helped a lot to stay focused.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
It is the Key learning concepts, FluencyTest and recap sections of the podcasts.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
Having learned about the logic behind the construction of German sentences through Manuel’s course one could express oneself to other people with clarity. Confidence without clarity is often a disaster !
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to learn German but finds it hard to find the time due to his/her busy life?
This part I would like to repeat the sentence which is told by Manuel during his podcasts :“ The language learning results of people who have more time to invest in learning the language is always better than someone who has less time “. I could achieve B2 with this course in 5 months even though I am 34 years old . If one could find significant time to invest in Manuels German course, it will be worthy.
“From Zero To C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” is my All-Inclusive, complete, step-by-step, no fuss, hassle free 75 Lessons online program (yes, only 15 lessons for each Module A1/A2/B1/B2/C1) for Busy Professionals like you, so you can go from scratch to become fluent and confident to join meetings with your colleagues, negotiate with your clients and give presentations in front of your bosses IN GERMAN. Even if you have a busy working schedule.
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