Marco is an Expat living in Bern (Switzerland).
He works for 3M, as Supply Chain Planner in Bern.
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2 in April 2018.
Just 2 months into my A2 Module he could already see some improvements in his daily conversations talking in German:
He trusted my learning system, continued with my B1 and B2 Module and in June this year, he gave it a try and took the official B2 Goethe exam.
A few weeks later he finally got his results.
He was able to pass it with an incredible 90% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 83/100 (83%)
- Listening: 70/100 (70%)
- Writing: 87/100 (87%)
- Speaking: 90/100 (90%)
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.
Marco,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
I tried to start on my own, for fun, and I never wanted to enroll in a school because lessons are not very flexible. I didn’t have time for that.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Learning German alone is a big burden. Grammar books are overwhelming and I felt that something was missing: a structured course. But at the same time I didn’t have the time to follow the rigid schedule of a school. HerrProfessor Course filled the gap.
What kind of program were you looking for?
Something structured, simplified and effective.
And on top of that, I needed something I could learn during my long hours of commuting to the office, and training at the gym. Schools after work were not an option.
What was your goal when you started?
The goal was to be able to use German in my daily life first. It plays a decisive role to get integrated in a German-speaking country like Switzerland. It goes without saying that job opportunities exponentially increase if you learn German.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
I had initially access to the free content. I remember something that in classic german books was explained with multiple overwhelming tables, in this course was clearly synthesized in one single table (Adjective endings). In addition, the Verb-Juggling (also a free content) struck me at the beginning. These two things alone made me buy the course, because they let me think that complicated structures can be learned and internalized easily through this course. And I was right.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
At the beginning I tried the way of self-study, with a 600-page grammar book, overwhelming rules and boring exercises. Books are generally very academic and complicated. Besides, this is not the right way to learn a language, and in this course I could understand why. I learned German, but I also learned the method and I found out why the traditional ways (focus on Grammar rules, infinite lists of verbs and words without context, etc.) are not effective when learning a language.
In this course I could quickly and effectively internalize German rules with PDFs of 7-8 pages with simple and effective examples. And around them many other tools like podcasts, flashcards, Fluency-tests , 2 mins exercises, FB community amazingly helped me in the learning process.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
My german improved quickly, I noticed people stopped switching to English when speaking with me: I could understand them and they could understand me. The conversation was finally flowing. I also passed the B2-Goethe Exam, which is highly recognized in Universities, working environments, schools.
How did you prepare for your B2 exam?
Among other things mentioned before, there is a section “prepare for your B1/B2 exam” where tips are given, along with suggested structures and constructions ready to use during your exam. The whole course together with these tips would prepare me for the exam.
How long did it take to prepare your B2 exam?
Since the moment I decided to sign up for the B2 exam, it required me only 2 months. Before that, I just went step-by-step through the programm, enjoying the process of learning, reading interesting content suggested in the course, listening to podcasts and speaking with Manuel and Dan in your advanced Speaking Coaching program. The effective learning process until I sign up for the exam amount to ca. 15 months.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
I know I could have performed better in the listening part, where academic topics like “Resilience” occurred.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
I mostly learned with Recorded lessons and the related PDF sheets, along with the podcasts with your students Dan and Mauricio. All these resources are easy to access wherever you are: on the train, at gym, while hiking or biking, and even while swimming with a waterproof-mp3 player (like i did) :-)
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
Motivation comes also from the need and the will to integrate yourself and make new friends. But it was not only a matter of motivation. German was only a click away from me: all tools are digital and easy to access from smartphone. It’s fast to form a habit, and stay motivated.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
It’s difficult, but with this course it became easier. After work I didn’t want to sit an additional 2 hours at school, plus I didn’t have the energy for that. I combined my learning session with my training session. Combining German with leisure activities was for me the key factor of success. While commuting to work I could also practice with flashcards (another piece of content of this course).
How did a typical daily learning routine look like?
During breakfast and getting ready to work I used to listen to one of the podcasts/recorded lessons. While commuting from/to work and while training I would listen again to recorded audios, or just play with flashcards. Every now and then I could also press the play button of one random podcast from my smartphone during work, when tasks didn’t require much attention. In the evening I sometimes used to do some exercises from a portal/app suggested in the course, and the daily 2-mins exercise.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
Passive learning with podcasts on average 1-2 hours per day. Active learning with exercises and flashcards ca. 3 hours per week.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
I’m personally convinced verbs play a critical role. I emphasized the verb Juggling and I also practiced a lot with the “2-minutes exercise” every day in the FB group: It is an active part of learning, that requires you to create very basic sentences with the proposed verb of the day. It’s also funny to read what examples other people come up with :)
Beside that, I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts/recorded lessons.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
Many tools are available with this course. The biggest challenge was how best to use them. I found my winning routine, while still dedicating time to my favourite activities like cooking, doing sport, traveling.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
Taking part in the advanced “Speaking Coaching” calls helped me a lot to gain confidence in speaking. I passively and actively learned during these calls. And all that by having fun in a judgment-free context with other people and the coaches, where everyone learns from their own mistakes and those of others. :-)
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
The advanced “Coaching Calls” gave me the confidence I could make myself understandable to others.
What’s one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to learn German but finds it hard to find the time due to his busy life?
Start with small steps: the struggle decreases as one enters the learning routine. German becomes part of your life, a habit rather than a burden. Make time for it, and above all use frictionless and easy-to-access tools. With this course you have all the tools to enjoy the learning process and to succeed.
“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.
If you’d like to be added to the Waiting List of “From Zero to C1”, enter your information below, and you’ll be the first to know when I re-open the course.