Nhung is an Expat living in Karlsruhe (Germany).
She is a Data Scientist at Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence
She started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2.
My Program offered her a structured learning system that she could easily integrate into her busy life.
Step-by-step she has been improving her German by developing a better understanding of grammar and sentence structure and growing her confidence in expressing herself when speaking.
Just a few lessons into my B1 Module she gave it a try and took the official A2/B1 (Deutsch-Test-Für-Zuwanderer) TELC exam.
She was able to pass it with a B1 grade and an incredible 97% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 43/45 (96%)
- Listening: 43/45 (96%)
- Writing: 19/20 (95%)
- Speaking: 97/100 (97%)
Here’s an interview I did with her so you can learn from her journey going through my program.
Let’s jump right into it.
Nhung,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
I tried one classical course at a language school for 1 month and then did not have time to continue due to my full-time work. Then I switched to an online course in Lingoda for some months but then I decided to discontinue because I did not see the progress of myself. The course was too grammatical-focused and the conversation was a bit boring for me.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
I don’t find an environment to speak the language. At work I speak English and at home I speak Vietnamese.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I was looking for a course which I could learn to improve my speaking during my commuting time, during my walk with my baby and also other idle time.
What was your goal when you started?
My goal was to achieve first B1 level at speaking, and then due to some requirements of having a permanent residence permit in Germany, my goal was to pass the DTZ exam.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
It’s a podcast course, which I was looking for.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
The conversations you had with your students to walk them through each level are unique. I like the process in my mind when listening to these conversations: first, tried to answer the questions you asked, then listened to the answers of the students and then compared my answers with their answers. The repeated process helped me gain so much confidence in speaking.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
I could have simple conversations for my daily life, i.e. chatting a bit with the friends of my daughter, talking with her teachers during the parent meeting, making appointments and also a bit of chit-chat with my German colleagues.
How did you prepare for your B1 exam?
I was quite confident in my reading and listening skills, so I didn’t spend much time on them. Most of my preparation time was for speaking and a bit of writing. During the exam preparation, I attended the “Pass your official exam” calls. I found it very helpful when practicing the mock exams questions in these calls together with other students and Manuel. I also improved my writing skill a lot with the live feedback about my writing and other writing exercises in the call.
How long did it take to prepare for your B1 exam?
It was around 2-3 months.
What was the most difficult part of the exam?
The speaking part, especially the picture describing part since my vocabulary was very limited.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
The mp3 files from the course, of course :)
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
I tried to finish each level in one week and gave myself no exception.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
By using my idle time to learn German as I mentioned in my answer above.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like?
I followed the recommendation in the course and found it effective for me.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
During the exam preparation, it was around 1-2 hours. Now, when the exam is over, I spend only 10-15 mins.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
The daily routine is the most important thing in learning a language in my opinion.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
I’m not so talkative, therefore if it’s a topic that I don’t know or don’t like, it’s hard for me to continue even with my mother tongue. To overcome it, I tried to speak with a more simple structure, rather than focusing too much in express my actual thinking flow.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
Knowing and practicing the popular grammatical rules and also the sentence structure.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
To have the feeling of: “yeah, I know how to speak it grammatically correctly”
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?
Start with a tiny plan first, for example, listening to the Verb-Juggling every day. It takes less than 5 mins.
“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.