Saipriya is an Expat living in Karlsruhe (Germany).
She works at Cisco Systems as a Consultant.
The biggest challenge she faced when learning German was to gain the confidence to speak:
“I work in an environment where people switch to English when someone doesn’t know German.
More than certification or reaching a level, I wanted to learn the language and speak confidently.“
She started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A1.
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.
A few months ago she gave it a try and took the official B1 TELC exam.
She was able to pass the exam with an incredible 100% score in Speaking and Writing:
- Reading: 55/75 (73%)
- Listening: 70/75 (93%)
- Writing: 45/45 (100%)
- Speaking: 75/75 (100%)
But even more important are “real” results you can see for yourself in your day-to-day life as Saipriya experienced with her colleagues:
“My biggest fear was opening my mouth to speak up. But when I tried talking for the first time, I must say it was received quite well which boosted my confidence and I never stopped trying after that.
Now I ask my colleagues to continue in German, as now I understand what people around are talking and I’m able to respond to them in German.”
Here’s a complete interview I did with her so you can learn from her journey going through my program.
Let’s jump right into it.
Saipriya,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
I learnt A1 on my own (required for my German Visa) in India 4 year ago. After that I didn’t continue learning/practicing. And as expected I was back to square one until I started this program.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Learning grammar rules and writing was fine, anyone can do it. But what to do when it comes to speaking. My biggest challenge was speaking.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I was looking for a program, with which I can speak German fluently. Also, which could fit my current work schedule.
What was your goal when you started?
More than certification or reaching a level, I wanted to learn the language and speak confidently.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
It striked all my checkboxes of what I expected from a perfect program considering how it’s structured, material, training, podcasts, time required, access from anywhere/anytime. I think i can go on and on :))))
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
With this program, I had everything at one place , be it vocabulary, practice material, grammar concepts, and listening to other students. Even though it was not live , I always felt as if I was having a teacher next to me explaining the concepts and the best part is that you can stop, take a pause and revisit in case you missed anything.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
Of course confidence while speaking, I work in an environment where people switch to English when someone doesn’t know German. But after this program, I ask them to continue in German, as now I can both understand and speak.
How did you prepare for your B1 exam?
By following this program diligently and solving some sample papers just a few days before the exam.
How long did it take to prepare for your B1 exam?
One month after completion of my B1 level.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
Honestly, I didn’t find any part of the exam difficult. But rather the timing per section was tricky, which I realized on the day of the exam ;-)
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
I don’t want to call out a specific section as every podcast on the program helped me learn. I never missed any of the podcasts, I listened even to the additional resources always.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
The program is designed in such a way that every week, a new level is out. I always made sure that I finished my current level within a week so that I could start with the new one next week. It was like a video game for me , where every week , I got to a new level. Plus, who doesn’t want to learn when you see benefits out of it like understanding what people around are talking , being able to respond to them in German.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
This was never a challenge for me. Because I listened to the podcasts when I used to cook, clean the house and go out for a walk. And for grammar, vocabulary and writing , I dedicated one hour just before I went to sleep.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like?
Get up in the morning -> freshen up-> put on the podcast-> prepare breakfast and have breakfast -> login and work until 5pm(office) -> one hour of grammar/vocabulary /revision (what i learnt that day from the podcast)/writing practice where I used to make notes ->sleep -> repeat.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
1 hour/day + listening to the podcast in the background while doing some household chores.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
I listened mindfully to every podcast and made notes on the very day I listened, to reinforce the concept by making a few sentences out of it.
“Practice what you learn either by speaking and writing “
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
My biggest fear was opening my mouth to speak up. But when I tried talking for the first time, I must say it was received quite well which boosted my confidence and I never stopped trying after that.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
When I started speaking without shying, irrespective of whether I spoke correct/incorrect. With regards to this, I must thank all the people (with whom I speak) involved who tolerated (;-)) my incorrect German but still helped me speak.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
The fear is only the first couple of times. When there is ongoing learning in the backend (with this program) , it always shows up while you speak.
I still remember my first conversation with my neighbor, where after “Wie hießen Sie? “ ,” Was machen Sie?” I said, “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” ;-) which made her laugh.
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?
I would highly recommend this program as it fits into my busy working life right from Day-1. I never felt that I was putting too much extra effort into learning something new. All I did was diligently follow the program and that’s all :)
“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.