Simone is an Expat living in Darmstadt (Germany).
He’s an Engineer working as Project Manager support at EUMETSAT.
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2.
He went through my A2 and B1 Module.
My Program offered him a structured learning system that he could easily integrate into his busy life.
Step-by-step he has been improving his German by developing a better understanding of grammar and sentence structure and growing his confidence in expressing his ideas in speaking.
Last month he passed his official B1 TELC exam with flying colours:
- Listening/Reading: 42/45 (93%)
- Writing: 20/20 (100%)
- Speaking: 98,5/100 (98,5%)
Here’s an interview I did with him so you can learn from his journey going through my program.
Let’s jump right into it.
Simone, what did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
When I arrived in Germany, I started with the traditional 1:1 course. Here in Darmstadt there are a lot of options and possibilities but what was really difficult is to find the right time-slot to follow it. The only possibility was after the work but as you can imagine I was really tired and hence it was very difficult to focus on the lesson.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Of course time! I was, and actually I am, really motivated to learn German but it is very difficult to commit to with fixed time-slot during the week. Travel, meetings and life play a big role and sometimes it is really hard to stick to learning German on fixed dates.
What kind of program were you looking for?
Something flexible, so that I can easily manage my time, and interactive in a way I can access the content everywhere, especially during my travels. And your program offers both of these things!
What was your goal when you started?
My goal was and still is one! Be fluent in this language and be able to easily speak with my German friends. I feel disappointed and sometimes embarrassed when I am not able to speak, in the day to day life, with others.
What struck you the first time you came across my program?
I will be really honest with you! When I started I was really skeptical. I was not sure that this formula would have worked with me. But the traditional method did not fit my needs as well and then I thought I had nothing to lose and I made an attempt!
I was surprised to discover a really structured course accessible from different platforms, and the podcasts… well, those are really the added value to your course. I can download them and listen to them whenever and however I wanted… Furthermore the email I got at the beginning helped me to navigate through the course in an easy and effective way.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
According to my experience, it is a tailored course for professionals. It is easy to go through it because it is structured in a way you can learn German at your own pace and the results are really outstanding. Ah yep, of course… the teacher also makes the difference!
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
I am not more afraid to speak with people and more important all of my friends told me that my German is “really good” (of course they lie but this is helpful for my self-esteem!). Seriously, when I started I felt stuck and hesitant to speak with Germans. Now I am self confident, despite the mistakes, and at least we can understand each other. This is a very good result considering my starting point. I still remember the first day I stepped in with some friends into a sauna. Everything was in German and I was not even able to find the way out! “Ausgang” does not mean anything to me! :) …well, I definitely needed a German course to survive here.
How did you prepare your B1 exam to pass it with flying colors?
I intensively went through the grammatical rules and I had 1 lesson per week with you in order to review the speaking part as part of the “Pass Your Official Exam” bonus program. I also took the opportunity to read a book and the newspapers to be more familiar with the writing part. And once per week I made a full simulation of the exam, to get more and more confidence with the structure of the exam. Furthermore, I kept doing the 1-minute and 2-minutes exercise on your Facebook page.
How long did it take to prepare your B1 exam?
It took me roughly 2 months to properly prepare for the exam. I could take even less, had I studied every day, but I am a little bit finicky.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
Personally I was a little bit afraid of the speaking part but then I found the exam like a “nice chat with friend”. Manuel helped me, during the preparation, to stick to the real requirements of the exam and get rid of all my fears…
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
The podcast above all, but in general the way the “Herr professor” method is organized and structured, is really helpful.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
I am really motivated. I would like to master this language in a proper way and stop being afraid of my “poor German”… In the beginning it was tough because I needed to find a way to easily approach it. Once I found it, it became a habit and learning German was actually easy.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
As just said, I struggled to find a routine to learn German. Once I was able to include it in the frame of my busy/messy day, learning German came naturally. I was aware that I could have not managed everything so I carefully listed my priorities and I rearranged my days to cope with them! Of course it is always a question of priorities… I decided, for example, to listen to the podcast instead of music.
How did a typical daily learning routine look like?
I wake up and while having breakfast I will do my 1-minute and 2-minutes exercises on Facebook. While commuting to work I listen to the podcast(s) and during the spare times (for example during the the 5-minute break between two activities or meetings) I am tasked with the Memrise app. In the evening, after dinner, I do IWDL exercises and I also read a few pages of a book or a magazine.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
Since German was one of my priorities, and actually it still is, I learn 2-3 hrs per day.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
I always tried to have a right balance among all the activities (listening, reading, speaking and writing). For this reason I wrote a plan down and once per week I checked where I was (ahead of behind the forecast/goal) and I also strived to speak with my German friends as much as possible. In this way I have a good feeling of my progresses and also a checklist of what I still need to work on.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
I am always super busy and my life (both personal and work-related) is always a patchwork of endless tasks… Furthermore, I do not like be “inactive” more than a short while… so I think that the very big challenge was to re-organize my life to include clear routine in my day-to-day life.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
My great motivation to believe in your own word, Manuel! “Learning German is easy.” So, I had to stop thinking and worrying and just said, “to hell with it, I will master this language as well as all the Germans, who live here, have done!”
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?
If you can dream it, you can do it. (cit.). Decide what you want. Write that down and make a plan. Then work on it: EVERY SINGLE DAY!
And remember: change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.
But of course, do not forget to join Herr Professor course!
“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.