Khaksar is an Expat living in Düsseldorf (Germany).
He works at VarioTek GmbH as Software Developer.
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A1.
In the middle of A2 he emailed me saying that he’d like to take the B1 exam in 3 months and if he needed to do something extra to reach that goal:
I told him that just finishing thoroughly my A2 module would be enough to pass the B1 exam as many other students had done before him in my program (see here, and here):
After 3 months and finishing A2 he gave it a try and took the official B1 Goethe exam.
He was able to pass the exam with a great 86% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 60/100 (60%)
- Listening: 73/100 (73%)
- Writing: 88/100 (88%)
- Speaking: 86/100 (86%)
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.
Khaksar,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
Followed a course on Youtube and some audio podcasts from a known podcast series of “Coffee Break”.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
The Time! As other professionals who have a job here, a long day of focused work then driving home, doing daily shopping, preparing the dinner and having a call with the family then there was no time remaining to attend a class and even no energy to continue with learning.
What kind of program were you looking for?
To learn German in no time :) Yes, I was looking for a kind of program that I can adjust it with my professional work, but actually there was no time for a course to physically attend it or attend it online.
What was your goal when you started?
I wanted to speak with people and to understand them with basic topics, for example when going shopping or having some small talks with the landlord or seeking help in a store, but I also wanted to pass the B1 exam with a defined time interval.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
Verb Juggling! I was looking for some programs, I found your program in my search criteria and signed up for free podcasts to see what is inside, when I heard the first podcast then I felt the difference and wanted to proceed with A1, I only wanted to give it a try and withdraw from it back if it didn’t fit because you were offering 100% money back guarantee – no question asked. I signed up for A1. When I saw the mnemonics thing and the way you explained how to learn new German words, I said this is the right program.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
The flexibility, the way you explain things and the structure you designed the whole program. And of course, the way you simplified things, especially grammar rules, they are amazing.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
I passed the B1 Exam by only going through the A1 and A2 level of your program. I also get confident in speaking and now have a clear understanding of many grammar topics.
How did you prepare for your B1 exam?
Going through the program (A1 and A2) only, then I went through your “Pass for your official exam” learning system to be prepared for every part of the exam.
How long did it take to prepare for your B1 exam?
Actually I started my A1 in June 2021, then I quit it after two months, but then continued it back in April 2022, so the total preparation for B1 exam took 6 months.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
For me the reading part was challenging, and the hearing part was a little bit tricky, for example, in hearing section, you need to mark the answers directly when you hear, there isn’t any option to pause the audio, also most of the hearing content will be repeated second time, but there was a long part which was played only once, I was waiting for its second time to mark the answers then it directly moved to next section where I missed the context.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
Listening in the background! I was addicted to listening in the background. Of course the fluency test is a very good and special tool, the vocabulary learning is also in a fun way.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
The goal and the need which I had for the language. Of course the program also had a follow up email every month to check if the motivation is still there, that was a good reminder and a tool to recover if the motivation is lost.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
This is how it was possible with your program. I didn’t need to have a fixed time to be in the class, but I was learning flexibly in my spare time.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like?
Learning during commuting to work, when driving to work I was listening to podcasts and also during driving back to home. Two or three days a week, for 30 minutes in the early morning, I was doing the written exercises.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
About 60 to 90 minutes, but most of the time only during commuting to work, when going shopping or during walking or doing other activities.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
Listening in the background.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
Staying motivated and making the habit to wait some time for seeing the results.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
Talking with my colleagues. But overall daring to talk with others, especially to native speakers.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
Allowing myself to make mistakes. This is the hardest part, because there is always the fear of making mistakes, but when I allowed myself then I felt that it helped me to overcome the fear of speaking.
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 think they found the best program and the best resources for learning German if they started to learn it with Herrprofessor. The only thing is to go step by step with the program, and at least give it some time until seeing the results.
During the program, for very busy professionals, I will recommend listening in the background, it is the key tool and is the easiest and most important part of the program I think.
“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.