Nataliia is an expat living in Hannover (Germany).
She works at HDI as QA-Engineer Application Manager.
When she joined my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” she already had some foundation.
But her knowledge felt fragmented.
A lot of grammar had faded while focusing on her new role.
What she needed was a clear strategy.
A way to connect everything she already knew.
And a structured path to reach C1.
A few months ago, she gave it a try and passed the C1 Telc exam.
She scored 83% in Speaking.
Here’s an interview I did with Nataliia, so you can learn directly from her journey through the program.
Let’s jump right into it.
What did you try before starting my program, “From Zero to C1”?
I started studying from scratch with Babbel, after finishing all levels there I jumped into Speexx B1.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while learning German?
There are different challenges at different stages of learning the language.
First, you try and fail to speak at all.
Then you realize that while speaking, you’ve forgotten the very words you just learned.
Next, you try to join a conversation, but you lose track of the topic almost immediately, not to mention that your answer often doesn’t really match the question asked.
When you finally feel ready to hold a conversation at some level, you discover you can’t express your feelings, emotions, or describe situations with the depth and nuance you experience them in.
And I could go on forever.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I needed a program that would help me synchronize the knowledge I already had, review the grammar I had completely forgotten while focusing on my new position, find the best strategy for learning effectively, and get support in my challenge to pass C1 within 8 months, even though my grammar level was probably closer to B1 at that time.
What was your goal when you started?
The initial goal was to take part in the Express Citizenship program that Germany introduced for highly integrated people with excellent language skills.
After some time, the program was closed, so my goal shifted to passing the exam and being able to communicate fluently on different topics without struggling every time I speak or listen, as well as expressing my thoughts clearly, with the right accent and even with humor when needed.
What struck you the most when you first came across my program?
What struck me the most were the clearly explained grammar rules in the podcasts, with examples and conversational practice.
I also liked the short files with the same rules, without unnecessary extras, that I could quickly review when trying to really fix those rules in my mind after listening.
In addition, the variety of audio content made the learning process less boring, instead of just listening to grammar explanations and sample expressions all the time.
What was the biggest difference between my program and the way you had learned German before?
The biggest difference was the audio lessons.
They saved me a lot of time, and listening to them several times turned out to be an effective way to remember the rules.
Creating my own examples in my head also helped me get used to the structures.
I practiced a lot in the car on my way to work, while cooking or cleaning, or even while walking alone. For me, that was the only realistic way to learn, since after spending the whole day in front of a laptop, you’re not exactly motivated to sit down with books or written apps afterwards.
What results have you achieved so far through my program?
Well, I reached my goal: I passed the C1 exam and now I communicate with my team in German.
I can express myself much more clearly and support almost any topic I deal with.
Of course, a foreign language is a never-ending story, you have to keep working on it once you’ve chosen to master it.
But I definitely see the results and feel relieved that a big part of the work is already behind me.
How did you prepare for your C1 exam?
Time was the most important factor. Along with the audio lessons I worked on every day, I also studied a lot of articles, as was suggested.
This approach helped me pick up new words from different topics and sentence structures, while also giving me valuable reading practice.
It takes a lot of time, and since my preparation period was limited, I had to cut back on parts of my daily routine and spend most evenings studying.
Daily practice was a must during this active phase.
Even if I didn’t have time to read, I always had my headset on, even during my morning routine.
How long did it take you to prepare for your C1 exam?
8 months
What was the most difficult part of the exam?
Sprachbausteine was the biggest challenge.
Even though I had practiced it a lot, I still wasn’t confident about half of the options I chose in the end.
You really need to feel the language for that part. In some cases, my guesses were correct, but overall it felt like the deepest dive into the language.
Which specific resources were the most helpful to you along the way?
Articles from different sources were really effective.
DW was a great option because I could read and listen at the same time, but later I moved on to Spiegel and similar resources to work with more complex content.
How did you stay focused and motivated throughout the program?
My focus and motivation fluctuated, but having the exam date in my calendar pushed me forward, even when I didn’t feel like it.
Some discipline was necessary, without it, progress slows down quickly.
How did you manage to balance a full-time job with learning German on the side?
I’d say it was really difficult. But again, once you have that deadline, you have no choice, that’s the strongest motivation to keep going, even when you’re exhausted and fed up with everything.
Sometimes, when I didn’t have the energy for anything else, I would at least listen to something in German.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like for you?
My mornings always started with listening, which I continued in the car on the days I drove to the office.
In the evenings, I focused on reading and working on content.
Later, essays came into play, because you need to be able to express your thoughts in writing.
I mostly did them on the weekends, as it was a long process at the beginning that required a lot of concentration and no time limits.
The same applied to speaking and presentations; to put them into the correct structure, I needed time, especially at the beginning.
So, my weekends were full of creativity.
How much time did you spend on average per day learning?
On most days, I spent about 3–4 hours learning.
On free weekends, I could spend even more time, with breaks included.
What aspects of learning did you emphasize the most?
Regularity and the combination of different senses.
Listening alone didn’t work as effectively, so I used all available methods whenever time allowed.
Similar to exercising only three times a week, progress is much slower, if it happens at all.
What was your biggest obstacle, and how did you overcome it?
Starting to write something meaningful following the required structure was my biggest obstacle.
Initially, I couldn’t find the right words to clearly introduce a topic, and it took hours to write anything, not to mention making it nice and clear.
I hated weekends at first because of this ‘torture,’ but after several months, I noticed it no longer took forever to formulate something and even put it into the correct structure with the required number of words.
It’s just a matter of practice – the harder it is at first, the more effort you need to manage it.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
The most important thing that helped me was just practice.
I realized that at work I tended to switch to English to exchange information quickly and clearly, which was a mistake.
You need to use every opportunity to speak and to listen.
I asked everyone at some point to talk to me in German, no matter how difficult it was for them to communicate or for me to understand and respond.
I also found apps to connect with other people learning the language to practice conversation.
In this case, the rule ‘the more, the better’ works perfectly.
What helped you the most to overcome your fear of speaking to others?
I didn’t have fear, I just didn’t have the words.
Over time, the constant practice worked, and the words started coming. Then the structures and fluency gradually followed.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to learn German but struggles to find the time due to a busy life?
Finding an individual approach is difficult, as it depends on which method works best at each stage of learning the language.
I would suggest following your own way regularly and consistently.
Learning requires time and motivation, sometimes you may fail, but it’s just a matter of effort to stay on track.
As they say: those who want, find a way; those who don’t, find an excuse.
Finding your goal is already half the journey.
“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.
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