Noaman is an Expat living in Zürich (Switzerland).
He’s an IT Business Analyst working as Associate Director at UBS.
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2 in May this year.
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 himself when speaking.
Just 2 months later in July he gave it a try and took the official A2 (Start Deutsch 2) TELC exam.
He was able to pass it with an incredible 100% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 11/15 (73%)
- Listening: 13/15 (87%)
- Writing: 14,5/15 (97%)
- Speaking: 15/15 (100%)
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.
Noaman, what did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
In the past (few years back) I did attend German classes. Although they’d helped me build a foundation, I lost motivation after sometime.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Speaking was the most difficult part for me, i. e. constructing proper sentences and understanding the grammatical framework.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I was on the lookout for something that would allow me to work at my own pace and convenience.
What was your goal when you started?
My initial goal was to reach a level of confidence to sit through the A2 German exam.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
I first listened to the daily Verb Juggling podcasts before signing up to the program, and I really liked the fact that you went over different verbs with different context (i.e. how do you say he did.., she did.., we did.., etc.) and gave an explanation of how the sentence is constructed (in very simple terms and with further examples).
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
What makes “From Zero to C1” stand out is its is digital, cross-platform format, which allows me to go through the material at my own convenience and pace. Another game-changer was the use of gamification in your vocab and sentence-structure exercises, for example.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
So far I’ve learned how to use many new verbs, construct sentences, understand when and why to use definite and indefinite articles.
How did you prepare for your A2 exam to pass it with flying colors?
I did the online mock exams, used the summary sheets (Cheat Sheets) from the program, practiced with your packages on the Memrise app, went through exercises you recommend at each level in “From Zero to C1” and, most importantly, listened to the audio in each of the levels of the A2 program (on repeat!).
How long did it take to prepare your A2 exam?
The entire preparation took me approximately 8 weeks.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
The listening section of the exam, where you can only hear the audio once (it is not repeated), definitely was the biggest challenge for me.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
Some of the most helpful resources for me include the podcasts, recordings of Manuel going over the key learning concepts with students, the Memrise packages and exercises you recommend.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
Really wanting to achieve A2 and believing I could do so with the right tools kept me focused and motivated throughout the program.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
Listening mostly during commute time and in the evenings helped me incorporate learning German into my busy schedule.
How did a typical daily learning routine look like?
On a daily basis, I would listen to podcasts while brushing my teeth, on the train to work, on the train home, 1 hour in the evening, a few hours on the weekend.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
On average, I’d spend 10 hours per week learning.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
Listening to the podcasts on each level of the program was the kind of learning I emphasized most.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
Learning when to use the definite and indefinite articles, past, present and future were the toughest. I overcame this by just listening to the podcasts, which explain very well, when, how and why to use them.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
The podcasts helped me the most in achieving fluency, without a doubt. Especially when Manuel asks “How do you say…” in your “Fluency Stress Tests” for example, this invites the listener to answer and if it is correct, then it reinforces their own understanding, otherwise you can still hear Manuel explain the answer.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
The confidence was built as part of being able to answer those questions, when Manuel asks “How do you say…”, but you also just have to take a leap of faith in yourself and try!
What’s one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to learn German but finds it hard to find the time due to his busy life?
HerrProfessor is the right program for you if you want to learn German on your own terms and at your own pace and convenience.
“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.