Prabal is an Expat living in Stuttgart (Germany).
He is a Physicist working as a scientist at HLRS Universität Stuttgart (Germany).
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A2.
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 when speaking.
A few years back he was able to pass his official B1 Telc exam with a perfect 100% score in Speaking.
- Reading: 41/45 (91%)
- Listening: 41/45 (91%)
- Writing: 16/20 (80%)
- Speaking: 100/100 (100%)
|
|
And a few months ago he passed the official B2 Goethe exam with an incredible 90% score in Speaking:
- Reading: 80/100 (80%)
- Listening: 70/100 (70%)
- Writing: 86/100 (86%)
- Speaking: 90/100 (90%)
|
|
Here’s an interview I did with him after passing his B1 exam.
Let’s jump right into it, so you can learn from his journey going through my program.
Prabal,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
I heard a lot about Duolingo from my colleagues and from April 2019, I started using it for roughly 30 minutes everyday while commuting to work by public transport.
After one year, VHS offered me an integration course from module A2.1 which got interrupted just after two weeks due to the Covid-19.
VHS then encouraged us to use its Learnportral until we get back to the classroom.
I found the VHS Learnportral very interesting and did not go back to the course later on, but decided to learn German using such online materials.
In the late 2020, I came to know about the Verb Juggling by Manuel on YouTube.
I found it very engaging and extremely useful, because he takes a verb and use it in simple sentences and slowly moves towards the complicated ones, explaining all the small grammatical details at the same time.
I had thus added it also in my daily routine, especially while walking or jogging.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
Even after completing the entire tree of Duolingo, I had trouble speaking German.
Of course, the verb juggling helped me gain some confidence in speaking, but I needed more than that.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I was willing to join any program that could help me to achieve at least B1 level in German language without going to the classroom.
What was your goal when you started?
The goal was to be able to have an everyday life conversation in German without making too many grammatical mistakes.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
After completing the entire tree of Duolingo, I thought that I could probably start directly with the B1 module because I already knew most of the grammar part.
But Manuel insisted on joining the A2 module.
He told me that if I find it too easy, I can switch to the B1 module.
I would here emphasize that in the A2 level 1 (A2.1) itself, I realized that although I knew most of the structures, I was not in the position to use them in speaking.
But after listening to podcasts a couple of times, I actually started using them unconsciously.
I enjoy the fluency test the most because it gives kind of a confirmation that one has acquired a certain level, and it is time to move to the next level in the module.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
In other programs, one has to sit down and learn actively, which is very difficult for people like us who have to work on the computer whole day.
This is not the case with Manuel’s program, as one can here learn German while walking, jogging, having breakfast or dinner.
Long story short, this program gave me an opportunity to learn German and maintain my fitness at the same time.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
I started the A2 module at the beginning of January 2021 and am currently going through the B2 module and hope to finish it by the end of 2021.
When I started the program, I could understand only 40-50% of a German conversation and had hesitation in speaking.
But now, after spending 10 months in this program, not only am I able to understand 80-90% of a German conversation but also can express myself using simple German structures.
Most importantly, I have now stopped asking whether the person in front can speak English or not.
How did you prepare for your B1 exam?
Along with Manuel’s program, I did several other things, for example, at least one Duolingo story every day and completed all 184 of them.
I also listened to Germanpod101, only absolute-beginner and beginner series to improve my listening skills.
Besides, I completed 6 lessons of A2 module on VHS Learnportral to improve my reading skills and have listened to the audio of modules A1 to B1 on the VHS-Lernportal multiple times.
In order to practice speaking, I joined Manuel’s personalized coaching program but had to stop after three months due to some personal reason.
Manuel’s program “Prepare for your official Exam” also helped me prepare for the exam, especially the writing and speaking parts.
How long did it take to prepare for your B1 exam?
It will not be fair to say that I prepared only a couple of weeks for the exam because all I did in the last two years was a part of the preparation.
I bought a test book with two model tests and a few small tests.
I completed all the exercises in the test-book within six weeks, excluding weekdays.
This was the only thing for which I had to sit down and work.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
Honestly speaking, I was a bit worried about the speaking part, but that went quite well, perhaps because I have done enough speaking practice.
But I felt that I should have practised a little more for the writing part.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
Ranking wise: 1). Manuel’s programs 2). Duolingo’s stories 3). Verb-juggling 4). VHS-Lernportal 5). Test-book 6). Germanpod101
Just a remark, Germanpod101 is helpful after the completion of B1 module, other things can be done in parallel.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
In Manuel’s program, the modules have been divided into 15 levels and in each level one learns something new.
This is what motivates me even now. I have heard Manuel saying, in one of his podcasts, that you can not use a specific structure in speaking, unless you have either heard it or read it somewhere.
Since reading cannot be combined with other things, I focused more on the listening part.
How did you manage to combine a full-time job and learning German on the side?
This was quite easy.
Every day, I take my son to the playground for one-two hours.
While he plays with other kids, I do exercise and listen to podcasts in the background.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like?
On weekdays, I listen to the podcasts for one-two hours in the evening.
Before dinner, I do one Duolingo story with my son on the TV.
After dinner, I walk for half an hour and listen to the podcast in the background.
On the weekends, I go shopping or do cleaning with podcasts running in the background.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
Between 2 and 3 hours every day over the period of six months.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
Doing the fluency test in Manuel’s program and reading Duolingo-stories out loud, noticing the grammar learnt in the program at the same time.
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
The biggest obstacles were the grammar part and of course the vocabulary. Manuel’s program helped me improve both of them.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
Listening to a lot of comprehensive German conversations and practising speaking whenever it was possible.
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?
Nowadays, many people work at a desk.
A busy and unhealthy lifestyle might make your life unstable in the long run.
I therefore believe, no matter how busy you are, you should give at least 30 minutes of time every day to your own body to live a healthy life.
So, if you could get those 30 minutes from your busy schedule, you could utilize them to improve your fitness and German at the same time.
“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.