Sid is an Expat living in Hamburg (Germany).
He works at Scholz & Friends as Art Director.
The biggest challenge he faced when learning German was to find the time with his busy working schedule:
“The classic problem of balancing a 9-6 work week with evening classes. Working in advertising and having to be consistent in attending German classes is just not possible. “
He started my program “From Zero to C1 in 25 Minutes a Day” at A1.
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.
I told him that just learning till my A2 module would be enough to even pass a B1 exam.
He trusted my word and a few months ago he gave it a try and took the official B1 TELC exam.
Though he did poorly with the “Sprachbausteine” part in the exam due to a confusion and a misunderstanding:
“I did the stupid mistake of not realizing that the “Sprahbausteine” was part of the reading exercise and filled the answer in the last 10 seconds.”
He was able to pass the exam with an incredible 100% score in Speaking and Writing:
- Reading: 70/75 (93%)
- Listening: 70/75 (93%)
- Writing: 45/45 (100%)
- Speaking: 75/75 (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.
Sid,
What did you try before starting with my program “From Zero to C1”?
Took part in four different German language courses, private and also the ones from VHS.
What was your biggest challenge you faced with learning German?
The classic problem of balancing a 9-6 work week with evening classes. Working in advertising and having to be consistent in attending German classes is just not possible. Also from experience, I have noticed that people who attend German classes for example A2, have different levels within the group and I find it soon becomes focused on a very few students who are over enthusiastic to churn out the answers as quickly as possible.
What kind of program were you looking for?
I had no idea in the beginning to be honest, I knew what did not work out for me and was looking for options that lead away from the ‘conventional’ learning methods.
What was your goal when you started?
It started as a joke, but I wanted to have a good German conversation one day with the person in the Ausländerbehörde. I always grew up thinking I am forever gonna be bilingual and I wanted to change that by learning German and get rid of that mental block.
What struck you the most the first time you came across my program?
For me there are two aspects of the course that helped me and it still is. The Learn-at-your-own-pace and Manuel’s occasional but structured inspirational email pushes. I have tried out the different methods Manuel uses within the program and this is a fun way to acquire the language.
What was the big difference between my program and the way you learned German before?
The flexibility.
What are some of the results you’ve achieved so far going through my program?
Getting my B1 but most importantly the confidence to use the language little by little.
How did you prepare for your B1 exam?
I actually only finished the A2 part of the A1-C1 programme from Manual before taking up the B1 exam. But I did all of the exercises he recommends in the courses, even the optional ones.
How long did it take to prepare for your B1 exam?
I did not do any special preparation, except a few hours in the weeks leading to the exam. I had calls with Manuel where he guided me through the writing part and we also practiced the speaking part.
What was the most difficult part in the exam?
With all humility, there weren’t any. I also took the Telc exam, which is supposed to be the light version compared to Goethe.
Which specific resources helped you the most along the way?
I believe working on the “Traditional Exercises” for taking any official exam which Manuel recommends in his 5-step process helped a lot.
How did you stay focused and motivated through the program?
I did not. I have times where I am and times I am not. And that for me is the best part of the program. It can fit it into my busy and free days just the way I want to.
What did a typical daily learning routine look like?
On the weeks I am focused – I save up a few days during the week where I know I will have time for the exercises and for the rest I just play the audio files for that specific level on repeat.
How much time did you spend daily on average for your learning?
On the days I have no time – 25 of Audio.
On the days I am focused – 2-3 hours.
What did you emphasize the most when learning?
Listening, just because Manual insists on it a lot and it has worked very well for me.
What was the most important thing that helped you become more fluent in speaking?
I am still not there, but I can see I do speak more often now. With my flatmates and friends.
What helped you the most to overcome the fear of speaking to others?
I still can not claim I overcame it, but I can see I am slowly equipping myself with the tools I need for it, like vocabulary, and experiences.
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?
Instead, I’d just like to share what worked for me.
Having a goal such as a future exam helped me to make time for German.
The consistent at-least-25 minutes-of-German gave me the feeling that I am constantly improving.
Listening to and reading German materials in my Niveau.
“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.