How I improved my German

Before moving to Germany, I already knew that the German language would be a challenge for me in the future. I had already heard from friends and acquaintances who had lived in Germany: Without German skills, everything here becomes difficult—whether it’s finding a job, connecting with people, or studying. But for me, the language played another role, too. From the very beginning, I didn’t just want to be able to talk to people. I thought bigger.

I wanted to feel comfortable here—like at home. I wanted to speak German so well that people would mistake me for a local. Of course, that was a bit unrealistic, but that is how I view the ideas that push people and move them forward.

I know many people who think it’s enough to reach B2 level. I see it differently. You never really feel comfortable or settled in a country as long as you don’t master the language. In my opinion, and this is my first piece of advice, you shouldn't just stay within your own cultural circle either. Life has a lot to offer, and when you master the language, doors open up.

Second: Build your foundation as strongly and cleanly as possible. This means you should attend a German course at least up to B1 level—and do it together with other people, ideally from different countries. This forces you to express your opinion in the course in German, no matter what. At the beginning, it’s painful—I know that from my own experience—but this effort helps you and your brain get used to the language and its structures.

My third point would be: Focus 100% on the German language. Put aside English music, podcasts, books, and everything in other languages, and do everything in German. Start with short cartoons or children's films. Read children's books and talk to your fellow students about simple topics.

You have to keep in mind: The German grammar in textbooks repeats itself and deepens from level to level. This means it’s possible that a grammar rule you learn in A1 will appear again in B1, but somewhat deeper. Or you might notice little things that unconsciously familiarize you with the grammar. When you see these topics again at A2 or B1 level, they won’t be entirely new to you; you’ll already be somewhat familiar with them.

From B1 level onwards, the plan changes slowly: You need to be able to express yourself more nuancedly. You must be able to describe your daily life and learn to build sentences slowly but correctly. The good thing about the German language is: Everything you read, you can use directly when speaking. The result is that by reading simple texts, you slowly start to generate thoughts in German. This eventually leads to being able to speak fluently.

For this reason, just start reading simple novels. You don't have to understand every single word. Just try to read without translating words one-to-one. The idea here is that you recognize the general concept and the storyline.

This flow of thought is very important when learning a language. It is often said that you really master a language when you start dreaming in it. That’s not always the case, of course, but the goal is to be able to form your thoughts directly in German. That’s why you have to start talking to yourself.

Sounds funny? But it works incredibly well! It steers your thoughts in a clear direction, and the familiar words in your head suddenly make sense together. So, just try speaking your thoughts out loud. Talk to yourself and describe everything you see: “The sky is blue. My computer is black. I feel good today.” Take 15 to 30 minutes daily to talk to yourself and express your thoughts in German as simply as possible. Trust me, you will see the development faster than you think!

After that comes the B2 level. At this stage, everyone expects you to be able to speak well and fluently. You shouldn't have any problems in everyday situations, though in my opinion, this might not always be true. I remember the time when I had passed the TestDaF exam and confidently attended my first lecture in German. Honestly: I didn't understand a thing from the lecture! What we learn in German courses is High German (Hochdeutsch). But what often happens is that the lecturer has a dialect. The Swabian dialect, for example, can be very challenging, and sometimes you won't understand anything at all, even though you already have the C1 certificate. However, you must not give up, and you must keep going. And ask questions directly whenever you don't understand something!

Back to B2 and then C1 level: At that time, I personally started watching interviews, debates, political discussions, and stand-up comedy at B2 level.

I learned a lot from it. Even more importantly, my listening comprehension got used to fast debates, statements, and colloquial language. Everyday life is different from books and what you learn in a German course. You surely know that already. Since people in everyday life just want to get things done and move on, you have to be able to think and react quickly. Such interviews and comedy shows helped me extremely with these issues (e.g., people like Shayan Garcia, Masoud Akbarzadeh, or Markus Lanz for political debates). For C1 level, I then watched documentaries that were more related to German culture. You can easily find these on YouTube.

The German language is not an easy language, and quite honestly—and in my opinion, quite naturally—your challenges only really begin *after* learning the language. I don't say that to demotivate you. But this process and what comes your way, once you know German well, is very exciting and definitely worth it.

Arya