How I Studied German In 7 Months and Passed the B2 Exam
You may want to know about studying German methods and tools. That’s why you are here, right? I will show you how I was able to learn German in a short amount of time. If I studied German in 7 months, I know you can too.
Update: This post was written and published by the previous owner of this website. As the new owner of this site, I made some minor edits and changes to match my own writing and publishing style, in May 2023. However, I have left the information mostly in it’s original form. – Amy
Hardships When I Studied German
If you have already read my other articles, you might know that I struggled a lot in order to learn German. It was not easy to study German, but it wasn’t a torment either. Many of us back down when we hear the word study, but we have to change that mindset when attempting to learn a new language.
Studying German doesn’t limit to a 4-corner room, with a professor who monotones in front of the class. It can also be fun! It’s up to you how to make learning more interesting for yourself. If you really enjoy what you are learning, then it’s not that hard at all.
There’s a joke about a doctor and a patient, wherein the patient complains that it hurts if he raises his hand.
Do you know how the doctor answered it? You might think he responded with “Okay, I’ll give you this…”
But no. He said, “Then don’t raise your hand. Simple.”
If you think studying a language, especially German, is hard, then don’t think about it being difficult. The idea that second language learning is difficult is all in our minds. Learning German can be fun too. Imagine having new words every day added to your daily living.
I did some form of reflection, recollection and brainstorming on how I studied German in 7 months (beginning level, of course) and on how I got my German language certificate. Below, I will share with you the different methods of learning German that I incorporated into my life.
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Goals
Just like with anything else, I realized I had to set a few hardcore goals. But even more importantly than that, I had to stick them out. That meant prioritizing my time. If I wanted to achieve these particular goals, I knew I had to make time for them and not let other things in life overtake the time that I had designated for the goals.
Motivated
Think of one situation or imagine yourself getting where you want to be. Think about that elated feeling you would have and the advantages and benefits which you may acquire once you get successful in your endeavor. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be cheap either. You need to work for it. Don’t just ask God for something that you’re not working to achieve. But don’t think of the hardships to get it. Instead, think of the reward in the end.
Daydream, make a list, and be motivated!
Perseverance
The word perseverance comes with patience and sacrifice. As mentioned above, if it’s a big goal or dream, then it won’t and shouldn’t be easy.
I have sweated and cried many times while I studied. Not from learning, but from loneliness. I even asked myself before if it’s worth it, leaving my town and family in order to fulfill my dreams.
I was only 21 when I left for the big city of Manila, the former capital of the Philippines. I was just this small-town girl, but that never stopped me.
When I failed the B1 German Examination, I was really frustrated. And it wounded my ego, since I was one of the best in our class. However, it taught me a lesson – not to be so complacent.
Instead of taking the B1 German Exam one more time, people advised me to take the higher-level German examination.
I did, and I nailed it. I didn’t give up, and I didn’t let feelings of loneliness and frustrations hinder me.
Curiosity
I was living in Quezon city before in a boarding house, and I had housemates who were also learning the German language. Like me, they are also nurses. They were levels ahead of me. I was still at the basic level or the A1 level, and most of them were already on A2. Still another was already on a more advanced level, the B-level.
Whenever I studied and encountered new words and new grammar rules, I always turn to them after not finding the answers in the books or on the internet. They would then answer me, ah, that’s still too advanced. You’ll learn that later. But I was stubborn to the sole of my foot. I needed to have the answers.
My advise? Don’t be contented, and don’t turn to the next page and ignore the questions that bug you. Although some information might be too advanced, you know yourself. And you can assess it if you handle the information quite well.
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Those are some attributes and values which I employed while I studied German in those first 7 months and continuously there after. I am not saying that I am already successful, but I have achieved something.
I am in Germany, and I speak the language. And it’s such an honor sometimes when some people ask me or assume, that I was born here in Germany. I wouldn’t also say that my German is perfect, but I’m still working on it. And I am still learning new things, too!
But I know my success is because I set goals, pushed myself to keep going, and challenged myself even when things seemed over my head.
There goes the saying, learning is a life cycle. But a few helpful resources helped as I studied German. That’s why the list still goes on…
Books I Used to When I Studied German
Although we live in an advanced world right now, physical books play a big role in learning German. I studied German in 7 months using a series of German language books.
There are resources on the internet where you can just search phrases, but it’s also better to have books that explain to you the grammatical rules more in depth. I have favorite books which helped me learn the language that I am suggesting here.
If you find traditional books a bit boring with only explanations, you might find Barron’s Learn German Fast and Fun Way by Paul Graves a bit refreshing.
This book is also categorized according to topics and settings, and you’ll also learn how to have a conversation according to a setting.
If you want to read more explanations and go deeper into grammatical rules, check out Collins’ German Grammar. It explains precisely and directly, and the texts look so clean and organized. I highly recommend having a look at this book.
Index Cards Are Helpful to Study German
If you don’t want to bring along your heavy books, these cards are appropriate to jut down notes. As I studied German, it was recommended to us to use these cards. If you want to study verbs and their conjugations, you can also make a verb table on this card, and write how a particular verb is conjugated according to personal pronoun and tense. Easy. No more hustle – especially if you are in public, sitting on a train, or standing in a crowd and you don’t want to risk your phone getting snatched or lost somewhere.
Mobile Apps for Learning German
Studying is getting fast and easier nowadays with our new technology and new inventions. If you don’t want to bring along your hard copy of Oxford, this mobile dictionary app dict.cc is very convenient for you especially if you are learning the German language.
There are over 20 languages available in this app, and there are different options if you search one word. This online German dictionary is highly recommended, and there’s also a browser version of this. Very useful and convenient.
Unlike the English language, German has verb conjugations like many other languages in the world such as Spanish and Hungarian, but there is this application where the verbs are already conjugated according to tenses and personal pronouns used.
This mobile app for learning German is called German Verbs, with a German flag. You might find two versions. One is free and the other one costs $2 or something, but of course, choose the free one to start. You need to see if this will be a fit for you or not before you pay money.
Other Resources I Used When I Studied German
Each person’s language learning style is different. This photo below is from a note on my then iPhone 4.
I wrote that note roughly one month before I went to my first German class, without the security if I could really make it or not due to a financial problem. Regarding other resources, you can always watch or listen to German movies and songs.
Have you ever heard of Duolingo or Tandem? They are also good for language learning, the latter will help you find a language partner. It is free and fun at the same time. Of course, you should always exercise caution when interacting with strangers through apps or online tools.
Aside from the materials mentioned above, you can also get this German phrase book that will help you to study German and applying your German language skills. And who wouldn’t love to practice German with a Lingo German card game?
Remember, while all of these tips are helpful in some form, there is no one best way to learn German language. Each person must find his or her groove and go from there! I studied German in 7 months in a successful way because I found the right patterns and resources for my learning style.
Last but not least, in all your endeavors, don’t forget that you couldn’t do it alone. Always remember God and how He can help you. But be sure to help and motivate yourself also!
Viel Spaß beim Lernen!
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