looking back at B2

some thoughts I shared on Instagram about achiving a small step in learning German

Today I write this post as a reminder to myself and maybe to others that difficulties can be overcome. I've been learning the language since 2019, combining it with my work, and today I started speaking and got a confirmation of knowledge at B2 level, which is enough to enter the university and discuss technical topics.

It came with a certain amount of effort. I studied the language from November 2019 to September 2020 two classes a week with a private tutor online. Then I got a B1 level from Telc and started studying on Sundays with a native speaker and it didn't get me quite far. I had a pause for about a year in learning German and I regret it. Last year I started again in the same way. So I continued from September 2021 to July 2022. And on 17th August 2022 I took my B2 from the Goethe Institut.

The results surprised me positively, as I thought it would be somewhere on the borderline of 60/100. In listening I got the best score among other components of 90. Last time I got a lot of points on this part as well. I wonder if that means I know how to listen to people. I got the worst score - 73 - for speaking. Well, I guess I still need more practice. And honestly, I have a fear of not making mistakes and it gets in the way of smooth speech.

In 2020 I only finished A2 and went to take the B1 exam. And it all worked out. This time I knew the step from B1 to B2 was wide. One acquaintance even said it was the longest transition of all the levels. I don't know how true that is, because C2 seems like something cosmic... So, I finished first the B1 textbook and practically the whole B2. I bought a book with the exam materials as similar as possible to the Goethe Prüfung. I did my listening and reading somewhere on the 16-17-18/30 range, which was a little over 60%.

I started speaking to people more frequently in July after my classmate, who is fluent in German, reminded me how many other accomplishments I have in my record. Before that, I had some kind of stupor. I still make a lot of mistakes and I hardly understand German jokes, but I accept it for now. I didn't learn English in a day either.

My goal is to be able to make technical presentations and convince people in German. I'm still somewhere in the middle of the road. At the same time, I already have two confirmations under my belt that I can.

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