This is an interview with Gilbert, a longtime member of our B2 German Online Meetup group.
Where are you from? Where do you live? What language are you learning? Why? Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am from France originally, and now I am currently living in Germany. Having moved here for professional reasons, I needed to improve my German! As I did not have enough time to participate in in-person meetups where I could practice my German. I decided to register with Deutsch Gym to attend online meetups.
It is super easy to participate, efficient, and well organised. After one year, I feel more confident when I need to talk in German in front of a group. I have learned how to build sentences and gain more speed and fluency when speaking.
Deutsch Gym is a comfortable and useful way to increase your language skills. I recommend it!
Has it been difficult to integrate ino life in Germany?
It was pretty okay for me. Integrating into a new country in Europe is generally quite easy if you come from another European country, in my opinion.
How has learning a language helped you in integrating into Germany?
Speaking German helps me deal with the administrative processes here (there is a bit of bureaucracy in Germany that you need to navigate).
Knowing German has also helped me to get to know my colleagues more easily. Without knowledge of the language it would have been a lot more difficult.
What has been the hardest thing for you in learning German?
The conjugation of the verbs in German was the tricky part for me. It took a while to learn.
How has Deutsch Gym helped you in your language learning journey?
Deutsch Gym is a great way to practice words that I don’t use often - it helps me expand my vocabulary. As we are all learners in the groups, we don't have any fear of trying out new words!
The atmosphere is friendly. It does not matter if you cannot finish a sentence correctly on the first attempt - you can try it again and there is no pressure.
What other learning methods have you tried? Intensive courses, evening classes, 1-on-1? What worked well?
1-1 lessons with a teacher were good but expensive.
If you were to learn German again, from the start, what is the one thing that you would do differently? Would you have a different strategy? Explain.
I would have registered in Deutsch Gym sooner. Actually speaking the language with others is so important.
Other language learners will be reading this blog. What tips for them do you have in learning German?
It is good to practice the spoken version of the language. Even when you know how to write sentences, that is not the full experience of German. There is no replacement for speaking German.
Do you have any book/YouTube video/blog post/podcast recommendation that have helped you with your language learning?
Yes, Deutsch Perfekt helped me, it is a magazine. It covers various topics and there are reading and listening exercises.
Thanks Gilbert!
Practice your spoken German in our online German speaking classes (5-day free trial).
The classes are fun and friendly - you'll meet new people and also talk to native speakers. We have classes every single day and new and interesting conversation themes for each session. Give them a go!
