Interlude: German lessons

For the past six weeks I have been taking super-intensive in-person B1 German lessons. I studied A2 German for two years from Fall 2018 through Spring 2020, but then COVID came and I also became incredibly busy at work (first with BlockFi and then with Y Media Labs). I did an online test prep course in the Fall of last year (which helped me pass the A1/A2 language test that I will need to apply for permanent residency), but that was just a refresher and didn’t cover any new material. So it had been three years since I had learned any significant German.

When I found myself suddenly idle at the beginning of May, I realized that I had been granted an opportunity to continue my studies. I decided on a so-called “super intensive” German course that would cover the entire B1 level of German in just six weeks (with three hours of class every weekday). The language school location was not the best for me, but the closest schools offered nothing comparable. So for the last month and a half I’ve spent three and a half hours each day commuting to and from the language school. Fortunately Swiss public transport is top-notch and I can read, relax, or study on the trains and buses. Between the classes, the commute, and the homework, this was essentially a full-time endeavor.

The first week (and especially the first day or two) was especially tough as I adjusted myself to German-learning mode for the first time in three years. I’m proud to say that I completed the course and even aced the end-of-term test. My hope is that this will open up opportunities for me to do freelance development work with local companies (those that might not operate in English), although I may need to learn even more German. Regardless it will be helpful for my day-to-day life.

My goal is to take an online test prep course again this Fall and then take an official Goethe B1 German test in November. I also intend to enroll in a weekly German discussion group that will meet locally on Thursday evenings.