About
Description
A personal account of how daily consistent practice over two years helped Corinna reach conversational German — covering what she did in the early days, how she approached pronunciation, immersion, grammar, and eventually speaking with real Germans.
Summary
Corinna documents exactly what she did every day for 2 years to go from zero German to conversational B1/B2. A personal account structured as a chronological learning journey — what worked, what didn’t, and what she’d do differently. Heavy focus on immersion, short stories, Anki, and eventually LingoD speaking classes.
Notes
Her Full Learning Journey
Starting out (total beginner):
- Began with Duolingo — ditched it quickly (“can’t lie”)
- Switched to a YouTube course by Nikos Veg — A1 course, grammar-heavy, gave her a structural overview
- Learned 1,000 high-frequency words in 24 hours using an intense memorisation sprint — built core vocabulary fast
A1 stage:
- Subscribed to Deutsch Midla, Elio’s Corner, Dark (German Netflix), Expertly German, and Titan YouTube channels
- Listened daily while commuting/at work — passive immersion phase
- Struggled with pronunciation early — spent a week drilling by mimicking and replaying native speakers, trying to physically move her tongue/mouth to match their sounds
A2 stage:
- Bought Olly Richards’ short stories for beginners — read and listened simultaneously, same story on repeat
- Used the LingQ app — tap words, get instant translation in context; used it to expand vocabulary from reading
- Enrolled in LingoD online classes — A2 grammar, got corrections from native instructors (they thought she was already B1)
- Started reading German email newsletters (written for native speakers but simplified) — noted new words, got natural spaced repetition from recurring vocab
- Bought a pre-made Anki deck (Refold German) — reviewed daily, got natural spaced repetition on core vocabulary
Plateau breakthrough:
- Realised passive immersion alone wasn’t improving speaking — “I hoped grammar would magically improve but it didn’t”
- Switched to content targeted at native speakers rather than learners (movies, shows, podcasts)
- Favourite podcasts: Deutsch Podcast, Deutsch Lan, Learn German with Laura
- Binge-watched Disney movies in German for a week — total immersion in natural spoken German
Speaking breakthrough:
- LingoD speaking sessions — something clicked after a few sessions; started producing more complex structures
- Used a self-recording speaking trick (see linked video) — record → transcribe → AI correction → re-record
- Had spontaneous conversations with strangers at train stations, Airbnb hosts, eventually family
Current approach:
- Reading German books (not learner materials — native-level)
- Ongoing LingoD sessions
- Immersing in German podcasts and TV
Key Techniques
- Short stories on repeat — read and listen to the same story multiple times until you understand it fully without translating
- LingQ for reading — tap-to-translate in context, builds vocabulary without leaving the flow of reading
- Email newsletters in German — simplified native writing, recurring vocabulary creates natural spaced repetition
- Pronunciation mimicry — replay a sentence, pause, try to reproduce it exactly; physical mouth positioning matters
- LingoD classes — structured correction from native speakers; accelerated grammar internalisation
- Content switch — moving from learner-targeted to native-targeted content is a key level-up moment
Her “Why”
Wanted to connect with German family in their language without needing them to switch to English. Referenced the quote: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
What She’d Do Differently
- Get into native-targeted content earlier — learner content has a ceiling
- Don’t get fixated on streaks (she’s quit before because she broke one)
- Prioritise speaking practice earlier — passive immersion alone doesn’t build production