About Your German Instructor — Goethe C2 Certified

I am Sudha, your German teacher. I started learning German in 1977 as my second language in Class 11. This was mostly the written form of the language with translation playing a major role in those days. My speaking skillls were quite limited. I actually started speaking German when I went to Germany to do research in Chemistry in 1991. There were two women (eine chinesische Professorin und eine ungarische Studentin) who only spoke German besides their native language, because of which I was forced to speak German. This is when I realized that you don’t really know a language unless you can speak it – a learning experience that I am incorporating into my teaching method.

Some years ago, when I was teaching Chemistry to Engineering undergraduates, one day some students approached me with a surprising request. They had somehow found out that I knew German, and they wanted me to teach them. Unfortunately, I had to disappoint them at that time, but these students were the inspiration for me to teach German and I promised myself that I would, once I retired from Chemistry. I decided that I should teach German with the purpose of giving people the necessary boost to achieve their life’s goals. And what is more appropriate than training them for the Goethe A1 and A2 exams for kickstarting their career? In order to do this meaningfully, I reasoned that I need to know first-hand how the Goethe exams are conducted, if my students are to genuinely benefit. Until then, I had not taken any exam of the Goethe Institut. I first took the C1 and then the C2 (GDS) exam. Passing these exams at the first attempt gave me a lot of insight as to how I need to tailor my teaching methods so that my students are able to pass the A1 and A2 exams at the first attempt. I wish you all the very best for the exams.