My German Adventure: Getting Ready for TELC B1.2 Writing – “What I Like About Germany”

Okay, so here I am, living in Munich now. It’s… well, it’s a lot. I arrived six months ago after moving from London for a job as a marketing assistant at a small tech company, and honestly, the initial culture shock was huge. But you know what? I’m starting to feel more comfortable, and – crucially – I need to get this TELC B1.2 writing task done. It’s part of proving my language skills and getting things sorted for longer-term opportunities. And let me tell you, explaining what I like about Germany is actually a really good way to practice speaking too!

The First Time I Said “Schönes!” (Beautiful!)

The first few weeks were just… overwhelming. The trains were on time mostly, the people seemed polite but distant, and everything felt so… ordered. I kept stumbling over trying to order coffee. One morning at the Kaffeekiosk near my office, I tried to say “Ich möchte einen Cappuccino, bitte,” and ended up just blurting out “Schönes!” when they handed me my drink. The barista, a young woman named Lena, just laughed kindly and said, “Kein Problem! Ein Cappuccino, richtig?” (No problem! A cappuccino, right?). That small misunderstanding really hit home – I needed to pay attention to the specifics.

What Actually Makes Me Like Germany?

The task is asking me to explain what I like about Germany, and it’s surprisingly tricky when you actually think about it. It’s not just saying “I like it.” You need details! It’s part of why my tutor, Frau Schmidt, keeps telling me to use ‘Beschreibung’ (descriptions) in my writing. She keeps stressing that the examiners want to see what I can do with language.

Right now, I really like a few things:

• The Food: Seriously, die deutsche Küche is amazing. I’ve become obsessed with Brot, especially Roggenbrot, and Wurst. I went to a little Bavarian restaurant last week – it was called “Zum Wilden Mann” – and had Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) which was… intense, but fantastic! I asked for “Eine Schweinshaxe, bitte” and they brought me a huge plate. I nearly couldn’t eat it all!
• The Parks & Green Spaces: Munich has these incredible Parks, like the Englischer Garten. It’s so big, you could spend an entire day there just wandering around. Yesterday, I saw people playing Frisbee, families having picnics – it feels really relaxed and peaceful.
• The Efficiency (Sometimes!): Okay, this is a slightly complicated one. The public transport system is fantastic. It’s incredibly reliable, clean, and efficient. But sometimes, like when the trains are delayed because of construction, I get frustrated! Es ist kompliziert, you know? (It’s complicated).

Talking About It – Sample German Dialogues

Let’s look at some actual conversations I’ve had that relate to this task:

With Lena (the barista):

Me: “Guten Morgen, Lena. Ich hätte einen schwarzen Kaffee, bitte.”

Lena: “Na klar! Hier ist er. Wie war Ihr Wochenende?” (Of course! Here it is. How was your weekend?)

Me: “Gut, ich habe im Englischen Garten spazieren gegangen.” (Good, I went for a walk in the English Garden.)

With my colleague, Markus:

Markus: “Was hältst du von der deutschen Kultur?” (What do you think of German culture?)

Me: “Ich finde sie sehr interessant. Besonders die Traditionen – wie das Oktoberfest! Aber ich brauche noch etwas Zeit, um mich daran zu gewöhnen.” (I find it very interesting. Especially the traditions – like Oktoberfest! But I still need a little time to get used to them.)

Common Mistakes & How I’m Learning From Them

One thing that’s been tricky is using the correct Kasus (cases)! It feels so weird having to change my sentences depending on who I’m talking to. Frau Schmidt says I overuse the nominativ – it sounds too formal. I also still struggle with asking for directions. Last week, I asked a man how to get to the train station and ended up saying something completely incomprehensible! He just looked at me very politely and said, “Entschuldigung? Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?” (Excuse me? Could you please repeat that?). I learned my lesson – simpler sentences are better!

Practical Vocabulary for the TELC Task

Here’s a list of words and phrases I’m going to focus on:

• Beschreibung: Description
• Die deutsche Küche: German cuisine
• Roggenbrot: Rye bread
• Wurst: Sausage (various types!)
• Ein Cappuccino: A cappuccino
• Der Englische Garten: The English Garden
• Das Oktoberfest: Oktoberfest
• Entschuldigung? Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?: Excuse me? Could you please repeat that?

Ultimately, getting ready for this TELC B1.2 writing task is helping me really think about how I’m experiencing Germany. It’s not just about ticking a box – it’s about understanding my own impressions and being able to express them clearly in German. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find some more Roggenbrot!