My First Attempt at Giving Health Advice in German – Telc B1.2 Writing

Okay, so this is… weirdly exciting and slightly terrifying. I’ve been living in Berlin for six months now, working as a freelance translator. It’s fantastic, but sometimes I feel like I’m just swimming in German and desperately trying to stay afloat. One of the things my boss kept mentioning was needing to pass the Telc B1.2 exam – specifically the writing part, which is about giving health advice to a friend. Honestly, it felt totally overwhelming at first. But then I realized, if I could actually do this, it would be a HUGE step in feeling confident in my daily life here.

Why Health Advice? And Why This Scenario?

The TELC exam wants to see if you can actually use the language in a realistic situation. Giving health advice felt better than, say, writing an essay about German history (believe me!). It’s something I could genuinely imagine myself needing to do – and hopefully, one day, doing confidently. Plus, it’s a common scenario: you hear about a friend feeling poorly, and you want to help.

My First Conversation – The Disaster!

I decided to practice with my colleague, Mark. He’s got a really good grasp of the language, and thankfully, he was patient with me. We started like this:

• Me: “Mark, ich habe gehört, du hast dich erkältet? Was kann ich für dich tun?” (I heard you have a cold? What can I do for you?)

• Mark: “Ja, ich fühle mich nicht gut. Ich habe Kopfschmerzen und Husten.” (Yes, I don’t feel well. I have headaches and cough.)

• Me: “Okay… vielleicht solltest du viel Ruhe… und trinken… Mehr Wasser?” (Okay… maybe you should rest a lot… and drink… More water?)

• Mark: (Slightly confused) “Ja, natürlich. Aber was genau meinst du?” (Yes, of course. But exactly what do you mean?)

That was… embarrassing. The “Mehr Wasser?” felt incredibly clumsy and unnatural! I realized I hadn’t really thought about how to give practical advice.

Key Phrases & Vocabulary – It’s Not Just “Wasser!”

Okay, deep breaths. I started building a little list of phrases. Here are some that actually felt useful:

• “Du solltest…” (You should…) – This is your go-to for suggestions.
• “Vielleicht…?” (Maybe…? / Perhaps…?) – Useful to offer gentle advice, not demands.
• “Es wäre gut, wenn du…” (It would be good if you…) – A slightly more polite way of suggesting something.
• “Hast du Schmerzen an der…”? (Do you have pain in the…) – Important for getting specific details.
• “Du könntest auch versuchen…” (You could also try…) – Offering alternative solutions.
• “Ich würde dir raten…” (I would advise you to…) – A slightly stronger form of recommendation.

I also learned some useful vocabulary: ein Schmerzmittel (painkiller), der Rachenhalsschmerzen (sore throat), die Nase putzen (to blow your nose), den Tee mit Honig trinken (to drink tea with honey).

A Slightly Better Conversation – Progress!

Let’s try another one, incorporating some of these phrases. This time I’d already researched a little more:

• Me: “Mark, ich habe gehört, du hast dich erkältet? Wie fühlst du dich genau?” (I heard you have a cold? How are you exactly feeling?)

• Mark: “Ich habe Kopfschmerzen und Husten. Und meine Nase läuft total.” (I have headaches and cough. And my nose is running terribly.)

• Me: “Okay, das klingt unangenehm. Du solltest viel Ruhe machen und ausreichend trinken – am besten Kamillentee mit Honig. Vielleicht hilft auch ein Schmerzmittel gegen die Kopfschmerzen. Hast du schon etwas probiert?” (Okay, that sounds unpleasant. You should rest a lot and drink enough – chamomile tea with honey is good. Maybe a painkiller would help for the headaches. Have you tried anything yet?)

• Mark: “Ich habe versucht, Paracetamol, aber es hat nicht so gut geholfen.” (I tried paracetamol, but it didn’t help very well.)

• Me: “Dann solltest du einen Arzt aufsuchen.” (Then you should see a doctor.) – Crucial! I realized I was trying to diagnose him myself, which isn’t really what you do when giving advice.

Mistakes and What I Learned

I made so many mistakes. I overused “du solltest” (you should), it felt unnatural sometimes. Also, I kept jumping straight into solutions without really listening to Mark’s symptoms properly. The biggest mistake was trying to take on the role of a doctor! Remember, my job is to offer suggestions and encourage him to seek professional help if needed.

Next Steps – Practice, Practice, Practice!

I’m going to keep practicing with Mark (and maybe even find another friend who speaks German well). I’ll focus on using the key phrases I learned, really listening to what people are saying, and remembering that offering a gentle suggestion is better than telling someone exactly what they should do. I also need to remember to research basic medical vocabulary! The Telc exam feels less daunting now – it’s about applying what I’m learning in a real-world situation. And honestly? It’s just part of the process of feeling more comfortable communicating here.

Die gute Nachricht ist: Ich bin auf dem richtigen Weg! (The good news is: I’m on the right track!)