My Struggle with Writing – And How Generative AI Might Actually Help (TELC B1.2)

Okay, so here I am, nearly a year in Berlin now, and let me tell you, German grammar is fierce. Seriously fierce. I’m trying to get my writing up to scratch for the TELC B1.2 exam, and honestly? It’s been… humbling. They want me to explain what generative AI can do – which sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.

The First Few Attempts: Total Chaos

My first attempt at answering that question was a disaster. I started rambling about robots taking over the world and suddenly ended up explaining how to build a miniature schnauzer out of LEGOs. I just… lost the thread! My German was there, mostly – “Die künstliche Intelligenz kann viele Dinge tun!” – but the explanation? Gone. It felt like I’d accidentally written a surrealist poem.

My colleague, Thomas, (he’s a lovely guy, but speaks so quickly!) tried to help after reading it. “Was ist das für ein Durcheinander?”, he said, raising an eyebrow. “Es muss klarer sein! Denk an konkrete Beispiele!” (“What is this chaos? It needs to be clearer! Think of concrete examples!”) Right. Concrete examples. That was the key I missed completely.

Real-Life Scenarios – And Why They’re Tricky

The exam asked me to explain how generative AI can help in everyday situations. Let’s say, I need to write an email to my landlord, Herr Schmidt, complaining about a leaky faucet.

I started with: “Ich schreibe eine E-Mail an Herrn Schmidt, um das Problem zu erklären.” (I’m writing an email to Mr. Schmidt to explain the problem.) Okay… it’s a start. But then I got stuck trying to describe how generative AI could help me write that email.

Then I thought about needing to translate something for my new friend, Lena – she’s learning German herself – and how she might struggle with certain phrases. “Könnte künstliche Intelligenz helfen?” (Could artificial intelligence help?) I envisioned a scenario where I typed in: “Wie sagt man ‘Have a nice day!’ auf Deutsch?” And the AI would give me: “Tschüss!” or “Auf Wiedersehen!”. Simple enough, right? But then I realised how to explain that process was still proving difficult.

Small Victories (and Still Lots of Room for Improvement)

I started practicing by using online translation tools – Google Translate is my best friend currently! – not just for translating sentences, but for crafting entire paragraphs in German about simple things. I’d type something like: “Ich gehe ins Restaurant und möchte einen Sauerbraten bestellen.” (I’m going to the restaurant and I want to order Sauerbrate.)

It helped me realize that even if the initial output isn’t perfect, it gives me a starting point. I can then edit it, change words, and eventually get closer to what I actually want to say. My German teacher, Frau Müller, has been encouraging me to use these tools for brainstorming – “Schreib alles auf!”, she says (“Just write everything down!”).

A Little Bit of German That Actually Worked

Here’s an example of how I’m now approaching the TELC question: “Künstliche Intelligenz kann Menschen helfen, wenn sie Schwierigkeiten beim Schreiben haben. Wenn ich zum Beispiel eine E-Mail an meinen Vermieter schreiben muss, um ein Problem zu melden – wie einen tropfenden Wasserhahn – kann die künstliche Intelligenz mir dabei helfen, die richtigen Wörter und Sätze zu finden.” (Artificial intelligence can help people when they have difficulties with writing. For example, if I need to write an email to my landlord to report a problem – like a dripping faucet – artificial intelligence can help me find the right words and phrases.)

See? It’s still not perfect, but it’s much clearer.

Next Steps: Focusing on Practicality

I think the key is to focus on practical scenarios, like the ones I encounter every day here in Berlin. Things like ordering food, asking for directions (which is a nightmare!), and communicating with my neighbours. When I can relate it to real situations, the German feels more natural, and I’m actually able to explain what AI could do – even if it’s just suggesting better phrases!

I need to keep practicing and not be afraid to make mistakes – Thomas was right, it needs to be clearer. And maybe, just maybe, this generative AI thing won’t be so terrifying after all when it comes to passing my TELC exam. Ich glaube daran! (I believe in it!)