My Netflix Night and the Road to TELC B1.1

Okay, so I’ve been living in Berlin for almost six months now, and let’s be honest, learning German has been… a challenge. I’m taking this TELC B1.1 exam, and they’ve given us this picture – a family, probably my age, all huddled together on the sofa watching Netflix. It’s actually a really useful prompt for practicing what I need to say. It felt a little silly at first, focusing on a simple image, but it’s really helped me build up my confidence.

The Initial Confusion

The first few times I tried to describe the picture, I just panicked. I started rattling off words – “Mann,” “Frau,” “Kind,” “Fernseher” – but it didn’t make any sense. I realized I wasn’t actually communicating. It’s one thing to know the individual words, but another entirely to use them in a real conversation.

I was trying to say, “Es ist eine Familie. Die Mutter, der Vater und ein Kind.” which is perfectly correct, but utterly useless in a natural context. My German teacher, Frau Schmidt, kept saying, “You need to build a sentence, Max! Not just a list of nouns!”

Building a Conversation – The Family Scene

So, I started small. I practiced describing the picture repeatedly. I visualized the scenario: the dad is laughing, the mom is pointing at the screen, the kid is grumpy because they want to play.

Here’s a little dialogue I’ve been repeating:

• Me: “Schau mal, da ist eine Familie. Der Vater lacht. Er schaut auf den Fernseher. Die Mutter, sie zeigt auf den Fernseher auch.” (Look, there’s a family. The dad is laughing. He’s looking at the TV. The mother, she’s pointing at the TV too.)

• Friend (Lena): “Ja, und das Kind? Was macht das Kind?” (Yes, and the child? What is the child doing?)

• Me: “Das Kind ist müde. Es möchte spielen. ‘Papa, lass uns spielen!’” (The child is tired. They want to play. ‘Dad, let’s play!’)

See? It’s not brilliant, but it’s functional. I can use the phrases I need. Lena corrected me – “Max, ‘Es möchte’ is a little formal. Just say ‘Das Kind möchte spielen.’” Small corrections, big impact!

Useful Vocabulary – Beyond the Basics

I’ve been consciously focusing on vocabulary related to entertainment and family life. Things like:

• Serien schauen (to watch series) – “Ich schaue oft Serien auf Netflix.” (I often watch series on Netflix.)
• Ein Film (a film) – “Wir schauen einen Film.” (We are watching a film.)
• Die Untertitel (the subtitles) – “Ich schaue mit den deutschen Untertiteln.” (I watch with the German subtitles.)
• Ein guter Film (a good film) – “Dieser Film ist sehr gut!” (This film is very good!)
• Langweilig (boring) – “Ich finde den Film langweilig.” (I find the film boring.) – I actually used this one really when I didn’t enjoy a film!

And crucially, phrases for expressing opinions: “Ich mag es nicht,” (I don’t like it), “Ich finde es interessant” (I find it interesting) – simple, but incredibly useful.

Misunderstandings and Laughable Mistakes

The biggest hurdle is always understanding native speakers! I once asked my neighbour, Herr Müller, if he liked the show. I said, “Magst du die Serie?” He looked utterly confused. Apparently, “die Serie” is used more for specific series, not just… watching TV in general. He just chuckled and said, “Nein, Max, ich mag den Film.” It was a good reminder to be more specific!

Also, I still struggle with prepositions. “Ich sitze vor dem Fernseher” is a phrase I use constantly, but I still feel a bit silly saying it.

Moving Towards TELC B1.1

The Netflix picture isn’t just a silly exercise. It’s forcing me to think about how I would actually talk in this situation. I’m focusing on building short, coherent sentences and using the vocabulary I’ve been practicing.

The TELC examiners will want to hear me describe what’s happening, react to it, and even offer opinions. It’s about demonstrating practical communication, not just reciting vocabulary lists.

I’m still a long way off feeling completely comfortable, but with each “Schau mal!” and “Was macht das Kind?”, I feel a little bit more confident. I’m determined to pass this exam – and hopefully, one day, I’ll be confidently describing my own Netflix nights in fluent German.