Mastering the “Einverstanden” – My Journey to TELC B1.2 Writing

Okay, so here I am, six months in Berlin, and honestly, the German is slowly starting to click. I’ve gotten past the panicked “Entschuldigung?” phase, and I can mostly navigate the supermarket. But there’s still this massive wall of frustration when it comes to written communication – especially for the TELC B1.2 writing task: “Agree Politely With a Suggestion.” It felt incredibly important. I really needed to be able to respond professionally at work, and even just politely suggest things to my colleagues. It’s not just about passing the exam; it’s about feeling confident.

The Problem: My First Attempt (and It Wasn’t Pretty)

The first time I tackled the exercise, I just… blurted out “Nein!” in my head. I completely misinterpreted the instructions. I read an email from my supervisor, Herr Schmidt, saying, “Vielleicht sollten wir einen Kaffeepreis für das Büro reduzieren. Es ist sehr teuer.” (Maybe we should reduce the coffee price for the office. It’s very expensive.) And I immediately responded internally, “Nein, das ist schlecht! Kaffee ist wichtig!” (No, that’s bad! Coffee is important!). I then spent the next hour panicking about how rude I’d been. I realized I needed a better approach. The key, I learned quickly, was about expressing disagreement without being confrontational.

Understanding the “Einverstanden” Approach

The whole concept of “Einverstanden” – agreeing politely – really stuck with me. It’s not just saying “yes.” It’s about acknowledging the suggestion, showing you’ve considered it, and then offering a slightly different perspective or suggesting an alternative.

Here’s what I started to understand from the task instructions:

• Acknowledge the Suggestion: Start by recognizing the point being made.
• Express Doubt or Concern (Politely): Use phrases like “Ich verstehe, was Sie sagen…” (I understand what you’re saying…) or “Das ist ein interessanter Punkt…” (That’s an interesting point…).
• Offer a Different Perspective: This is key! Use phrases like “Ich bin jedoch anderer Meinung…” (However, I’m of a different opinion…) or “Ich finde, dass…” (I think that…).
• Suggest an Alternative (if appropriate): “Vielleicht könnten wir…” (Maybe we could…)

Example Dialogue and My Mistakes

Let’s look at a realistic example. Let’s say I’m responding to a colleague, Alice, who suggests we start a weekly team building event.

• Alice: “Ich denke, wir sollten einmal pro Woche ein Team-Building-Event organisieren. Das wäre toll, um den Zusammenhalt zu stärken.” (I think we should organize a team-building event once a week. That would be great to strengthen the bond.)

• My Initial Reaction (Bad): “Nein! Das ist eine Verschwendung von Zeit!” (No! That’s a waste of time!) – Don’t do that!

• My Improved Response: “Ich verstehe, was Sie sagen… ein Team-Building-Event klingt sehr gut für den Zusammenhalt. Ich bin jedoch anderer Meinung, weil ich finde, dass wir unsere Zeit besser für die Projektarbeit nutzen könnten. Vielleicht könnten wir stattdessen einmal im Monat einen kurzen Projekt-Check einlegen?” (I understand what you’re saying… a team-building event sounds very good for the bond. However, I’m of a different opinion, because I think we could better use our time for project work. Maybe we could instead have a short project check once a month?)

Notice the difference! It’s much more diplomatic. I acknowledged her idea, expressed my concern (about using time effectively), and then offered a different solution. I even used the German phrases I was learning: “Ich bin anderer Meinung” and “Vielleicht könnten wir…”

Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

I made so many mistakes! The biggest one was getting frustrated and just resorting to negative language. I also struggled with phrasing. I kept using overly formal language that felt unnatural. “Ich bedauere, Ihre Vorschlag nicht zu befürworten” (I regret not supporting your suggestion) just sounded completely bizarre!

Here’s what I learned:

• Keep it Simple: Use straightforward German. Don’t overcomplicate things.
• Focus on Tone: Your tone is everything. Be polite and respectful, even if you disagree.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: The more I wrote these types of responses, the better I got.

My Progress and Next Steps

I’m still not perfect, of course. I still catch myself sometimes thinking “Nein!” before I even finish reading. But now, when I get that feeling, I consciously stop and think about the “Einverstanden” approach. I’m working on my vocabulary too – phrases like “Das ist eine interessante Idee, aber…” (That’s an interesting idea, but…) are becoming second nature.

My goal now is to keep practicing these scenarios, and to continue building my confidence in expressing myself – politely, of course – in German. And honestly, just being able to navigate a conversation about coffee prices in Berlin feels like a small victory! Tschüss! (Goodbye!)