My Struggle (and Small Victories!) with German Writing – B1.2 and Comparing Countries

Okay, so here I am, six months into living in Munich. Six months of…well, a lot. The language barrier is real, and honestly, at the beginning, writing anything beyond “Hallo” felt like scaling Everest. The TELC B1.2 Writing exam is looming, and they want me to write about comparing Germany with my home country – Canada. It seems straightforward enough, but let me tell you, translating my thoughts into richtige German has been…interesting.

The First Hurdle: Understanding the Question

The prompt was something like this (roughly translated): “Write a text of approximately 150-200 words comparing and contrasting Germany with your home country. Focus on aspects such as culture, food, transportation, or daily life.” I spent about an hour just staring at it, completely blank. My brain went straight to thinking about lists of things – “Germany has autobahns! Canada has maple syrup!” It felt so basic, and then I realized that’s exactly what they’re trying to avoid. They want me to show a real understanding, not just rattle off facts.

I mumbled to my flatmate, Leo, “Ich weiß nicht…wie schreibe ich das?” (I don’t know… how do I write that?). He laughed and said, “Du musst es erklären! Erkläre den Unterschied!” (You have to explain it! Explain the difference!).

My Initial Attempt – A Hilarious Disaster

So, I wrote. It was…terrible. It started with something like this: “Deutschland ist sehr gut. Kanada ist auch gut. Die Autos sind schnell in Deutschland. In Kanada fahren wir langsamer.” (Germany is very good. Canada is also good. The cars are fast in Germany. In Canada we drive slower.) Seriously, cringe! I was using simple sentences and just stating the obvious.

Leo read it and said, “Okay…that’s…informative. But it doesn’t compare. It just says you like both places.” He pointed out that I hadn’t really explained why Germany is different or why those differences matter. He suggested using examples to illustrate my points.

German Dialogues: Practicing Comparisons

That’s when the conversations started helping. I was at a Wochenmarkt (weekly market) and saw someone buying Brot (bread). I wanted to ask, “Wie viel kostet das Brot?” (How much does this bread cost?) but I also realized an opportunity for practice. I tried: “Das Brot ist teuer! In Kanada ist Brot billiger!” (This bread is expensive! In Canada bread is cheaper!).

The stallholder, Frau Schmidt, chuckled and said, “Ach, das stimmt vielleicht, aber hier haben wir frischestes Brot!” (Oh, that might be true, but here we have the freshest bread!) That was a wake-up call. I realized my oversimplified comparisons weren’t necessarily accurate or helpful for showing understanding.

Key Vocabulary and Phrases I’m Using

Here are some phrases that have been really useful:

• “Das ist anders, weil…” (It is different because…) – Perfect for starting a comparison.
• “In Deutschland…” / “In Kanada…” (In Germany…/ In Canada…) – Helps to keep things clear and avoids confusion.
• “Im Vergleich zu…” (Compared to…) – A good way to formally introduce your comparison.
• “Es ist traditionell in…” (It is traditional in…) – Great for talking about cultural differences.
• “Die Leute sind…” (The people are…) – Useful when describing the culture or attitudes of each country.

Real-Life Mistakes & Corrections

Another time, I was complaining to a colleague, Klaus, about the public transport in Munich. I said, “Es ist so kompliziert hier! Ich verstehe nicht!” (It’s so complicated here! I don’t understand!). He patiently explained the S-Bahn and U-Bahn system, showing me on a map. Afterwards, he corrected my phrasing: “Nein, es ist nur ein bisschen komplizierter als in Kanada. Aber die Deutschen sind sehr organisiert!” (No, it’s just a little more complicated than in Canada. But the Germans are very organised!). He was right – I was overstating the problem and failing to acknowledge any positives about the German system.

Moving Forward – Focusing on Specifics

Now, I’m trying to be much more specific. Instead of just saying “German food is different,” I’m thinking: “Die deutsche Küche legt Wert auf deftige Gerichte wie Schweinshaxe und Sauerkraut, während die kanadische Küche oft leichter ist und viel frisches Gemüse enthält.” (The German cuisine values hearty dishes like pork knuckle and sauerkraut, while the Canadian cuisine is often lighter and contains a lot of fresh vegetables.)

I’m also trying to think about why these differences exist. Is it historical? Cultural? Economic? Adding this ‘reasoning’ element will definitely help me score higher on the TELC exam!

Bis bald (See you soon!) – Keep practicing!