When we have a strong unshakeable belief that something should happen, then it will. Definitely. The entire universe conspires in our favour.It is only a matter of time and sincerity to see it come true.
My desire to learn a foreign language came into being even as I entered college. As I was a soon-to-be Automobile Engineer, Deutsch was my first choice. I began my Language classes in 2010 in my second year. During this A1 course, I learnt the language from and got to know my Deutsch teacher Ms. Mathangi.And the Rest is History!
During these classes (which took place after college hours), we wrote letters in German and did many group activities. With a so-creative teacher and an interesting peer group, the sessions were definitely great fun (even after 8 hours of college lectures). I was also the Class rep (as it always turns out to be. I don’t know why!). During the certificate distribution ceremony, I also delivered on behalf of the class my first speech in Deutsch in front of a full-packed crowd! Couldn’t ask for more in less than a year (Undoubtedly, our Mam’s Magic, as I’d refer it to!) J
Even after the course, I sought her help for tips and guidance to learn the language further. And she was more than ready to offer them. As fate may have it, my language pursuit came to a halt in 2011 after my A2. But, everything has its time and deep down I was sure to come back again sometime.
To be consistent in something is no easy task. To attend my A2 classes, I had to ride my cycle for 3 km, take a 30-minute train, then travel in the Tata Aces and finally walk a km again. Never before had I had to commute so much every weekend. But, I definitely gained a few most valuable experiences and memories for myself.
Honestly, am a bit lazy and take time to set in motion. But when I begin something, my patience and dedication is bound by no limits. To ensure I don’t skip my Deutsch classes, I once travelled all the way from Tirupur to Chennai (a 15-hour 1000-km trip, most of it standing) to attend classes for roughly 7 hours. Might sound crazy and unbelievable. It’s true nevertheless.
Also, during the time of my A2 classes, I ate in a small Restaurant (read Nair Tea Shop) during the breaks. The delicious Poori and Puttu, with hot Tea and creamy biscuits were enough motivation to keep me going against all odds. I was also able to know the heights of goodness in a bunch of friends
4 Years Later! (Just like in those fast forwarded movies), I resumed my “Mission Deutsch”, once again under Ms. Mathangi. Though I had completed A2 once, I didn’t want to jump into B1. It’s been 4 years now, and feltalmost like I needed a fresh start. I redid my A2 (in break-neck speed of under 3 months. Just Weekend classes, in case you are wondering). Soon, all the Deutsch I learnt before, came back to me (from my Sub-conscious mind I suppose) I scored a decent 83% in the exam in Aug 2015.
Deutsch classes brought a smile onto my face. I was happy to be back in front of the black board (some classes had a green board. Anyways, you get the point, don’t you?). And I never have the slightest thought of bunking class (Not that I had such ideas earlier in college). So, I went ahead to continue into the B1 classes under mam.
Nothing can be tough when we have a nice, patient, energetic, _______ (fill in the blanks yourself with all positive adjectives) Teacher. In around 5 months, I appeared for my Goethe-Zertifikat B1 exams and scored a 91%.Definitely, not happening without a teacher like her.
I find her methods very practical and flexible as everyone can learn at their steady pace and not have to do always an act of catching-up-with-the-group or experience a getting-lost-in-the-crowd. This gives the liberty to take a couple of days off when needed or spend time in some concepts which we find difficult. Also, the interaction with students across levels greatly helps.
The most impressive of all is, neither Floods not Illness can hold our teacher at bay for long. Being a person of a beautiful, helpful and student-friendly nature, she knows where we face challenges and where we are bound to make mistakes. And when a student is regular and sincere, she is ready to provide more help in every way possible.
Thank all friends who helped at various points of time. And a hearty, big “Vielen Dank” to my Teacher.
I am so sure, I couldn’t have wished for a better teacher to learn Deutsch from. Lucky me!
Chandra Sekar Venkataramani is from Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, India. Living in Germany since mid-2016, he completed his M.Eng in Automotive Systems at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and now works at IPG Automotive GmbH in Karlsruhe. An alumnus of Madras Institute of Technology, his interests include mobility and reading. Isaac Asimov’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy from George R.R. Martin are among his favorites.
You can reach him at sekarmit2009@gmail.com.