Learn German · Level C1
German down to what goes unsaid
At C1 you understand not only what was said but what was meant. You read long, demanding texts, speak fluently without visibly searching for words, and set out complex ideas clearly and in structure.
The course
C1 at a glance
From C1 onward there are no group classes. At this level everyone's gaps are different, and a group can't close them all at once. You learn one to one or in a pair.
Starting point
B2 or equivalentFree level check in your trial lesson
Format
One to one or in a pairNo group classes from C1
Lesson duration
50 minutesOne to one and in a pair
Frequency
1–3× per week4, 8 or 12 lessons a month
Focus
Your own fieldStudy, work or an exam
Where
100% onlineVia Google Meet
Materials
IncludedDigital, in Google Docs. No textbook to buy
Price
from €85 / monthin a pair · one to one from €109
Outcomes
What you'll be able to do after C1
At B2 you work in German. At C1 the language stops being a topic, and nobody in the room is thinking about which language you're speaking.
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Read between the lines
Pick up irony, implication and stance. What a text leaves unsaid is often the actual content.
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Study and do research
Follow lectures, read academic literature, and produce papers and presentations at the standard a university expects.
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Negotiate and lead
Run a team, hold a position against resistance, and phrase criticism so that it actually lands.
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Write with structure
Longer pieces with a clear architecture, clean transitions and the nominal style used where it belongs.
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Sound idiomatic
Use set phrases, fixed collocations and modal particles, instead of being correct but audibly foreign.
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Switch modes at will
Move between a technical presentation, small talk and a written statement without it costing you attention.
Learning pathway
Your way through C1
C1 isn't a syllabus everyone moves through the same way. At this level it's about your gaps, your texts, your field, which is why the plan gets more individual here than at any level before it.
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Step 1 · from B2
Developing a style
Nominal and verbal style, attributes, word formation. You learn to package the same content differently, and to judge which packaging the situation calls for.
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Step 2 · subtlety
What carries underneath
Subjective modal verbs, participial constructions, reported speech, idiomatic prepositions. From here you hear stance rather than only information.
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Step 3 · on to C2
Completing C1
You consolidate everything, prepare for a certificate if you need one, and move up to C2, the final level, taught one to one only.
Common questions before starting
I've lived here for years. Am I C1?
Possibly in speech, rarely in writing. People who picked the language up by living in it usually speak well ahead of what they can write. In the trial lesson we look at both, not just the conversation.
Why are there no group classes at this level?
Because at C1 nobody has the same gaps as the person next to them. One person needs academic writing, another negotiation language. A pair works if you already know each other and share a goal, so tell us in the trial lesson.
What does a lesson look like?
A lesson runs 50 minutes. At C1 the balance shifts: less new material, more work on your own texts and on what you read, heard or wrote during the week.
Can the course be built around my field?
Yes, and at this level it should be. Bring texts from your own world, whether that's academic reading, reports, emails or contracts. We work on those instead of textbook topics.
Information on the other language levels can be found here:
Choose how you learn best
Three ways to learn. One goal. / Pick the format that fits your life:
