The Phone Call
The kind of anxiety no textbook prepares you for...
One of my students told me about a phone call she made a few weeks ago.
It lasted less than two minutes. She called a doctor’s office and booked an appointment. On paper, it’s something completely ordinary. But for almost a year, she’d avoided doing that. Every time she needed to make a phone call in German, she’d ask her partner to do it instead. If that wasn’t possible, she’d hope she could solve it by email.
Once someone answers the phone, there’s no pause. No smile. No gestures. No chance to point at what you mean. If you don’t catch a sentence, it doesn’t wait for you. The conversation keeps moving, and all you can think is, “Please don’t ask me something I haven’t prepared for.”
When she talked about that situation, she said: “I finally feel like I can take care of myself here.”
What a milestone, I’m so happy for her: reaching the point where everyday life no longer feels intimidating.
Where booking a doctor’s appointment, calling your insurance company, or talking to your landlord becomes just another part of your day.
That’s why every Wednesday and Saturday, I don’t send grammar worksheets.
I send real conversations.
That’s where this kind of confidence is built.
One conversation at a time.
LG und schöne Woche 💪
Marwan
