Back to the Beginning

So after breezing through my German 1 CDs, I was feeling good. I thought, I'm ready for Intermediate German II. Wrong. I realize why it's called Beginner's German. I realize that they speak slower than normal conversation and the speaker's enunciation is exceptional. I am no longer under any illusion that I can speak German. I can understand if one speaks slowly. So it's back to Beginner's German for me. I need to find some German speakers to practice with in Brooklyn.