How I Helped Margot Pass Her Exam

Who is Margot?

At the start of the year, I was looking for a new English teacher for myself. I know it matters a lot to me that a teacher is likeable and has a similar "vibe". So I thought of Margot.

Margot is an American who lives in Prague. She has been an English teacher for 15 years. Last summer, a mutual friend introduced us. So I contacted Margot and asked if we could have English conversation lessons together. Margot said yes. She also asked if she could have Czech lessons with me too.

And so our shared language journey began…

Our shared goal

Like at the start of every one-to-one lesson plan, I asked Margot what her priorities in Czech were and how I could help her best. At that time, Margot was thinking about the B1 exam. She wanted to take it by the end of the year. But she was very afraid.

I started working with Veronika because I wanted to prepare for the Czech exam for foreigners at level B1, and I needed help with the preparation. I only had two months, and I felt nervous and very stressed.

Nervousness before the exam

Margot had already tried the sample exam test. She knew that she did the reading and writing parts of the sample test with no problems. She was most afraid of the speaking and writing parts of the exam. So we also tried these two parts of the sample test together. From my point of view as a language teacher, Margot spoke and wrote at a good B1 exam level.

But I know how big a role nervousness plays in the Czech exam. So I started talking with Margot a lot about how she felt and exactly what her fear looked like.

When we give our fear a name — when we make it clear and detailed, the fear naturally gets smaller. Then we can prepare for it better. This does not mean we won't feel afraid at the exam anymore. But we can practise our reactions, to make the fear smaller during the exam, and even enjoy the exam in the end. This is exactly what Margot and I focused on.

Veronika was incredibly patient and supportive. She helped me find my weak points – mainly my anxiety and stress during the oral part of the exam and also during writing – and together we made a plan that focused on exactly these areas.

Naming the fear

To give our exam preparation a clear time limit, Margot signed up for the exam date just two months later. This was not much time. So the preparation had to be as effective as possible.

Every week, I gave Margot topics for both writing parts of the B1 exam. I also gave her specific tips for each text, which she could use in the exam to make the writing part easier.

In our lessons, we also regularly practised all the speaking tasks of the B1 exam. In every lesson, I also asked Margot which moments were hardest for her, and how we could make them easier.

This is how Margot found her hardest part: the MOMENT OF SURPRISE.

The biggest challenge for me was the oral part, especially the moment of surprise: when I had to describe two photos, I completely froze and could not say anything at all.

Preparation that was as effective as possible

I gave Margot several tips and strategies to try, to make surprises smaller. We tried imagination techniques, and they worked very well. Margot practised with me how to see the exam as a real conversation with a friend, where talking is a pleasant activity. 

To also practise the moments of surprise, I started sending Margot photos on WhatsApp every day, in the same style as the ones used in the certified B1 exam. Margot quickly recorded voice messages without preparing, describing the photos — exactly like in the real exam. Then I sent Margot some extra questions, and she answered those too — exactly in the style of the exam. 

This way, Margot could prepare for a few minutes every day, and this was very effective. She did not need to think about what to do or how, because I gave her small tasks regularly. So this way of preparing was very effective and did not take much time.

Veronika had a great idea – she sent me photos every day on WhatsApp, and I answered with a voice message. At the beginning, my recordings were full of long pauses, stumbling, and correcting my own sentences. But it slowly got better, day by day and week by week. Speaking felt more and more natural to me, and I stopped being afraid of it. In the end, I could speak for two whole minutes without stopping about what I saw in the photos.

Emotional support from the teacher

Before the exam, we also talked a lot about what exam day would be like and how Margot could prepare mentally for it.

I asked Margot what things, activities, or thoughts helped her stay calm, and we talked about these in detail. It may surprise some people, but even food and drink on exam day, or a morning routine after waking up, play a big role. 

On exam day, I reminded Margot that she was not alone, that this was an important moment for me too, and that we could enjoy the exam together as a new and interesting experience. Yes, I believe that even a Czech exam can be a good experience.

And in the end, Margot agreed with me...

When I took the actual exam, the oral part turned out to be the most enjoyable and fun part for me. On exam day, Veronika sent me kind and encouraging messages, and she was also the first person I wrote to after the exam ended.

The exam result

On exam day and after the exam, Margot felt good, just as we had practised together. I felt like I was taking the exam too, so my joy was also huge. 

So what was the exam result? To pass the certified Czech B1 exam, you only need 60% in each part. But Margot got over 85% in every part. That means a great result and a Czech B1 certificate!

Veronika helped me not only improve my Czech, but also manage stress and nervousness during such a difficult experience. I passed the exam successfully, and I am convinced that Veronika's creative and personal approach, adapted to my specific needs, played a big role in that.

What comes next

And our shared language journey continues. Our goals change, but the motivation and joy stay the same.

And if you want to know what motivates Margot to keep taking Czech lessons with me, and what motivated her to move to Czechia more than fifteen years ago, listen to the podcast episode where we talk about it together.