Archive

How to negotiate the Kaution when signing a Swiss rental contract — including the polite phrases that work and the bank account every tenant should know about.

The German phrases you actually need for a Swiss apartment viewing — with a realistic dialogue and the Bruttomiete vs Nettomiete rule every newcomer should know.

💡Quick summary: The Fide B1 speaking exam (Aufgabe 3 in the A2–B1 model) gives you two topics from four possible task

💡Quick summary: The Fide A1/A2 speaking exam has three tasks: describe a picture (Aufgabe 1), make a phone call to book

A new FIDE practice app — AI speaking and writing feedback, all 11 official topics, Swiss vocabulary, mock exams in the real format. Beta-testers get free access. Here's what it does and how to sign up.

"I'm just not a language person" is the most common reason people give for not preparing for FIDE. It's also wrong. Here's why language learning is a method, not a gift — and how to break out of the mental block long enough to pass the exam.

Generic German courses are great for general fluency. They are not always great for the FIDE exam, which tests very specific scenarios in a fixed format. Here's why traditional classes can fail FIDE candidates — and what to do alongside (or instead).

The picture description (Bildbeschreibung) is the first speaking task on the FIDE oral exam — and the one that panics candidates most. A 4-step formula that works on any picture, with the German phrases you can memorise.

All 11 FIDE speaking topic areas with example questions, phone-call scenarios, and the vocabulary you need — from Wohnumgebung to Behörden. Plus exactly how the speaking test is scored.

Realistic preparation timelines for the FIDE German exam by starting level — from 2–3 weeks for confident speakers to 2–3 months from zero. What "30 minutes a day" actually buys you, and what to skip.