Case Studies: Teachers

Hello Christian! Thank you for taking the time to be with us today. Could you start by telling us which language you teach and why you chose a career in teaching

For Language Trainers, I teach German as a second language. Even before I finished my teaching training, I helped friends of friends who had moved to Germany. It did not become a career until much later when I looked at my qualifications and thought: "Now, what could I do with that?" (laughs)

So, teaching was not your first career choice. How did you prepare to become a teacher? Tell us about your teaching qualifications and history.

I graduated in Modern and Medieval History and German Language and Literature in 2005. But I did not start teaching languages until 2009, after I graduated an MBA programme in Marketing. The aftermath of the international financial crisis in 2008 was not exactly the best time to look for a job, so I took to teaching among various other self-employed activities.

And how did you end up teaching with Language Trainers? Were you attracted to the company by something in particular?

The one-to-one teacher-student concept is certainly fitting for my talents. Also, the fact that the students are usually adults interested in learning, and bringing a certain intrinsic motivation, was appealing to me. I did not have any experience using Skype or other types of video-call technology to teach, but I was very curious about it when I started. Fortunately, remote teaching made me a believer almost instantaneously. It offers so many benefits and additional possibilities that I would prefer over the old blackboard-and-chalk classroom any day.

So true! And is that your favourite thing about working with Language Trainers? Or is there anything else?

The best thing, in my opinion, is that every student brings a whole new experience. I have had students from all over the globe, with different cultural backgrounds, different native languages and different initial levels of proficiency. I have to adapt to each new student, which is completely unlike, for example, working in a German school and teaching the same lessons to different groups over and over again for 25 years.

Given that your students come from very diverse walks of life, do you look for something in particular in a student?

I want my students to have the motivation to set goals for themselves and see them through. Learning a language involves some tedious work. I can help and make it more comprehensible and, hopefully, fun. A student who decides to take a course should set themselves a precisely defined and attainable goal about the proficiency level they want to acquire and dedicate enough time and effort to achieve it. If you do that, you won't get frustrated - I promise!

That is very true. And what can your students expect from you as their teacher?

They can expect dedication, motivation, punctuality, adaptability; a decent level of English until conversations can be held in German; and, according to some students, a sense of humour. Being German myself, I find that rather hard to believe (laughs).

So far, what has been your most memorable teaching experience with Language Trainers?

I love that moment when a student realises "Wow, I just had a conversation in a new language and it worked!" It even happens with advanced learners when they feel like they've just solved a puzzle they've been working on for ages and, all of a sudden, the bits and pieces fall into place and they achieve a new level in their language skill.

I completely agree. That is one of the best feelings a teacher can have. And why do you think students should enrol in a language course with Language Trainers?

Learning a new language always opens your mind to a new way of thinking. Not only does it bridge the gap to another culture, it also helps you understand yourself a little bit better.

You mentioned that your students love your sense of humor. Could you tell us a fun fact about the language you teach or a favorite expression you ask your students to learn?

One true fun fact about Germany is that Germans have no sense of humor whatsoever. I have a reservoir of German jokes for every proficiency level, from Beginner to Advanced, to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Germans are no fun at all. And if you enjoyed Mark Twain's essay about the “horrible German language,” here is another one for you. You “fall in love” in English. In German, the same thing does not involve falling. We use the verb "verlieben", which shares the prefix ver- with many words that are usually negative and often involve losing. “Verirren” means to lose the way, “verlieren” to lose, “verzählen” to lose count. So, philosophically speaking, love in English involves the danger of breaking your leg. In German, you get divorced even before the first date... If you find that funny, see a language trainer as soon as possible!