With my 70 years of age I would see myself as a senior tutor. I am a native speaker of German, living in Essen (Ruhr Area). I speak English, French and Portuguese.

I had and still have a rather eventful and varied life, including a variety of qualifications, jobs and places I've lived abroad. Learning new things, getting to know people and help them grow is what I love most. That’s why I feel passionate about teaching, which I have done for decades now, lately focussing on oral skills, i.e., improving speaking fluency. The feedback I get from students describes me as a friendly, patient, reliable and very committed person. I like laughter and having some fun, but at the same time I appreciate dedication, sincerity and commitment.

* Master of Arts in Adult Education

* Training as a Teacher of German as a Foreign Language at Goethe-Institute

* Special Training “Business German“

* Training as an Executive Coach

* Author of a book about cross-cultural management („Internationale Kompetenz“)

* Licences to act as a Telc-examiner (A1-B2)

* Authorized to give so-called "integration courses“ A1-B1 and higher levels (B2-C1), focussing on business German/German for the job

I have taught a wide variety of learners - beginners to advanced, groups at VHS (adult education centers), Goethe-institute and university as well as given one-to-one training in global companies. Choosing me as senior tutor might be a plus for you, as you can benefit from my long professional experience and insight into German companies.

My focus is on oral skills and I address people who already have reached a certain level (min. A2+) and need to improve their conversational German, either for private or professional purposes. So, we would work on speaking fluency and pronunciation. The reason is the following: When I worked abroad, e.g. 5 years in Brazil, I realized that my Brazilian students at the Goethe-Institute lacked the opportunity to practise German with a native speaker. And even my foreign students here in Essen say that they have little chance to speak German, especially when the working language is English in a global company. So, if you are a student lacking speaking practise, living abroad or in a German speaking country, you might be interested in my offer to talk and get feedback, including on how to improve grammar skills.

I can help you…

* …get confident in day-to-day conversations and small talk

* …improve oral skills for your job, e.g. master presentations and meetings at work

*…prepare for job interviews

*…practise the oral part of level exams (Goethe, Telc, DTZ, TestDaF, DSH)

*…understand cultural differences when communicating in a German speaking environment

Thus, I do not only teach the language but include the aspects of cross-cultural communication. So, if you work with Germans and/or are about to live in Germany, we can also tackle this topic.

Please be aware that my experience and approach makes my training most suitable for students who are intermediate and upper-intermediate (B1/B2) or even advanced (C1) in the case of specific business German for meetings and presentations. I do not take on absolute beginners, a solid A2+-level is the minimum requirement.