About this Service

Open to all skill and experience levels! Whether you're completely new to the German language, looking to freshen up your chops after a long break, or you've got an upcoming summer sojourn to Berlin and are hoping to pick up some fundamentals, I have something to offer you.

I believe we learn languages best when engaging with topics we find the most interesting. Perhaps you're a Herzog head and seek a deeper understanding of his films, or you're fascinated by the sociopolitical differences between Cold War East and West Germany, or maybe you're just looking to sing and better grasp your favorite Nena and Falco tracks. Whatever your interests may be, I'm happy to tailor our lessons to them!

Every learner has their strengths and weaknesses regarding core language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Together we will identify these, focusing on your problem areas while refining your strong suits to round out your overall language competency. Depending on your needs we can dive deep into a grammatical topic you're having trouble with, discuss news articles, or simply chat about what we did last weekend, whatever brings you closer to realizing your language learning goals. I am also happy to direct you to helpful resources and tools to improve these core skills outside our lesson time.

If you wish to take lessons with me, it would be helpful if you sent a paragraph or two introducing yourself, describing your skill level and interest/motivation in learning German, so I can get a better idea of what to expect and bring to the table at our first session.

I offer lessons on a sliding scale of $20 to $40 per hour, based on what works best for you given your circumstances.

I'm happy to meet you online, or in person at a public location in NYC. Weekday evenings and weekends work best for me, but if this is tricky for you, let me know and we may be able to work out a special arrangement.

About this Lister

Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, and having spent 2 years in Austria as an English instructor, I currently work in administration with a German-based company in NYC. Outside of work I'm a passionate language learner, fluent in my native English, as well as German and French. Additionally, I'm an obsessive record collector, DJ, and musician, love to go the the cinema, and enjoy exploring the city on my bike to keep active.

Background and Expertise

While new to offering German lessons, I have an extensive background in language education, having spent a year as a volunteer English tutor and conversation partner in Iowa City, where I attended university, as well as 2 years as an English instructor in Austria at various high schools and polytechnics.

Having lived in Austria for 2 years, immersed in a unique Austro-Bavarian culture, I also rapidly obtained fluency in the German language, leaving the country with a C1 German certificate, the second-highest attainable level on the CEFR scale.

Currently employed by a German company, I continue to engage with the German language on a daily basis orally as well as in writing with native German speakers, and enjoy reading books and watching films in German to keep my reading and listening skills fresh outside the office.