FAQ about our German lessons
Frequently asked questions about the German language
1. What makes German a complex language to learn?
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The answer is twofold. First, there are many grammar rules to learn. From word order in German sentences, its cases (nominative, accusative, dative and genitive), numerous prepositions, and adjective endings to the subjunctive - there are many challenges that any student faces. However, most of its rules are logical and consistent, so once you understand them theoretically, it just takes practice. Second, German vocabulary is far from straightforward, either. Its words are nuanced and context-specific and can rarely be translated literally from English into German and vice versa. On the other hand, many German nouns are compounds of two or more individual words, which is why our nouns tend to be so long. So, when putting them together, the compound noun normally receives a very clear new meaning.
One of the most important lessons that students need to learn is sending their ideas through a 'grammar filter' to check what they can say in German. While the process entails a simplification as far as the choice of words is concerned, it increases the likelihood of grammatical accuracy. Find out more about my method, 'simple but correct,'. Having said all that, many people before you managed to learn German, so why wouldn't you?​​
2. What advice do you have for anyone who needs to learn German quickly?
1) Get a good understanding of German syntax. If you understand where to place a word in a German sentence, you'll know how to compose a sentence correctly. This is absolutely crucial to learning German fast because whether or not people understand you is primarily determined by word order.
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2) Learn to conjugate verbs (i.e. regular, irregular, separable verbs and reflexive verbs) by looking at logical patterns that apply to them and ensuring that the subject and verb always agree. Otherwise, your interlocutors might get confused as you communicate conflicting information.
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3) As soon as you understand the four cases and their function in a sentence, you'll master the difference between subject, direct and indirect object. This is crucial when dealing with German nouns. Even though nominative and accusative are the most common cases, please don't underestimate the importance of dative and genitive, for they make your German sound sophisticated, provided you learn how to use them correctly.
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4) Once you understand the cases well, you need to turn to pronouns, prepositions and adjective endings and learn how they change the normal usage of the cases. However, it's essential that you know each of these topics step by step and that you get enough practice with each before you move on to the next grammar topic.
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5) Build your vocabulary range by using flash or index cards. These cards are highly effective and cater to visual, cognitive, and haptic learners alike. As popular as apps, such as Duolingo and Memrise, might be, they will never be as effective as flash cards you write yourself. Besides the meaning of each word, I also tell my students to add other information to the cards to make them even more effective. My students usually know between 80% and 90% of all the words they learned from me.
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6) Work with a good tutor who can explain all of the above and more.
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7) Watch, read, and listen to as much German as possible to immerse yourself in the language.
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8) Travel to a German-speaking country to practice your German.
3. How long does it usually take to become fluent in German?
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This might be the toughest question to answer, as it depends on several factors, such as frequency and duration of lessons, talent for learning languages (it just doesn't come easy for everyone), the amount of time people can invest in homework and revision outside of lessons, and so on. I'm trying to give a more detailed response to this question in my blog post, "How long does it take to learn German?". However, the average time it takes my students to learn German from scratch is between 12 and 18 months - with private one-to-one German lessons, once or twice a week for two hours each. You will find more information on the time frame and my private German lessons page here. If you're keen to learn German fast but prefer being part of a small group of fellow students, check out my new intensive German courses. The average time to advanced level (C1) with our small German classes is about 24 months, to C2 level around 32 months.
4. Are there any online resources that you would recommend?
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Of course. I have put together a list of links and resources for beginner, intermediate, and advanced German students, which you can find here.
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5. Why do people learn German?
German has a reputation for being a complex language. So when people embark on this journey, they usually have a very good reason to do so. Their partner might be from a German-speaking country, and they don't want to feel left out when conversations switch to German. Their child might sit an exam in German and need professional preparation and guidance to get top marks. Or, they n ed to learn German for work. According to leading UK employers, German is the most important foreign language that they want their employees to speak, so learning German can be a wise investment in your career. Business experts suggest that German language skills will be critical in post-Brexit Britain. Whatever the reason, a clear objective will keep you going when the language gets touch and the initial excitement wears off.
Frequently asked questions about our German lessons
1. Do I need to commit to a certain number of lessons when learning German with you?
No, when booking private one-to-one German tuition with us, I only have a 24-hour cancellation policy. You can stop taking lessons with us whenever you want, or you have achieved your goal. Please check our German classes page for the cancellation policy in our group lessons.
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2. Can I get a regular weekly slot, or do we need to rearrange after each lesson?
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Most of our students have a regular weekly slot unless they prefer to keep their lessons more flexible, or my availability is so limited that I cannot offer a regular slot. The latter is usually just a matter of weeks.
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3. Do you teach in the evenings and on weekends? And where do you usually teach?
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Yes, we offer tuition every day from early morning to late evening: Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 9pm. The location of our lessons depends on whether they are private German lessons, small group classes, exam preparation tutorials, corporate German language training or online German lessons. Generally, our lessons are held at our students' premises, in their office or ours, in a quiet cafe in Central London or remotely via Skype or Facetime.
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4. Do you offer German lessons near me, or are any of your German tutors near me?
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Yes, we teach all over London, though most of our clients are in zones 1 and 2. We also offer online German lessons, so there are many options.
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5. Should I opt for private or group lessons? What is the biggest difference between them?
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The most significant difference between one-on-one German lessons and learning in a small group is the intensity of the teaching you receive. We all know that it's relatively easy to stay quiet in a classroom setting if you don't want to contribute to the lesson. This is not possible in private lessons where the focus is on you. While this might sound scary, this is how you learn most effectively. That's why students progress more quickly through private lessons than group classes. On average, you can cut down the time it takes to become fluent in German by more than half in one-to-one tutorials compared to a class of 10 or more students and by more than a third compared to my smaller group classes with a maximum of 5 participants. The ideal compromise for many of my students are my intensive German courses that allow you to learn German fast, while being less expensive than private tuition. You'll find more information on my intensive German courses here.
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6. Do you work with a book or any specific material?
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We usually work with a combination of our material, tailored to our student's requirements, and texts and exercises from various sources. There is no such thing as the perfect textbook, and there is no material that suits everyone, so this strategy is usually in the best interest of our students and makes learning German challenging but also rewarding.
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7. How does payment work, and what payment methods do you accept?
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Our private German lessons run on a pay-as-you-go basis, with the first lesson paid in advance. From then on, we invoice you monthly. For our group classes, the first class must be paid in advance. After that, we ask for an advance payment for five classes. We accept payments by bank transfer, PayPal, or in cash.
Frequently asked questions about our German classes
1. How many lessons does each class involve?
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We don't run our classes on a term basis or for a specific number of weeks. Instead, our German classes run for as long as our students like, and groups progress with us from one level to another. So join one of our classes until you have reached your goal.
2. Do I need to commit to a certain number of classes? And how much are they?
Try the first class at our standard rate of £40 for 90 minutes. If you enjoy the class and decide to continue, we ask students to firmly commit to 5 class dates at a time, but they do not have to be consecutive ones. So how does this work? Let's say you want to join a weekly course from 23rd June and know in advance that you will have to miss the class on 21st July. You can then confirm your attendance for 23rd June, 7th, 14th, 28th July and 4th August and use your deposit for those classes. Failure to attend such classes means the full fee will be charged. However, one of the classes can be rescheduled free of charge within one calendar month if attendance is cancelled with more than 24 hours' notice. Otherwise, the full fee for that class will be deducted from the advance payment. You will find more information in our Terms and Conditions above.
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3. What happens if I miss a class?
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Unlike larger language institutes where you might no longer be able to follow the course if you miss a class or two, we are happy to see you for 'catch-up' lessons, where you revise what was covered in the lessons you missed. These revision sessions are usually one-on-one lessons with us at £80 per hour, but of course, it's possible to split the cost with other students if they also miss the class. After the revision session, you should be able to follow the next group lesson with ease. Normally, two group lessons equal one private lesson.
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4. Do you assign homework, and how much time do I need to spend outside of your classes on German?
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Yes, we are firm believers in homework. This might sound old-school, but your German won't improve as quickly as you might like without regular revision of what we covered in class. So, you should spend another 90 minutes a week doing your homework and revising vocabulary.
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5. How long does progressing from one level to another take?
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Due to the small size of our German classes, our students progress quickly. On average, they move up one level every three months, e.g., from A1.1 to A1.2. With most classes being held just once a week, that's very fast. However, if students join two or more weekly classes, progress can be made faster. Check out our new super-intensive German courses for more information.
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6. Do I need to buy a book for my course?
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It depends on the level. We usually work with a combination of our own material, texts, and exercises from various sources. There is no such thing as the perfect textbook, and there is no material that suits everyone, so this strategy is usually best for students.
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7. Is it possible to switch classes?
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Your timetable might have changed, and you're hoping to join a class at the same level on a different day. No problem. Provided there is enough space in the other class, it's possible to switch. Unlike larger language schools where you automatically move from one level to another, irrespective of your actual progress, we carefully monitor our students' progress and recommend a change of class whenever that's in the interest of our students- either because they picked up the language more quickly than their classmates or because they need more time to digest what they learnt. Everyone learns at their own pace, and that's how it should be.
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8. Can I join a class and work with you privately to accelerate my progress?
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Yes, it is possible to combine group classes and one-to-one lessons. However, as you would progress more quickly than the other students in your group class, you might need to move to a higher-level course when you have reached that level. Email us, and we are happy to advise.
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9. Do you offer any German classes near me?
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Yes! Prior to the pandemic, we ran German evening and weekend courses in Holborn, South Kensington, Camden, and Barbican. After the pandemic, we plan to expand and add other locations all over London to our list while continuing our online group classes for clients who prefer to learn German online.
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10. Do students get enough out of their evening German classes after a long day at work?
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Our teachers are quite engaging and do their best to make our classes as fun and interactive as possible. The feedback we usually get from clients is that they find it easier than they expected to switch off after work and concentrate on our classes. My advice would be to try one class and see for yourself.
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11. Can I get a certificate at the end of my German course?
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While we don't produce certificates, our students perform very well during exams at the Goethe-Institut and other test centres. Please email us, and we will be happy to advise. Of course, we are glad to produce letters confirming your attendance in class and progress reports.
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12. What payment methods do you accept?
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You can pay us by bank transfer, PayPal, or in cash. The payment for the first class needs to be made in advance. If you're happy to continue, we require an advance payment of five classes as a deposit.
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13. My company pays for my German classes. Do you produce invoices?
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Yes, of course. If you need an invoice, we are happy to email it to you.
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14. Should I wait for in-person classes, or are your online German classes just as effective?
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In response to COVID-19, we moved all our German classes to Zoom in mid-March to protect the safety of our clients. While some clients may have initially had their doubts about the effectiveness of remote language classes, student feedback has been almost unanimously positive, so much so that most of our clients say they prefer to have the classes from the comfort of their own homes. Of course, we plan to offer in-person lessons again when it is safe to do so.