Meet Our Team of German Tutors

Jens is the founder and director of Olesen Tuition. Born near Cologne in Germany, Jens studied linguistics, philosophy, politics, and sociology at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, and graduated with a First. He then obtained postgraduate degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford.  After working as a teaching fellow at the LSE, he founded Olesen Tuition in 2015. Jens has over 25 years of experience as a German tutor and has helped thousands of students to become fluent in the language and many more to reach intermediate level with a unique combination of tailored vocabulary training, a solid grammar foundation and his engaging teaching style. 

Throughout his teaching career, he has successfully prepared students of all proficiency levels for various certification exams, including those offered by the Goethe-Institut (A1-C2), as well as other examinations such as GCSE, A-Level, International Baccalaureate (IB), French Baccalaureate (Bac), and Pre-U German. Additionally, he has assisted students in preparing for university examinations at the Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels, facilitated their transition to German-speaking countries, provided support for job interviews, and fostered overall improvement in their language proficiency. His grammar training has proved so effective over the years that he started a German language learning blog where he regularly posts his explanations and answers questions raised by his students. His funded research on hermeneutics has been published in articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and handbooks, released as a podcast, and discussed and presented at conferences and workshops. In addition to his work, Jens is an avid traveller, particularly to his beloved Greece, and passionate about philosophy, art, food, and wine.

Born in the quintessential seaside province of Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, Annika studied German as a foreign language at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, which is well known for this degree program. During her studies, she trained to become a qualified teacher at the Goethe Institute in Amsterdam. Annika then worked at the Goethe Institute in Santiago de Chile, at Lingoda, and Humboldt Business Communication Training before joining Olesen Tuition in 2021. With over 10 years of teaching experience, it is very important to Annika that her students achieve their goals while having a positive and fun learning experience. Annika is teaching our small group classes and 1:1 German lessons.

Britta is originally from Aachen but has lived and worked abroad for over 25 years. After getting her MA in Philology, she has been teaching German at different Goethe-Institutes worldwide, London Business School and King's College London. Britta is also certified for A1-C2 exams and prepares students for the DSH for university. She wants her students to learn in a friendly, pleasant atmosphere with well-structured input and have fun.

Anja is originally from Munich, where she studied English and German at the LMU. In London, she continued her studies, completing an MA in the history of psychoanalysis. Anja has been working as a German teacher with groups and individuals for over 15 years, and she is a certified examiner for Goethe-Institut exams at all levels. She has been teaching people from all sorts of backgrounds with a wide variety of reasons for learning the beautiful and challenging German language. Anja enjoys teaching not only because she loves German grammar but also because she is very interested in each person's unique approach to learning a new language and encountering a whole new cultural universe. She also works as a translator and plays music whenever she can find the time.

Originally from northern Germany, Kai has taught German for over 20 years in the US (New York University, Williams College), Germany (Freie Universität Berlin) and the UK (University of London and prominent and renowned language schools). He has a PhD in German Studies from Rutgers University, New Jersey and has done numerous CPD trainings since then, e.g. for Young Learners. Kai knows that the most important thing about teaching and learning German is that you will get loads of opportunities to speak while he helps you understand the necessary tools like grammar and useful phrases. German is luckily quite straightforward if you get precise and clear explanations. This will enable you to enjoy speaking confidently, and we can keep it fun and relaxing while working hard - it's possible!  

Andrea grew up in a German-speaking area called Südtirol. From an early age, she was surrounded by different languages and dialects and expressed a wish to become a linguist. Andrea has over 20 years of experience as a German language teacher, working for different institutions such as Inlingua, the University of Glasgow, and the Goethe-Institute. She is also a certified examiner. 

Andreas was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, and studied at the University of Dresden to become a teacher of German, History and German as a Foreign Language. In 2014, Andreas started to work as a German teacher for the Goethe Institut and VHS in Dresden and Hamburg, and since 2020, he has also given Online German Lessons for Olesen Tuition. In 2021-2022, he worked at a German high school in Dresden to finish his teaching qualification in German and History. Regarding his tuition, Andreas focuses on building a solid grammar and vocabulary base. He is passionated about teaching the German language and learning about different cultures as he works with students from all over the world.

Simon was born and raised in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. He completed his teaching degree in Geography and History at the University of Innsbruck with distinction and earned his doctorate in spatial research at the University of Vienna. During his doctoral studies, he taught German as a second language at Vienna's Keplerplatz and Erdberg primary schools. In this role, he worked with children aged 6-12 without knowledge of German. Simon's teaching is characterised by his efforts to convey his native language as authentically as possible and by his ability to maintain high levels of student motivation. His goal is not only to ensure successful language acquisition but also to make his students look forward to their lessons. 

Born and raised in northern Bavaria, Germany, Nadine has lived abroad (in England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, and Russia) for nearly 22 years. After completing her International House Teacher Training certificate in September 2002, she has been working as a German tutor, teaching groups and individuals from the age of 6 all over the world (online since 2018). She also worked as a nanny in Russia in 2019 to teach German to a 6-year-old boy.  

Kristin is originally from a small city south of Berlin and studied German linguistics at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. In 2017, she started working as a German teacher for the Goethe-Institut in Glasgow. Kristin is excited about the many people interested in her native language and culture. Her goal is to teach German in a fun and motivating way. The cross-cultural interchange with her students is an enriching experience for Kristin. 

I am an experienced German teacher and university lecturer with a background in modern German literature, culture, and society. Over the years, I have taught German at all levels and in a wide range of contexts — from university seminars and intensive language courses to private and small-group tuition. My teaching approach is student-centred and adaptable, designed to meet individual goals while making language learning engaging and intellectually stimulating.

I believe that learning a language also means discovering new ways of thinking and understanding the world. That’s why I integrate cultural, historical, and social perspectives into my lessons, encouraging students to connect the language with the rich diversity of German-speaking cultures. Fluent in five languages myself, I understand the challenges and rewards of language learning and aim to create an open, motivating environment where students can develop both confidence and curiosity.