Varsity Tutors can help students of all ages get started with German tutoring. Whether you have a child learning German or you are learning the language as an adult, picking up a new language can be both exhilarating and incredibly challenging. This is especially true if you have limited opportunities to practice your skills with other speakers outside of a classroom. A private German instructor can provide invaluable assistance as you or your child work towards learning this influential language. Continue reading to discover more about German and how Varsity Tutors can help you connect with skilled German tutors.
What are some of the benefits of learning German?
Did you know German is the most commonly spoken language in Europe? It is the native language of more people than any other language in the region. In part, this is due to Germany having the largest population in the European Union. Not only are over 80 million people speaking the language within the borders of Germany, but it is also an official language of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Luxembourg. Additionally, it is the native language of many people in eastern Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, northern Italy, and eastern France. Many native speakers are also found throughout parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania. When you learn German, you gain the ability to communicate with these native speakers and those who have also learned German as a second language. It is the third most popular foreign language in the world, and in Japan and Europe, it ranks as second most popular after English.
German is a powerful business language. Germany is the number one export nation and has the third most robust economy. It is a European Union economic powerhouse and being fluent in the language can open up many global career opportunities in finance, trade, and international business. It is a technologically forward country with many innovative companies pushing the limits in the fields of computers, biotechnology, and engineering.
However, as compelling as these reasons are, many people have far more personal reasons for wanting to learn this popular language. German is the largest cultural heritage group in the United States in many areas. Around 15 percent of Americans identified as having German ancestry, which makes it the largest ethnic group in the country. Many people want to learn the language to more effectively study their family heritage through genealogical research, or they want to visit ancestral villages with the ability to communicate with distant relatives.
Whether you want to learn German as part of a degree program, to complete family research, or to travel with greater linguistic confidence throughout the European Union, sessions with a personal German instructor can help you work towards your language learning goals more efficiently.
What are some of the skills German tutors can help me learn?
German tutors can help you with all areas of your German studies, whether you are learning the language on your own, in high school, or in university classes. They can even help children who are learning the language in elementary or middle school. It's important that the instructor you or your student works with is fluent in the language and able to meet the student at their own level.
Some of the specific topics you may want to review with your private instructor include imperfect tense, subordinate clauses, dative, present and imperfect subjunctive, participle constructions, modal verbs, passive voice, adjective declension, prepositions, accusative, sentence structure, cognates, reflexive verbs, and separating verbs. Your private instructor can help you with any of the above topics, but this list is not exhaustive. All aspects of the German language can be addressed in private sessions.
As part of an undergraduate or graduate program, you will have multiple semesters of German. Depending on the focus of your degree program, there are many other courses in which you may enroll that have a Germanic focus. These courses may include German Studies, German Literature, Austrian History, Business German, European History, German Composition, Contemporary German, German History, German Poetry, or German Opera. If you need linguistic or other academic support in one of these courses, or others with a focus on the German language or history, working with a private instructor can be beneficial.
While the technical details of the language such as grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and history are all of vital importance, they are not the only areas in which private instruction can prove valuable. In fact, private instruction is perhaps most relevant when learning to speak and listen to the language.
The key to fluency in any language is having an opportunity to interact with others in the language. If you are taking a class or learning German on your own, you will have limited opportunities to speak and listen to the language being spoken naturally. When you work with a private instructor, you can practice both and receive feedback instantly.
The nuances of a spoken language are very different from the technical skills needed to learn to read and write. The way you speak in English differs from the way an English teacher expects you to write a paper. The same is true in German. When you work with a private instructor, you have the opportunity to work on inflection, conversational German, and listening to the language outside of an academic format that can make learning to communicate with native speakers more instinctual. The goal is to evolve from translating each thought from English into German to achieving seamless integration of thoughts to speech that can only be mastered with extensive practice. Working with a private instructor allows you to work towards this goal.
How is working with a German tutor different from taking a class?
When you take a foreign language class, the instructor is faced with the challenge of providing a solid linguistic foundation upon which a diverse student population can build their language skills over time. Each level of German has a set of learning expectations the teacher must strive to deliver. This structure is efficient, but it doesn't always work well for individual students.
When you work with a German tutor, you have a personal instructor who can take the time to get to know your learning style, language goals, and where you specifically need the most linguistic support. Your private instructor can then use this information to create a customized learning plan designed to target your language learning needs.
What you work on, and the methodologies your instructor will use, depends on your needs rather than a predetermined course schedule or the preferences of an instructor. As your needs and abilities change, your instructor can adjust the session curriculum to match. This type of personalization is impossible in a classroom setting.
Another critical difference is in the way courses and tutoring is scheduled. Class times are determined by the needs of the school. You must change your personal schedule based on available classes. With private instruction, you can plan your sessions around your existing schedule.
How can I get started with German tutoring?
Varsity Tutors makes it easy to get started with German tutoring in a couple of different ways. You can choose to work with your private German instructor in person or online.
When people first begin thinking about locating someone to help them learn German, they initially think their best or only option is to work with someone local. While working face-to-face with someone while learning a new language is critical, that no longer has to mean you're in close physical proximity to your instructor. Whether you decide to work with someone in person or remotely, you can receive the same personalized instruction and other benefits associated with private language instruction.
When you work with an instructor online, you will utilize or Live Learning Platform. This allows you to see your instructor as if they were sitting across from you. You can see and hear them, so it's just as easy to ask questions, practice pronunciation, and receive real-time feedback.
The biggest difference between working with German tutors in person or online is in the ease of scheduling your sessions. It can be difficult to find private German instructors nearby on your own. When they are available, you may find they are often booked for the most desirable session times. By considering remote sessions, you gain access to many more highly skilled personal German instructors. Many of your options will be in different time zones, which can make it much easier to find session times that are convenient for your schedule. Whether you need to work with someone early before class or late after work, finding someone who can accommodate your schedule becomes easier when you have more candidates from which to choose.
If you're ready to take your language learning to the next level, let Varsity Tutors connect you with a skilled German tutor who can help you work towards your language acquisition goals more effectively. Educational Consultants are standing by to help you get started.
