Sönke - learn with a native German Tutor - all ages and all abilities - worldwide online tutoring, using Zoom

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• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  German is my mother tongue, but my love for languages started in my first year of secondary school. I was very fortunate to be taught by two of the most inspiring teachers I have ever had the pleasure and privilege to learn from: Mr Rösner (English) and Monsieur Braun (French). They truly motivated me to explore and learn other languages.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  Now, that is a challenge and a half, as there are so many eras and aspects of cultures to consider. However, one of my favourite Germans has to be singer, songwriter Rolf Zuckowski. Mainly because of all the joy his songs have brought to my family and me. I still love listening to his songs, one of which is "Die Jahresuhr".

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  The word most of my tutees like best and always enjoy 'conquering' is the "Donaudampfschifffahrtskapit࣪änsmützenknopf".
  Wikipedia offers even longer words with "Donau­dampf­schiffahrts­elektrizitäten­haupt­betriebs­werk­bau­unter­beamten­gesellschaft" and "Rinderkennzeichnungs- und Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz.
  Personally, I am rather fond of the word "doch".

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Speaking German is part of my heritage, part of what and who I am and, hopefully, I will be able to support people of all ages and abilities for many years to come in learning 'my' language.
  
  Most importantly though, as schools are nowadays more and more reduced to delivering what 'counts' in the performance tables, squeezing out the arts, languages and other 'real life' subjects, we all ought to take a stand and support anyone who wishes to learn beyond the school curriculum; I feel very passionate about sharing my skills and knowledge of the German language.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  As with every language, building up your vocabulary is probably the biggest challenge for a learner of German. However, I find that learners often tend to set their expectations too high, hoping to not only be fluent but also grammatically correct within a short period of time. Clearly, this can be counterproductive. Just go for it! Just speak! Don't worry about making mistakes! It's making the effort that really counts, as the message tends to get across no matter whether the syntax, case or tense is correct. And don't forget your hands and feet, as 'every little helps'.
  Unfortunately, speaking a language well is not like learning how to ride a bike or swim. Arguably, it takes a lot more effort and time and you need to keep practising! As they say: "Use it or lose it!"

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  When I was studying for my PGCE at Exeter University, we had to learn a bit of Russian. Little did we know that it was supposed to teach us a valuable lesson. Of course, some of the others lapped it all up and were semi-fluent within a couple of lessons, but it had the desired effect on the majority of us, i.e. to illustrate or remind us of how difficult and frustrating it can be for a learner trying to understand or even memorise the new language. Needless to say, I really struggled and only remember the one phrase: "Ya zhivu v Exeter".

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  I love travelling and one of the things I like best is to try the local lingo. Having had the opportunity to travel extensively, I always make sure that I know the basics, such as "sawatdee krub", "shukran" or "namaste". If you think that helps in a 'patisserie' in Rennes, just imagine the effect it has in the middle of the Tierra del Fuego.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  Apart from my love for teaching German and my long teaching experience, I believe that my personality makes me a 'Superprof'. My appreciation of humour allows me to quickly build a strong and sympathetic working rapport with my tutees. I set myself the highest of standards, have the highest expectations and use my energy, optimism and creativity to support my tutees in achieving their goals. Furthermore, I always try to use my empathy, motivation, rigour and efficiency to deliver sessions, hoping that a mixture of digital and analogue resources and activities will allow the learners to really enjoy their learning with me.