About me
Why choose me?
- Free consultation
- Near-native German speaker
- 17 years of teaching experience
- A multitude of Teaching/Learning Materials
- Explanation in English, German or Hungarian
- University trained translator and language teacher
- Flexible schedule, classes also on Saturday and Sunday
- 1-to-1 classes in Vienna 15th district, outdoors in Vienna city-center and online
- Having learned Russian, Greek and Italian myself, I know very well about the diffculties one encounters when learning a new language
- ... and last, but not least: very patient and always supportive with a good portion of humour.
About me and my tutoring approach
I'm a highly qualified and experienced translator and a language teacher for German and Hungarian. I have taught both in the private sector and in numerous language schools, adults and children of different ages. I can offer Hungarian to university level, for this is my mother-tounge, and German to B1 level since I live and work in Vienna for more than 17 years now. I came here to study and made my Bachelor degree in Transcultural Communication and a Master degree in Translation and Terminology Sciences at the University of Vienna, then settled down with a good man and built a family.
I also have a teaching qualification for 'German as a Foreign Language' from the University of Kassel in Germany, and a didactic training on the renowned BERLITZ-method for 'Native Speaker Language Teachers'. Usually I work from home, where I have a vast library of teaching resources such as worksheets, textbooks, picture dictionaries, flash-cards, games and lots of books for Beginners with German-English parallel texts, short stories for Easy Readers etc.
Since I'm also a translator with native-like fluency in German and knowledge of Austria's history, culture, politics and economy, as well as having advanced English proficiency, I also provide a variety of language support services for (Austrian) German and Hungarian based on my regional expertise. Also, being a translator and a polyglott enables me to see languages and their grammar systems from a different angle than German native speakers or 'regular' school teachers.
I use varying tutoring approaches, because no two learners are alike, whereby enjoyment is an important factor in my lessons. I very much like to use the latest technology and teaching techniques, but also have an extensive compilation of German language games, cards, songs, short stories, videos. I'm fond of and really appreciate internet sources to teach German and Hungarian, for I do believe that learning German, as well as Hungarian, can be fun. I aim to foster a friendly but professional relationship with each of my students, to build their confidence and self belief when they learn a new language. German can be an extremely challenging language and as an experienced German tutor I really can help you learning it.
I'll patiently work alongside you at the speed that works for you best. In the first lesson we'll analyse your needs, noting your strengths and weaknesses. My German lessons involve paying particular attention to everyday vocabulary, focusing on the most important grammar topics, providing good practice in colloquial Austrian. If you need help with any particular area of difficulty, we can target them of course and practice specific skills and speacialized vocabulary of your choice. I prefer to use a communicative approach in my lessons and will talk to you instead of making you learn rules and charts by heart.
Organization: The German lessons can be 60, 90 or 120 minutes in length according to your preferences and your schedule. You can also bring your colleague, friend or spouse and take semi-private lessons; we have enough place for as many as 3 persons in our home-office, easy to reach with U3 and the bus lines 10A and 12B. Home tutoring at your place or in-house trainings at your company are also possible by agreement, please ask for an individual price offer. If you don't like to sit around, read about my outdoor classes: German on the go - Walk & Talk in Vienna
Cancellation policy: Even though we can arrange your lessons at short notice, I usually require 3-4 days in advance to book your lesson at your preferred time. How to cancel a lesson: If you can't attend the lesson, I need you to cancel our appointment in time and give me notice 24 hours in advance, but at least on the day before our appointment by no later than 18:00 by phone, e-mail or per SMS. Otherwise I'll have to charge 100% of the lesson fee, since I reserved that time slot for you and can not rearrange my day on such a short notice. Thank you.
My students about me:
Sara is a friendly and very knowledgeable teacher which makes learning with her both fun and extremely effective. She provided me with the resources I needed to learn German and customised lessons to suit me. I am now enjoying being able to speak German much more confidently. Sara also provided practical insights into life in Austria, which was really useful in helping with real life language. She's professional and insightful and I recommend her highly.
