Learning German the Fun Way with
The German Language School
One of the top tips you get when moving to Switzerland is to “learn a little German”. No one can deny that it’s a difficult language, but learning even a little goes a long way and helps you get so much more out of your time in Zurich. Yes, we know that in Switzerland the spoken word is usually dialect, but in the newspapers and on websites, on signposts and on your health and tax forms it’s always High German. Learning even a little can pay dividends, not to mention potentially saving you a lot of money and possible embarrassment too!
The German Language School in Egg Near Zurich
We spoke to Yvonne Herrmann-Teubel who runs The German Language School in Egg and she gave us some of her tips and observations.
Yvonne Herrmann-Teubel of The German Language School
German Language Classes for All Walks of Life
Yvonne runs both group and private classes from The German Language School in Egg and her lessons are both fun and effective. Teaching people of all ages from 11 to 80, Yvonne has met almost every learning type you can imagine and aims to offer a solution for everyone based on their own personal requirements. Having taught German as a foreign language in Leipzig, Lisbon and Såo Paulo before moving to Zurich, she has a wealth of experience and believes that one of the keys to learning is making the experience fun!
From IB Students to All Types of Expats
She teaches students preparing for their IB and other exams, expat mums and dads needing to find their way round a little easier, as well as foreigners who desperately need to improve their German for the sake of their job, or in order to progress further in their career. Her students speak glowingly about her patience, her understanding and her ability to transform their language skills and how she makes it a fun experience.
Group and Private Lessons Morning, Noon & Night
However busy you are, you can probably find a class at a time to suit you with the German Language School in Egg! Yvonne begins the day with private classes at 7.30am, followed by group lessons mid-morning then private lessons over lunch time, then more group classes in the afternoon. In the evening Marcus runs the group classes – so with all these options at The German Language School there is bound to be one for you!
Marcus Schilling of The German Language School
The Fun Of German (Mistakes)
Yvonne recognises the difficulties and frustrations encountered by foreigners. Simple things like when you’re looking for the word for translation but end up with the word for “river crossing”, or you ask for a cake and they think you’re interested in buying a kitchen!” It’s all part and parcel of the mystery of the German language she says. Of course, you get to learn more about the word übersetzen (to translate or to cross a river) and the difference in pronunciation between Küche (kitchen) and Kuchen (cake) created by the umlaut, but it can be frustrating.
Literal Translations and False Friends
One of her favourite mistakes she often hears is when someone is asked “Wie geht´s?” and answers “Danke, ich bin heiss”, which actuals means “I´m hot (in a sexual sense)” instead of saying “Mir ist heiss. (I feel hot).” The good news is, once you’ve made this mistake you probably won’t make it again! J
Yvonne has a whole host of words which are “false friends” like also, who, where, will,… that can lead to all sorts of misinterpretation. The problem with German is that it’s not only the grammar which makes it perplexing (or amusing depending on how your view), but the cases are mystifying too! Yvonne takes you through it all step by step and has a knack of simplifying event the most complex grammatical situations.
Tips For Learning German
As well as grammar books and lessons at the German language school Yvonne suggests free apps such as Duolingo and Babbel which you can use to reinforce your learning whilst on the tram or waiting for the train. She also recommends short films like Nicos Weg on the Deutsche Welle’s website and podcasts such as DaZPod, as well as children’s programmes like “Die Sendung mit der Maus” can all help. However, if you want to advance your German skills at a faster pace there is nothing like a series of lessons at the German Language School.
Why Not Start With a Free Trial Lesson?
So with it all being so complicated, where on earth should you start? Well, as Yvonne says it’s never too late to learn and if you think it’s all too difficult, it simply means you haven’t yet found the right strategy. So whether you’ve just arrived in Zurich, or even if you’ve been here for years, even learning a little German will help. Why not join Yvonne for a no-obligation FREE trial lesson? After all you’ve got nothing to lose and you should have a lot of fun!
The German Language School
Address: Gewerbestrasse 9, 8132 Egg
Tel: 077 44 89 667
You can email Yvonne by clicking here: herrmann@german-language-school.ch
Please note that most classes are online at the moment due to the current Pandemic – but do call Yvonne for your free trial lesson!
Visit the German Language School website by clicking here.
Click here for directions to The German Language School.
See Google Map below of location:
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This is a sponsored article
Photos of Yvonne and Marcus courtesy of The German Language School
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2 comments
Yvonne is an excellent teacher! I can highly recommend learning German with her. Classes are interesting, varied, and always curtailed to your needs. I’ve never had more fun learning a language.
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback Stephanie !