teaching philosophy

Wir sprechen Deutsch

Most of our classes use intensive immersion and all apply modern teaching methods.

– Language is most meaningful if it is alive.
– Most people, especially children, learn best in community.
– It means a lot to be able to share your ideas with the people who are HERE with you.

We appeal to many learning styles, but will limit using English. (In some situations, English is called for — contact our director if you have any questions.)

– What we learn: readings, media, and discussions emphasize the contemporary German-language world — culture, art, science, and politics — but also consider where we’ve come from, the history and traditions that shape the culture.

– We try to make learning fun — it’s not hard when you are as passionate about German as we are!

We don’t give grades, but we do measure student progress. How? We publish a curriculum for each class, and teachers report periodically to families. Middle and high-school-aged non-beginners may take standardized tests, either the Internationale Vergleichsarbeit Levels 1 and 2 (A1 and A2 tests), or potentially an internationally recognized test from the German government, the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD).

The German government, as represented by the ZfA, the Zentralstelle für Auslandsschulwesen, stands for the quality of language programs: it looks for many of the same things that you do: qualified staff, an organized program with built-in progression, and results.

We cooperate with them in all these areas in order to earn their support — and yours.