UPDATE: This article was written in 2014, 3 years before I created my online German course which you can try for free here. I made many good points in this post especially when it comes to studying German in a language school or any sort of online classroom. Therefore I’ll leave this article up. But if you want to find out about my learnings from the last 7 years, I recommend you read this article of mine.
Here now begins the main article.
Is it Worth Getting a Private German Tutor – A Teacher’s Point of View
The following is my reaction to a discussion on toytown that you can find here (click). I simply couldn’t sit still any longer reading that this school is better than that one because it is cheaper or has a native speaker teach in their mother tongue, or whatever reason they have found.
In general, a language school is a language school and group courses are all suffering from the same systemic flaws that I will describe below. Feel free to disagree and to bring up solid arguments for your point in case you indeed want to disagree ^^.
Viel Spaß beim Lesen.
Here We Go
I once again would like to mention that private lessons with a German tutor are the best option if you are serious about learning proper German. (Find out about our German private lessons in Berlin)
Let’s do some math: A cheap course costs 200€ per month (e.g. Hartnack-Schule), plus some books and the exam fee later on. To reach fluency, which more or less starts after your B2 exam (exactly the moment that you hold your certificate), you would need 9 months if you keep up with the speed in class. That makes 1.800€ plus more for the books and the exam fee, so let’s say 2.000€.
How to Measure the Quality of a Course
I have it from one of the directors of a big school here in Berlin that around 60-70% of those who learn German there pass the B1 exam, and I suppose that that is also the quota for the B2 exam if not even lower. You should ask the schools you are thinking of about their success rate regarding the exams you are about to take (if so). Of course, there are many self-inflicted reasons why learners do not pass the exam but it might also hint at the quality of their German lessons.
die Privatsphäre – the privacy / Image from Pixabay
Less is More
I often read people saying that getting many lessons for little money is a good thing. It is not. At least not in a fixed structure that is predominant on the market today.
If you learn a language, you want that to happen quickly. While 100 hours might bring you farther than 50 hours, if you can’t advance at your own pace, you will have simply paid 50 hours for sitting and waiting to advance to the next level.
Only a few schools will (be able to) let you jump to a higher class before the given time and also then you will miss some of the important stuff as the courses are not tailored to your individual needs. So what you are getting cheaper is more of the same. But in order to improve your German language skills, what you need is more new stuff to advance quickly.
If you purchase 600 hours of classes running with 50% efficiency, what you get is 300 hours of real value while losing 300 hours of your precious time. But it might not even be 50% that you will get out of a group as I will point out below.
Why Classes are a Waste of Time And Offer Low Quality
Now, sitting in class with 10 or even 20 people is a waste of time for ~66% of the participants. The teacher will try to find a moderate speed to keep that group of foreign students together for as long as it lasts. That means, should you be a slow learner, you’d be still running behind, should you be a fast learner you most likely get bored. And even if the class runs at exactly at your individual speed, you might be slowed down by the slower learners, or simply be annoyed by the faster learners that might decide to simply distract the rest of the class to get at least some attention.
The Pronunciation Problem
But let’s assume the class is amazingly disciplined and running at optimum speed. You will be listening to very little original German, as teachers are instructed to let students speak German to each other and interact.
That’s one of the teaching methods called ”the communicative approach.” That means that you will often talk to non-native speakers who naturally make a lot of mistakes, and they also will not be able to correct yours. The teacher will not be able to properly keep an ear on your efforts and miss out on correcting you a lot.
Listening to how a teacher corrects other people’s mistakes is not the same and most likely will do very little for your pronunciation. And once you have fossilized a mistake, it is a pain in the neck to get it out of the system.
German Language Only
Then all schools, at least in Berlin or even Germany, believe in teaching languages with a native German tutor in German only. That is an amazing challenge for many learners. In a one-to-one session with a face-to-face or an online German tutor, that might work with a little help from our friend the English language here and there but with 10 people that will just frustrate you.
Sure, you will in the end figure something out on your own. But why pay a teacher to study German with if she doesn’t do her job by explaining things fast and clearly to you so that you don’t have to figure things out on your own and take the risk of misunderstanding things.
The schools have to work like this for economic and organizational reasons, but they often at times also claim to do so because they believe in a myth that if you speak German only with a native German speaker, that will speed up the learning process. Obviously, that is far from the truth. As a German teacher, I have been teaching German in English and practice in German. This way I have managed to teach students to develop their language skills in my native language and speak German in a lot less time than 6 months.
Disclaimer
I am not advertising my services as a German tutor here. There are many private German language tutors available for as little as 14€ per hour on italki.com. I just can’t watch those who are serious about learning German wasting their time and in the end money by sitting in overcrowded classes (three makes a crowd). I have taught German classes in big groups for way too many years and will never ever teach a group again, as it is simply more frustrating than necessary for all involved.
The Goals Are Independence And Knowing How to Learn
They also never really teach you HOW to learn and are instead only showing you “only” WHAT to learn. Learning German is a highly complex matter that most learners need thorough guidance to learn efficiently and effectively. Most private German tutors won’t do that either though. That’s why you might want to search the net for “learning how to learn (a foreign language)” or similar.
There is a free course on Coursera.com about that topic, though not focusing on language: Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects by Dr. Barbara Oakley, Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, as a starter. Search for “linkword technique” and work with memrise.com to make the most out of your learning time.
The Real Costs Of a Private German Tutor And Group Compared
So, let’s assume you find private German language tutors for 20€/hour (60 mins, not 45 mins like they sell you in school to make the number of lessons seem higher). For 2.000€, you’d get 100 German lessons with that tutor. If you had one hour a day, which is more than sufficient as your attention span sinks after 45mins of grammar exercises and you will also have to do some homework or real work, that money would last 5 months!!! Not counting in the weekends, give her some rest.
But as the instruction is way more efficient and if she’s good (!), she will also provide you with a lot (!) of homework, so you will advance much faster than that. And by the way, you’ll know when a teacher is a professional teacher. You will feel it right away.
Even if the best German tutor might cost you 40€/hour – which by the way is a more than fair price, as private tutors usually pay around 500€ monthly insurances alone before taxes), you could simply see that tutor 3x per week and still have 4 months of highly efficient and above all individual instruction which is more than enough if you do your homework.
Private German Tutors Are Timelords (And Ladies)
So, next to not spending a single cent more than with a group course, you would also save time. Imagine what you could do with one month of extra lifetime?
Feel free to disagree. These are just the results of 15 years of teaching German in schools and also of having sat in over 20 language courses due to my studies and also out of pure interest). Compare it to your own experience and come to your own conclusions.
Last Disclaimer
I am not criticizing language schools for doing what they have to do to survive. And some of them do the hell of a job to deliver good services to their clients, I have heard good things from GLS, and Tandem e.V. Berlin I know personally.
The Goethe is just amazingly overpriced, though if you go there the money goes back to the government (currently they make 111 Mio EUR annually with the language courses worldwide alone) and might reduce my tax load. But they also offer many other amazing cultural events and also a soothing atmosphere that might make up for some of it. But…
If You Insist on Taking Classes in a Group
Just think of the people you would like to work with. The Goethe will bring you in touch with another clientele than the VHS or a school like Hartnack, for instance.
If you are a fast learner, seek schools that offer small groups (less than 8 people) with expert tutors but that will make courses significantly more expensive. It’s best to find German classes suited to the German language level that you’re in, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). By following this structure, you’ll be able to take certification exams more comfortably.
If you are looking to get admission into a German university, get a job in a German-speaking country, or any other option that might require an official certificate, classes following a set curriculum is your best option after finding the right German tutor. Keep in mind that you’ll need 900 hours to reach professional working proficiency based on Foreign Service Institute guidelines, although any previous experience with similar languages and a natural aptitude might make the process easier and faster.
Count in the time you need to get to the school offering these German classes. Can you make use of the time otherwise lost traveling? The free app by Memrise is a great travel companion.
If you are doing exam preparation, ask for the success rates of the ones taking the exam and if that number seems awfully low to you, ask them why this is so. If they stagger around, then they haven’t done their homework and I would be a bit more skeptical.
Try Before You Buy
Then before signing anything, ask for a free trial lesson. If it is a big school, I would even ask if you could try two different teachers as the quality of your experience mainly depends on your view of the competency of that person. They might not want you to do that for the reason that you might disturb the class e.g. but one session should be for free in any case.
If they do not accept that, get out of there. This is not the way to conduct an ethical business. I do not spend 200€ or even more on something that I can’t see or that I can’t return. Even though at times a half-year package might save you 100€ I wouldn’t sign that before I have thoroughly tested out that teacher at least for a month.
Always Ask
If you have already sold your soul and your house to the school and feel not content with the tutor or just feel like you are not advancing as quickly as you hoped for, seek an honest talk with the teacher to give you feedback on your performance and ask for suggestions on how to improve that, or simply go to the office and ask to change classes. That of course will only work in the bigger schools and schools will be usually hesitant to let you migrate because it messes up their planning. They often try to fill every class to the maximum and are willing to make compromises regarding the homogeneity of the language level of the group which is not to your advantage.
FINAL WORDS
Again, don’t take anything I say for granted. I hope you see the logic in most of what I said but when it comes to my experience, check whether I am correct with my claims or not. Either way, I genuinely wish you success with your German learning and may you enjoy the beauty of that fabulous language of mine 😉
Herzlichst
Michael
FAQs about German tutors and German language classes
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about German tutors and online German lessons.
How much do tutors charge in Germany?
The fees German tutors charge vary, with factors like experience and location influencing costs. On average, hourly rates can range from €20 to €50. Research local tutoring platforms for more accurate pricing.
Can I learn German with an online German teacher?
Absolutely! Many platforms offer online German teachers, providing personalized learning experiences through online lessons for complete beginners all the way to advanced levels. Choose a teacher that suits your learning style for effective and flexible language acquisition and improving your conversation skills in a pressure free environment.
How do I find an online German tutor?
To find an online German tutor, explore language learning platforms like iTalki, Preply, or Verbling. Review various online German tutors’ profiles, consider their expertise, and read student reviews. Online German lessons offer a convenient way to connect with qualified German tutors for private German classes.
How much does it cost to learn German with a private tutor?
The cost with a native-speaking German tutor (teaching online or face to face) varies based on your schedule and learning strategy, with private lessons starting at just €15.50 – 20 per class. Another effective approach for German learners is combining small group classes with private sessions or online lessons to stay on track with your level’s curriculum and delve deeper into personalized topics with a private tutor.
What qualifications do you need to be a German teacher?
To become a German teacher, a native speaker proficiency level in the German language and knowledge of German culture is crucial. Typically, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in German, linguistics, or a related field is required. Some experience teaching German
Summing Up: Save Money & Time with a Private German Tutor
The analysis explores cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and individualized learning, emphasizing the drawbacks of traditional classroom settings. As a teacher, I believe that you can learn German better through private tutoring for a more tailored and effective language learning experience. This way you can reach your language goals more effectively, get a deep understanding of the language and culture and you will be able to have a free conversation in German speaking countries or pass your exam successfully. Hopefully, this article will serve as a valuable resource for those serious about mastering German, providing some insights gained from years of teaching experience. If you’d like to experience one-to-one German tutoring for yourself, check us out at SmarterGerman!