Hi, I'm Thomas.
I'm a native German speaker, 35 years old, born and raised in Berlin. I've been teaching German since 2018 - and I've spent those years helping adult learners get past the point where they understand German to the point where they can actually use it.
What keeps me going is a simple observation: most people who struggle with German aren't struggling because German is too hard. They're struggling because nobody has explained it clearly, or given them the right kind of practice. That's what I focus on.
I know what it feels like from the other side
German is my native language. But I've spent years learning others - English, Spanish, and Portuguese. That experience taught me something no teaching manual could:
There's a specific frustration that comes from studying a language for months and still not being able to hold a real conversation. I know exactly what that feels like - and it's the foundation of everything I teach.
When a student tells me they freeze up when someone speaks to them, or that they don't know what to say at the doctor or the Amt - I don't just understand it theoretically. I've been there. That's a different kind of understanding, and it changes how I teach.
What I believe about learning German
Most people already know more than they think. The problem is usually not vocabulary or grammar - it's that they've never practised using what they know in real situations.
If an explanation doesn't work, the explanation is wrong - not the student. German grammar can be made clear. It just rarely is. I focus on explaining things directly and practically, without unnecessary complexity.
Speaking improves by speaking - not by studying speaking.
Everything I teach is built around getting you to use the language, not just understand it.
The goal is real life, not perfect German.
You don't need to speak like a native. You need to communicate confidently in the situations that matter to you - at work, at the doctor, in everyday life in Germany.
How I work
In private lessons, I start by finding out what you actually need - not what a textbook says you should learn at your level, but what's blocking you right now. Then we work on that, directly and practically.
Most of my students come because they can understand German but can't speak it. We focus on real conversation, real situations, and the specific things - grammar, vocabulary, confidence - that are holding them back. No fixed programme. Just whatever moves you forward fastest.
In everything I make - lessons, courses, content - the goal is the same: clear explanations, real practice, and German that actually works for your life.
