Jonathan West

Every learner is different, so it's important to analyse your goals and your needs. Lesson format will therefore be a matter for discussion, but normally each of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing will come into focus. You may wish to visit Germany, Switzerland or Austria and converse easily with people you meet, function easily in a business context, listen to German radio or TV, or simply read German-language newspapers, novels or other texts relevant to you. With a First-Class Hons. BA and an old-style research MA from Manchester University, as well as a Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin, and over 60 years of speaking and working in German, you can be confident that I can help you in most learning situations, whether this be on a one-to-one basis online, or in the context of corporate language instruction. As a native speaker of English with deep knowledge of German, I have a unique insight into the difficulties learners encounter and the best ways to overcome them. Over my lecturing career in Germany, Ireland and the UK I have published widely, mostly in the areas of German grammar and the history of the language, and can give both over-arching and detailed insight into its perceived mysteries. But German isn't hard, illogical, or mysterious — it's just developed a bit differently from Modern English even though the two languages are very closely related. That close relationship and your motivation are key to a successful learning programme. Of course, if you're a German native speaker wishing to improve your English, my skills will be helpful to you as well.