I have always been fascinated by languages and curious about other cultures. This interest has motivated me to learn languages myself and share my passion with others.

From my research into bilingualism and from my own experience as a bilingual learner I know that achieving proficiency in another language is about more than studying the grammar and learning the vocabulary. This insight has informed my career as a Modern Foreign Language (MFL) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher. It has made me aware of the importance of seeing language acquisition within the context of the learners' personal, social, educational and cultural backgrounds.   

I am a fully qualified teacher with 30 years of experience as a teacher of German and English in my native Germany and as a teacher of EAL in the UK. For more than ten years I have been an examiner for GCSE (and GCE) speaking exams for German and Italian and I have worked with schools and a dedicated team of examiners for other languages to organise the speaking exams for students wishing to obtain an additional qualification in languages not taught at their schools. 

Whilst I initially trained as a teacher in secondary schools, I have worked in primary as well as in secondary schools in the UK. In addition to my teaching qualifications in German and English (Studienrätin) obtained in Germany, I hold a degree of Master of Education (Bilingualism in Education) from the University of Birmingham (UK).