Katharyn

I am a passionate linguist with a genuine love of languages. After my A Levels in German, French and Geography I spent a gap year in Tübingen, Southern Germany, where I fell in love with the language and culture. Having developed a high level of fluency during my gap year, I successfully completed two years of undergraduate studies in Germany. I then graduated with First Class Honours in German (BA) from the University of Stirling. Upon graduation, I worked as a bilingual project co-ordinator for a translation company, before taking the plunge into teaching. I hold a PGCE in Secondary Languages (German with French) from the University of Bristol and have enjoyed teaching languages ever since. In 2009, whilst living and working in Western Australia, I completed a CELTA, which has enabled me to teach EAL/ESOL to a wide range of learners. Since returning to the northern hemisphere in 2018, I have taught German and EAL in different schools in Scotland and Europe, including IELTS and Cambridge English at Gordonstoun School. I have also taught German to adult learners with Lingoda GmbH (online school) and successfully tutored German and EAL. Most recently, after working in Further Education for two years, focussing on SEN learners and vocational studies, I now work in Education Support at Dominican College, Belfast. I continue to teach and tutor German in the evenings.

I am an empathetic and patient teacher, who understands the importance of individualised programmes. I quickly identify students’ needs and personal goals, to determine the best approach for them. As a language learner myself, I know the importance of a safe learning space, free from judgment, and where students can experiment with language, learn from mistakes and quickly gain the confidence to aim high. I value and enjoy using retrieval practice, whilst recycling language and consolidating prior learning. Traditional grammar also plays an important role in my approach, as it contributes to a higher level of accuracy, fluency and self-confidence.

When not working, I love to be outdoors, along a beach, up a hill, or exploring a new city or country. Indoors or in poorer weather, I am a Scrabble and crossword fiend who also enjoys baking and experimenting with my sewing machine. Last but not least, I am an avid fan of German dramas (Krimis) on Netflix, ARD and ZDF!