NinaL. Tutor Interview

Q. Hi, Nina! please introduce yourself!: A. Hallo! I am Nina, I am (almost) 27 now and I have recently moved back to Austria where I spend most of the year. After graduation from High School I moved to Italy to live as an Au-Pair in a Neapolitan family, where I looked after their three children and taught them German. I studied languages and literature in Naples and Rome, fell in love with a Sicilian and got myself a street dog. Now, several years after I moved back home (taking both with me, man and dog) to get my teaching credentials for German for Foreigners (DaF) at the University in Klagenfurt. I consider myself quite an easy-going person, I love meeting new people and learning new things – for me life is all about give and take, an exchange between cultures and people.
Q. I want to know where you live. Could you please tell us about your current city?: A. I think I got ahead of myself with the first question, but anyway ☺! I live in a small town in the south of Austria called Klagenfurt. I love it here because it is surrounded by forests, mountains and lakes. It is ideal for anyone who likes to be in the nature without having to search too long to find a nice café or a shopping mile. Klagenfurt has everything in my opinion – shopping, food, nature, friendly (sometimes a little bit over punctual) people and also some cultural events and museums.
Q. How do you spend your days off? Is there anything you’ve gotten into lately?: A. I love to spend some time alone in nature with my dogs. I do not bring my mobile phone or think of my email inbox. My friends and family know that they are more than welcome to join – if they do not bring their phones either, so no selfies or texting all the time. I like this kind of relaxation, there are so many things to discover!
Q. Have you studied a foreign language before? Do you think it’s hard to adapt to a different culture without learning its language?: A. At school I studied English, French and Italian. I am a very talkative person so languages were my favourite subject. When I went to Italy, however, I discovered that learning a language at school is very different from learning it in the country. So I think that it is important to be able to communicate with the local population in order to understand their culture, therefore if you want to properly adapt to a culture you have to understand first.
Q. Please tell us about the main feature of your lessons.: A. My lessons are individual lessons and I always offer a trial session which is very short and I use it to present myself, to get to know my new student and understand his or her needs. After that together with the student I set up a study plan according to the student’s goals. There is no “one fits all” lesson with me.
Q. What are you most careful of when you teach your students?: A. I am always trying to make sure that my students understood where and why they went wrong or what was very good and positive. So I frequently ask them to explain something to me, if they could follow the lesson or if they have any doubts left. I also always ask them to repeat an exercise if I noticed they had a lot of difficulties with it.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students?: A. Dear Cafetalk Students, I am very happy to be part of this beautiful community and glad that so many people are interested in learning German. I know it takes a lot of effort and dedication to get the hang of it, but in the end it is definitely worth your while!!!