Franzis

Franzis Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Franzis! Would you kindly give a brief self-introduction to the Cafetalk community?

A. Guten Tag ! My name is Franzis and I’m a Cafetalk tutor since May 2018. I am from Germany, but living in Japan for 3 years. In my past I had the opportunity to work in England and to meet and work with people from all over the world. It was my dream to live in Japan since my childhood and now I’m here and I am very happy. :)

Q. You are from Germany, but where in Germany exactly? Can you introduce your hometown to us?

A. I was born in a city called Magdeburg in the east of Germany. Magdeburg is the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt and it is situated on the Elbe River. I like my hometown, because we have a wonderful cathedral called “Magdeburger Dom” and a lot of nature and cultural history. If you have the chance to visit Magdeburg, please take it. ;)

Q. Currently you are living in Japan! Where abouts in Japan do you live, and what does your life here look like?

A. At the moment I live in the Saitama prefecture adjacent to Tokyo, not far from beautiful temples and nature. I really like it here, because there are many cultural events I can visit. It is always stunning to see the difference between the modern and the old culture.

Q. What are you usually up to when you’re not teaching on Cafetalk? What are your hobbies and interests?

A. I have a lot of interests and hobbies, but my biggest passion is it to learn foreign languages. At the moment I’m learning Japanese and French. I also like to read a good book and do sports. Furthermore, I like to go out with my husband and explore the streets of Japan.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about your professional background? What got you into teaching, and what motivated you to keep pursuing this career?

A. Back in Germany I worked with people from different countries and I guided them through the daily life in our company. It was a lot of fun to communicate with them and to show them the language and the culture here. I started to realize, this is something I want to do in the future. To help people with learning German and tell them about our country and also learning a lot from them.

Q. A lot of students are probably curious about the atmosphere in your lessons. What can a student imagine a lesson with you to be like? What’s your “lesson style”?

A. I would describe my teaching style as “relaxed” but also “professional”. I want the students to feel relaxed and happy and therefore I talk with them about different topics. It is great to get to know the students and to create a lesson for their needs. It is also important to ask them, if they have a question or if they know the “words” I use in a conversation. After the lesson I will write a summary to them with everything we learned so far and different sentences as an example.

Q. As for learning German, do you employ or recommend any specific study method?

A. I think the best method to study any language is a mix of reading, speaking and listening, but it is also important to do everything step by step. Practice frequently, try to use the things you learned and don’t stress yourself. This is the key for having fun while learning German and to keep going with every language. :) If you have the chance to visit Germany, please take it. It is always a great way to learn the language and to understand the culture and the people.

Q. It seems like you are currently learning Japanese, do you ever use any Japanese in your lessons or are they completely in German?

A. Yes, I’m learning Japanese since back in Germany, but living in Japan was the best way to learn the language, but I would say that I’m still at the beginning of my journey I don’t have a chance to speak Japanese in my daily life very often. Therefore my lessons usually will be held in German or English and some Japanese.

Q. Since you offer a variety of lessons, is there any lesson you can recommend in particular? Or can you give a quick overview which lesson might be good for which type of student?

A. I offer many different lessons which are created for the needs of the students.

A lot of students want to improve their “hearing” and “speaking” skills, because they are planning a trip to Germany or they just want to talk with a native speaker about the culture in Germany. Therefore I would recommend the “Conversation in German” lesson. In this lesson the students can talk about every topic they want to or they can create a presentation and we can read and talk about it. So, they will be able to learn the language and to learn about the culture at the same time.

Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for your current and future students?

A. Dear Cafetalk students, at first I want to say Thank you so much for studying together. It is always so much fun to talk and learn with you and with your help I was able to learn a lot of things too.

At my new students, it would be great, if you decide to learn German with me. I’m looking forward to learning German with you and to create a great lesson for your needs. If there is anything you want to know, don’t hesitate to contact me. :)

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Franzis

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