Flexible German language courses

Hi guys

Quick profile ... Scottish, 35, moved to Berlin August 2006, live in Friedrichshain with partner and dog, work for easyJet.

Problem ... I have been in Berlin now for about 8 months and my German has picked up, Michel Thomas, through listening to and asking people at work. But I'm not happy with how slow its taking. I class my level as "easyKiosk level" - or to any other flight attendants, "tea, coffee, milk, sugar" level. Because I am a flight attentant it is physically impossible for me to go to an intensive course, or even a regular Monday-Friday course. My only options are 1) take a month off to do an intensive course (not practical - I need to be paid!). or 2) find a school who's willing to allow me to go to classes say every second week or on different days to suit my roster.

Solution ... Anyone know? If you know of anywhere that I could even approach to ask if they'd be willing to accomodate me, I'd appreciate your help. I've tried a few of the schools mentioned in these pages, but many can't/won't do it or are really expensive.

Thank you so much in advance for all your help.

Allan

Probably better of with a tandem speaker who is also flexible. That or one to one lessons which can be expensive.

I think Berlitz schools (I presume there is one in Berlin too) have kind of come and go as you want lessons.

checkout babylonia in kreuzberg:
http://babylonia.blogstrasse.de/?page_id=5
or parlando in mitte:
http://www.parlando-berlin.de/index.php?id=139

...both offer more flexible classes.

I have been using on and off the following Kreuzberg school "Sprachwerk" at http://www.sprachwerk-berlin.de/home2.htm
they have classes private which I do for English native speakers.
good luck- Babylonia is also very interesting, a bit chaotic but I like that as well

you can find private teachers from 15-20/hr. not super cheap, but i found by taking 2 private lessons a week, i actually learned more than taking a month of intensive classes because i was learning and talking for the entire 1-2 hours. i had 2, 2hr privates a week and covered two months of grammar from level grundstuffe 1. if you want some help finding a teacher i can recommend some of my previous teachers. you can probably even find lessons for as cheap as 10/hr, but most of the teachers who know what they are doing charge a bit more.

I second the advice from 2elles2.

If you need someone flexible, then get a private tutor. Otherwise you'll waste a lot of time and money on not getting very far in a group. I had a private tutor for a while and it was true for me too that you cover soo much more in less "class" time. Get someone who takes you through one of the reputable learning series brands so you can get some support literature that you can run through on your own time.

As for finding a teacher - my experience is that most that teach at a school also do so privately (read: cheaper and more flexible). If you know anyone in a class now, you can ask them to ask their teacher if thez do it privately as well. Or you can visit a class and ask yourself (not sure if the schools would reall support this though). I wound up taking private hours from a my (ex) teacher from a school I signed up with - cheaper and much quicker pace with more flexibility. I think the rates mentioned are about right as well.

Good luck with it!

I don't know how much help it is, but I have a few German lessons I can share with you (Shhhh...American Anti-Piracy Laws forbid this) I have Rosetta Stone German levels 1 and 2, good for picking up common, practical phrases and words...identifying objects etc. Also I have 16 or so lessons by Pimsleur, general conversation - you wont get fluent, but I personally love his teaching style and the little I learned from these lessons have been almost 100% applicable in my day to day routines. I am also going to buy Pimsleurs more intensive CD lessons soon, 30 lessons 30 minutes a price...3 levels all consisting of 30 lessons in total. I am in the same position you are, I cannot take enough time from work to do the intensive classes, the mandatory, yet competitively priced integration classes just wont work. I tried going to a VHS class, but found the progress to be grueling at best...

Let me know, I am close to you, and would be happy to meet up at a coffee shop if you bring the blank media (5 or 6 CD's for the Pimsleur and one DVD and one CD for the Rosetta Stone.)

This offer also goes out to anyone else that thinks they might benefit from these lessons. Cant argue with free...or next to it minus the cost of the blank CD's.