German Language Courses and Tutoring

Learning German can be a fun and interactive way to not only learn a new language, but also a rich cultural history from Northern Europe. At Bend Language Institute, we focus on integrating language and culture to prepare you for a future trip and satisfy your intellectual curiosity. Check out our workshop series about German culture and stay tuned for upcoming German course offerings.

German Courses 2024-2025

Fall 2024

German Grammar I Thursdays 5-6pm September 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24

German Grammar II  Tuesdays 5-6pm September 24, October 1, 8, 15, & 22

November German Language Workshops 5-6pm Tuesday November 5, 12 and Thursday November 21

Winter 2025

German Grammar I Thursdays 5-6pm January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13

German Grammar II Tuesdays 5-6pm January 14, 21, 28, February 11 & 18

Spring 2025

German Grammar I Thursdays 5-6pm April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8

German Grammar II Thursdays 6-7pm April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8

Please scroll below to see courses that are open for registration. On a desktop computer you can click on the tabs on the left for detailed descriptions of each course. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or 541-728-3022.

German Grammar I

Have you always wanted to learn German? It’s time to get started! In German Grammar I, Fall Session, we will focus on greetings, personal information, numbers in context, present tense conjugation, and how and when to use “der, die” and “das.” So viel Spaß! A recommended compliment for “German Song and Humor,” the grammar elements we see in real life will be explored and fully understood in this class.

Sessions – Winter 2025

German Grammar I will meet on Thursdays from 5-6pm on January 16, 23, 30 and February 6 & 13.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 541-728-3022 or email us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we would be happy to help.

German Grammar II

As all students of German know, grammar is freakin’ awesome and loads of fun! In German Grammar II, Fall Session, we will explore and use 2-way prepositions, past tense, and the future tense. A recommended compliment for “German Song and Humor,” the grammar elements we see in real life will be explored and fully understood in this class.

Sessions – Winter 2025

German Grammar II will meet on Tuesdays from 5-6pm from January 14, 21, 28, February 11 & 18 (class will not meet on Feb 4). If you have any questions, please contact us at 541-728-3022 or email us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we would be happy to help.

German Cognates: True and False 

Join us for an evening of German practice focusing on cognates: words that sound the same in German and English, as well as “falsche Freunde” (false friends)-words that tend to trick us! We will explore these words, use them in context and play the cognate game. This class is designed for beginners and intermediate students of German.

Tuesday, November 5, 5:00-6:00 pm

Die, der, das

This class will exercise your “the the the” muscles in German to be able to predict if a noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. Then we will go beyond into the world of “dem, des, den” and figure out what a relative pronoun is! This class is designed for beginners and intermediate students of German.

Tuesday, November 12, 5:00-6:00 pm

Du hast Schwein!

Pigs have a great deal of meaning in German food and culture. So many idioms have “Schwein” in them! Come and figure out when Schwein is good, and when it is bad. We will play games based on these “Schwein” idioms. Vielleicht wirst du Schwein haben! (Maybe you will be lucky!) This class is designed for beginners and intermediate students of German.

Thursday, November 14, 5:00-6:00 pm

Spieleabend: Playing Games in German

Wir werden Brettspiele zusammen spielen: Äpfel zu Äpfeln, Bananegrams, u.s.w.  Sind Sie wettbewerbsintensiv? Mal sehen! Beginner to advanced students alike are invited to join this fun game night.

Check back in the future for another game night!  You can email bendlanguageinstitute.com if you have questions.

Individual Tutoring

Private tutoring with an experienced teacher can help you improve your language skills while working around your schedule. We offer both in-person and remote one-on-one lessons to help you meet your language learning needs. Our language tutoring rate is $55 dollars per hour, and when you purchase your time in advance you can reduce that rate down to $50 per hour.

We also offer semi-private tutoring small groups youth and/or adults at an affordable price, so you can have fun learning with your friends. If this is something that would interest you, contact us and we will be happy to arrange this. You can see more about small group tutoring here: https://bendlanguageinstitute.com/product/small-group-private-lessons/

If you are new to Bend Language Institute, just send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or give us a call at 541-728-3022 and we will be happy to put you in touch with a local teacher to discuss your language level and interests.

CURRENT GERMAN COURSES AND EVENTS

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Saskia Lilley
Saskia LilleyInstructor —Spanish and German
I am a certified Spanish and ESL teacher with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education which I obtained from the University of Cologne, Germany (my hometown). My interest in cultural exchange and teaching led me to living in different parts of the world, such as Argentina, Australia, Spain, Mexico and throughout the United States, where I have gained extensive experience in different educational and multilingual settings. I recently moved to Bend with my husband and I am excited to share my knowledge of languages and cultural experiences with the community.
Janet Gesme
Janet GesmeInstructor —Spanish, German and Russian
I was born in Springfield, Missouri and started life as a professional violist, but the allure of languages has pulled me into learning German, Russian, Spanish, French, and a little Hungarian and Korean. I have a master’s degree in German from Portland State University and have translated the German best sellers “Around the World on 50 Bucks” and “The Sound of Life’s Unspeakable Beauty.” I have also worked as a Spanish translator for Head Start, and as a tri-lingual screener for Volunteers in Medicine (English, Spanish and Russian). I am completely addicted to learning languages and can’t wait to share this joy with you!

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