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 Nights – mal Deutsch lernen!

This fall we are offering Tuesday German Night language classes for beginners, as well as intermediate to advanced students. In these sessions, you will have fun learning about German culture while refining your language skills. The beginner section is designed for people with limited exposure to German, while the intermediate to advanced section is perfect for those looking participate in engaging discussions.

Sessions – Fall 2023

We are offering six German Nights this fall on September 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. You are welcome to attend any five of the six nights — if you come to all six then the sixth one is free! When you register for this course, please select the group that you would like to attend.

Beginner Session: The beginner to early-intermediate group will meet from 6:30-7:30pm on Tuesdays.

Intermediate to Advanced Session: The intermediate to advanced group will meet from 7:30-8:30pm on Tuesdays.

Are you not sure which group is the best for you? Give us a call at 541-728-3022 or send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we would be happy to offer you a free language level evaluation.

Second Year German I

Second Year German I is designed for intermediate students. This course continues the development of listening, comprehension, speaking and writing skills. We will focus on subordinating conjunctions, reflexive verbs, and adjective endings. By the end of the course, you should be able to discuss personal interests, health, daily routines, poetry, and culture in German. This interactive course is full of fascinating topics to discuss and extra-curricular activities to help your German become fluent and fun!

This course is also the fourth term in a series of six that offer credit through Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Successful completion of the second-year sequence will prepare students for third-year German at other universities. To register for college credit, please select the option to do so when registering for this course online and provide your COCC ID number in the notes section. An additional fee of $60 is required for students seeking college credit.

Sessions – Fall 2023

Second Year German I will meet in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5:15-6:15pm from September 25 – November 29.  For those seeking college credit, a remote final assessment will take place the week of December 4. This course is designed as a hybrid course where some learning components will also take place on Canvas. Second Year German II and German III will continue at the same times in winter and spring terms.

Send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022 if you would like more details or have any questions.

Introductory German I

Introductory German I is designed for beginners. This course will develop basic listening, comprehension, speaking, and writing skills. We will focus on phonetics, genders, descriptions of objects and people, and present tense verb conjugation. By the end of the course, you should be able to discuss a range of topics including hobbies, like and dislikes, family and friends, and travel plans. It will be a fun, interactive course with ample opportunity for conversation!

This course is also the first course in a series of three that offer college credit through Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Successful completion of this sequence will prepare students for second-year level German at other universities. To register for college credit, please select the option to do so when registering for this course online and provide your COCC ID number in the notes section. Students not previously enrolled at COCC will need to complete an admission application, and we can help you through this process. An additional fee of $60 is required for students seeking college credit.

Sessions – Fall 2024

Introductory German I will be offered again in Fall 2024. We are currently offering small private groups as a German I equivalency and please contact us if you would like to learn more. You can send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022.

First Year German II

German II continues the development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. It is designed for students who have taken at least two months of German previously. The course focuses on the usage of kennen and wissen, the accusative case and prepositions governed by the accusative, modal verbs, verbs with separable prefixes, forming plurals, the formal and informal imperative, and prepositions. By the end of the course, you should be able to discuss feel comfortable speaking about travel plans, hobbies, family and past experiences. This is an engaging and interactive course!

This course is also the second course in a series of three that offer college credit through Central Oregon Community College (COCC). It is the equivalent of German 102. Successful completion of this sequence will prepare students for second-year level German at other universities. To register for college credit, please select the option to do so when registering for this course online and provide your COCC ID number in the notes section. Students not previously enrolled at COCC will need to complete an admission application, and we can help you through this process. An additional fee of $60 is required for students seeking college credit.

Sessions – Winter 2025

German II will be offered again in Winter 2025. We are currently offering small private groups as a German II equivalency and please contact us if you would like to learn more. You can send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022. We would be happy to help you find the language class that best fits your needs!

First Year German III

First Year German III is a continuation of German II, focusing on the dative case including indirect objects and prepositions governed by the dative, two-way prepositions, and past tense using “sein” and “haben,” coordinating conjunctions, and comparisons. This course is available through in-person and remote formats. New students who have two or three years of high school German or the equivalent are welcome to join in the fun of learning German!

This course is also the third course in a series of three that offer college credit through Central Oregon Community College (COCC). It is the equivalent of German 103. Successful completion of this sequence will prepare students for second-year level German at other universities. To register for college credit, please select the option to do so when registering for this course online and provide your COCC ID number in the notes section. Students not previously enrolled at COCC will need to complete an admission application, and we can help you through this process. An additional fee of $60 is required for students seeking college credit.

Sessions – Spring 2025

German III will be offered again in Winter 2025. We are currently offering small private groups as a German III equivalency and please contact us if you would like to learn more. You can send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022. We would be happy to help you find the language class that best fits your needs!

A German Year – Cultures and Traditions

Have you ever wondered about the world of German traditions and customs beyond beer and Oktoberfest? Then this workshop is for you! We will discover a variety of German traditions that will inspire you to learn more about Germans and their culture. In this workshop we will explore a different season of the year to explore a mix of festive, celebratory and entertaining German heritage. Amongst those traditions are festivities such as Karneval, der Maibaum, St. Martin, Krampus & St. Nikolaus.

The workshop does not require any German language skills but welcomes those of you who are studying the German language. There will be opportunities to learn more linguistic and cultural skills for everyone.

We don’t have any workshops currently scheduled. Check back in the future! You can also sign up to be on our mailing list below.

Backe, backe Plätzchen…

This is the season – and not only here in beautiful Bend, but also in far away Germany! It is time to get busy in the kitchen to make and bake delicious treats for you and your family. The German culture has a long tradition of baking around Christmas time which ranges from Advent cookies for every level of baking skill to the sophisticated art of making Stollen.

During this workshop we will learn how to bake some of the German favorites amongst which are Vanillekipferl, Lebkuchen, Kokosmakronen, Zimtsterne and Bethmännchen.

We don’t have any workshops currently scheduled, but please check back in the future. You can also sign up to be on our mailing list below.

Let’s get baking and learn about German language and traditions!

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 $50 dollars per hour, and when you purchase your time in advance you can reduce that rate down to $46 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.

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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