Just finished the Kultur Pur Summer course with Christa.  The preparation she did for this course was incredible. She pulled together a tremendous amount of resource material for us, enough to fill a college semester course (or two!).

We learned a great deal and came away with plenty of intriguing leads and avenues for further study.  She was, as always, patient and upbeat, kept us focused while letting us digress now and then (as the best teachers will do), and made the overall experience interesting, informative, and a lot of fun.

Vielen Dank, Christa!

My work sent me to Germany. I was 27 and had only traveled to Europe once before and never alone. I didn’t know how to say anything. I was humbled by how well everyone spoke English, but I was really uneasy that I knew nothing. By the end of the week I had at least educated myself on hello, good-bye, and thank you, but I vowed I wouldn’t travel with such little language skills ever again. I started learning German.

By day, I was an engineer preparing to install custom German-made manufacturing equipment. I spent 2 years at work preparing for this project, and taking German classes for fun on the side in the evenings. A few trips to Germany later (and successful restaurant and weeknight adventures), it was time to install the line.

The German mechanics who came to the US for the installation spoke English fluently, but mostly spoke German when they were together, even if I was around. They didn’t know that I also knew “a little” German. I was constantly on the production floor checking in and answering questions, coordinating other trade functions with utilities that were needed for the line. The German mechanics would speak to each other – mostly about work, but I enjoyed understanding a little of what was going on when they thought I couldn’t understand them. I learned of some things they had to call their office to get new parts for because the ones they had weren’t quite right, I learned their programmer wasn’t used to being around people a lot and had to be reminded to be nice.

I was in and out of the area often reminding them to wear their Personal Protective Equipment because an errant ear plug or pair of Safety Glasses might have been missing. After the 3rd time in one day of reminding a mechanic about Safety Glasses, I told him in German: “du hast schöne Augen. Du musst sie schützen. (you have handsome eyes, you must protect them)”. The look on his face was priceless. He was shocked. We proceeded to have a friendly chat about how I learned German at the New Hampshire German School. He was surprised we had such a school in New Hampshire, and that is one of the main reasons I am so proud to be part of this school.

Also – I never had to remind him to wear his safety glasses again. 🙂

My recommendation of the program is based on having seen three different instructors, in three different language levels, over a four year time period.

I recommend the GLS program enthusiastically:

• I find the classes enjoyable – yes, it can be fun to learn or improve a new language – and run in a very informal, non-judgmental format.
• Each of the classes is conducted with an appropriate mix of German and English, with more and more German content as you progress.
• The instructors are positive and enthusiastic, with excellent German speaking and reading skills.
• There is an appropriate amount of “homework” between classes, typically consisting of reading, or short grammar exercises, or vocabulary building exercises (nearly always enjoyable), and listening to a German audio or viewing a short tele-novella in German.

I also feel very good about the improvement in my German skills over the last four years, and would recommend the GLS programs without hesitation to anyone who wants to learn a new language or rebuild their knowledge of this language.

I’m writing to encourage intermediate students to try the Advanced Class. Although, I was basically a self taught student, I found the class not too difficult and benefited from it greatly.

I found out about the NHGA by attending the Stammtisch six years ago. At that time there were a number of GLS student regulars. So I decided to try the Advanced Class because that’s where my friends were. Although, I was not really ready for it. Leslie made me feel very welcome. Leslie Blanding is a very experienced instructor and works well with students at various levels. The class work is well balanced and I never felt overwhelmed by the class work or homework. I knew from day one that I could switch to the Intermediate Class if needed.

Sometimes it takes a challenge and a push to get to the next level. You may be surprised to learn that you are already there. Hope to meet you in the Advanced Class one day,

The summer classes provide an excellent opportunity for learning German in a casual and fun environment. We have taken the games and travel classes and really enjoyed both of them. As a summer student, you get to meet and interact with other German students at all levels. It’s especially great for those who have more free time in the summer and who may not be able to attend night classes during the rest of the year.

This program is outstanding and I love my German classes!

I was born in Germany and was adopted by an American family as a child. In adulthood, I have found many German speaking siblings and these German classes been instrumental in helping me to communicate with my family.

My instructor is truly fantastic and my classmates are friendly and helpful! I have no doubt that this program will lead me to fluency.