Petra

Born in Stuttgart, Germany to a German father and an American mother.
Apprenticeship in the German book trade (“Schulen des Deutschen Buchhandels”)
B.A. in English Literature & History of Art (Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen)
M.A. in Fine & Decorative Arts (Sotheby’s/ University of Manchester)
I worked in PR in publishing and then as a translator and general manager of a small literary press specialising in books in translation before having my two children.
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Policy and Cultural Management (City University, London)
I am now working as a freelance translator and as a German tutor.

Willing to travel: Home Only

Experience: I am a bilingual German and English speaker (also proficient in French with working experience of Italian). My personal background and my work as translator of literary fiction have made me sensitive to the intricacies and nuances of successful cultural exchange and understanding and this awareness feeds directly into the way I teach. Learning a language is about so much more than just learning grammar and vocabulary (although these cornerstones are fundamental!). German is a tricky language but it is also profound and beautiful. Above all (and despite common misconceptions!) it can be fun and I aim to make my lessons varied and enjoyable.
As an experienced German tutor, I have been successfully preparing GCSE/IGCSE and A-Level students for their German oral and written exams. My students attend top schools (day & boarding) and I have been working as a language assistant at a private girls’ school in Knightsbridge.
In normal circumstances, my tutoring sessions take place at my house in west London but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been teaching on Zoom, Google Hangouts and FaceTime - a model which is working surprisingly well!
Due to my work at school, I am fully DBS and CRB checked.