Meet the CEO of German Online Institute: A Leader in Language Learning

Introduction

Since founding German Online Institute in 2013 and transforming it into a GmbH in 2015, our CEO has not only taught German with a Goethe diploma but also brought her expertise in International Business into play. As a mother of four young children and a pet owner, she blends her passion for her work with her busy life. Her experiences as an expat in Northern Ireland and her energetic and positive personality shape her effective and self-optimizing leadership style and GOI’s student-centric approach, helping expats to feel at home in German-speaking countries.

Preview of the Interview: Dive into our comprehensive interview where she shares insights from her linguistic journey, teaching experiences, and her vision for the future of language learning.

Interview

Language Learning Journey:

• Question: How has your own language learning journey with English, Spanish, and French shaped your approach to teaching German at the German Online Institute?
• Answer: “Learning English and French during my school years, I realized that teacher-centered group instruction with many participants is largely ineffective unless you do the lion’s share of the work yourself through self-study and actively seek immersion and speaking opportunities. My skills in both languages were dreadful initially, but a five-week language stay in Santa Barbara, USA, with host families enabled me to speak confidently and fluently. It wasn’t the quality of instruction that improved my skills, but rather being constantly on the move and enjoying life there in English. This experience allowed me to practice the language in all kinds of relevant situations, like jet-skiing, visiting Disneyland, hanging out in the desert, dancing in nightclubs, or just relaxing by a campfire..”

Challenges in Learning German:

• Question: What specific challenges do students encounter while learning German compared to other languages, and how has this influenced your teaching methods?
• Answer: “Having taught German myself, I understand that, like many Germanic languages, German has many rules and does not forgive errors easily—if you aim for perfection. My advice is to learn slowly and correctly rather than quickly and inaccurately. Learning with a private tutor ensures, that you only work on relevant topics and be able to revise, what you need to improve. Take your time with levels A1 and A2; the rest becomes easier at higher levels. We notice that learners who join us at a higher level often struggle with basic errors because their previous teachers didn’t focus enough on fundamentals like sentence structure, articles, cases, and lacked sufficient repetition and drills. Phonetics is crucial from the start, as the melody of the language helps determine the structure and syntax, emphasizing what’s important in a sentence. It’s essential to have a good teacher who explains effectively and emphasizes repetition and targeted correction of common errors.”

Defining Perfect Instruction:

• Question: Based on your experiences, how do you define ‘perfect instruction’?
• Answer: “Perfect instruction occurs when you connect well with your teacher, viewing them as a friend and confidant with whom you can share anything. This is only possible if the teacher provides long-term or multiple-hour guidance. Instruction should follow a flexible routine—pausing if you’re sick or on vacation but otherwise maintaining consistent weekly slots that can still adapt if necessary. Teachers should safeguard this routine as consistent practice is the only way to securely and steadily learn a language. Our most committed learners have been with us for years, advancing from A1 to C2.”

Customizing Learning Processes:

• Question: How can students ensure that the instruction is optimally tailored to their specific needs and goals?
• Answer: “Certainly, through honest feedback to their instructor after each lesson. For example, students might say, ‘I really enjoyed today’s session, please include more of that.’ or ‘I didn’t quite grasp your explanation of the dative case. Can we go over it again next lesson?’ It’s also beneficial to have a ‘Lesson Plan’ document in the classroom where students can enter their desired topics for the teacher to prepare. Whether they’re attending a party next week and want to practice small talk, or they’ve been invited to a restaurant and want to practice ordering, students should actively participate in shaping their learning experience.”

Expat Experiences:

• Question: How have your experiences as an expat in Northern Ireland influenced your perspective on language learning and cultural integration?
• Answer: “I never associated with other Germans abroad. I didn’t want a homeland away from home; I wanted to make the new country my home, which is only possible with strong local connections, a job, learning opportunities, and lots of positive immersion. I studied, worked, and was constantly traveling to explore the country and collect experiences, of course, in the local language. This approach was enjoyable because nobody could switch to German to make it easier for me.“

Business Development and Challenges:

• Question: What were the major challenges in developing German Online Institute into a GmbH?
• Answer: “One of the biggest challenges has been navigating the online market where price dumping is prevalent. When competitors offer private lessons for as low as €5 per hour, it’s tough to maintain high-quality instruction with qualified professionals. We manage to offer competitive pricing because we don’t have a large office and work entirely remotely, relying heavily on automated processes which have been optimized over a decade. This allows us to save significantly on administrative costs.”

Future Plans:

• Question: What plans do you have for the future of the German Online Institute?
• Answer: “With AI being a hot topic, we value human interaction, personalization, and long-term relationships, maintaining flat hierarchies and ensuring customer satisfaction for busy individuals who need help staying engaged in learning German. We use AI to customize tasks but only to a limited extent. Our focus will continue to be on providing highly personalized and flexible CEFR courses and training, primarily for expats and their families in the DACH region, with services like exam preparation and pronunciation training.”

Competition Analysis:

• Question: How does the German Online Institute position itself in the competitive landscape?
• Answer: “We don’t offer cookie-cutter courses but instead provide highly personalized, flexible CEFR courses, primarily targeting expats and their families. Our specializations include exam preparation for certifications like Fide, Telc, ÖSD, Goethe, and others, as well as situational coaching and pronunciation training. We have many word-of-mouth recommendations among our expat students, of which I am very proud as it shows how helpful and good our service is.”

Family Influence on Business Decisions:

• Question: How does your family life influence your decisions as a business leader?
• Answer: “My family has deeply influenced my business, particularly regarding our expansion into online language instruction for children, which has been very effective even from a young age. The flexibility of teaching from home has proven to save a lot of time for parents. 3 of my 4 children learn English and Russian with my teachers, which also helps me to understand what works well and what not when it comes to online language instruction for kids.”

• Question: Have your personal experiences shaped certain business values or policies at the German Online Institute?
• Answer: “Absolutely. Like my approach at home, I try to maintain an open line of communication and frequently seek feedback from my teachers when implementing changes. I deeply care about my team and treat them like family, which has cultivated a supportive and flexible workplace. Many of our teachers have started families during their time with us, and we’ve supported them by offering flexible working conditions that allow them to balance family and work easily.”

Tips for Working Parents:

• Question: What advice would you give to other working parents striving to balance a successful career and a fulfilling family life?
• Answer: “Location independence is crucial for being there for your family and saving time. Working when it suits you is also important; I whenever I can:  Early mornings, afternoons, and late nights when everyone is asleep. For our students it is important, how long I need to answer, not what time. This flexibility allows me to be available for my family while maintaining my responsibilities at work.”
• Question: Do you use any specific tools or methods to help with organization and prioritization?
• Answer: “I rely heavily on my calendar, routines and to-do lists to keep track of various tasks across different areas of my work and life. Nothing can be overlooked, and this method has worked well for me. Additionally, I’ve automated as many processes as possible to ensure efficiency.”
• Question: How was the transition from being a German teacher to taking on the role of CEO? Were there specific challenges or experiences that significantly shaped your development as a leader?
• Answer: “The transition occurred when my first daughter was born, and I found myself overwhelmed with clients. I was in constant stress, teaching almost 40 hours a week plus preparation time. This was unsustainable, and I realized that for the company to be scalable, it couldn’t rely on me as a teacher; rather, it needed my expertise in how to attract and retain clients. This knowledge is something I have focused on passing on to my teachers. Although my teachers are experts and probably teach German better than I could, my role shifted to enabling them to be as effective as possible.”

Significance of Being a Native Speaker:

• Question: As a native speaker of German, how does this shape your perspective on teaching the German language?
• Answer: “While all learners initially seek native speakers, my decade-long experience in the German teaching industry, including hundreds of interviews, has shown that real proficiency often comes from non-native speakers. Especially, beginners don’t realize when a native speaker lacks teaching skills and understanding of their own language, sometimes noticing only after they’ve spent a lot of money. However, non-native speakers who have mastered the language and teach it with no or only a slight accent truly understand German, which can be even noticed by a beginner at the start of instruction. I choose all my teachers, native and non-native, based on their teaching skills, personality and correct German with little or no accent to ensure the best learning experience for my students. My teachers made German Online Institute a top provider of German as a foreign language over the past decade. German Online Institute instructors are not just teachers; they are also teachers by calling, excellent role models, who understand the German language system fully and who can empathize with beginners.”

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