Are native German teachers always best?

When it comes to teaching the German language, of course, searching for native German teachers goes a long way, but below the C1 level (mastery) other characteristics are far more important that a great online German teacher should have. Of course, some of these characteristics apply not only to German language teachers but to teachers in general.

• A great online German teacher will interact with their students on a regular basis. This ensures that the learning from the student will be effective and the course in itself will prove helpful. This interaction must be a means to having a deeper understanding of the German grammar as well as providing the student with an opportunity to improve their conversational skills.

• Teaching the mind is not enough for an online German teacher. He or she is passionate about the whole process and will provide situations in which the teaching causes an impact to the learner. A student will remember what they do a lot more than what they read or hear. Taking this into account, an effective teacher provides opportunities for the student to build into their own learning in an organized and effective way.

• High commitment is one characteristic of a great teacher. This means that the online German teacher will make sure that the students under their tuition will have the fluency required for them to perform in Germany or other German-speaking country. This means that the teacher will create opportunities for learning until the learning process proves itself completed.

• A good teacher will not be limited by the content of the book. They will provide the student with real-life example and situations. The real conversation is important to a devoted teacher and he or she will provide such opportunities either at a real field or via simulation. Either way, the textbook or workbooks are not the ones that determine the way learners will learn the language.

• One important characteristic of an innovative teacher is that he or she has the skills required to teach the German language in the most effective way. Knowing German is not enough to being able to teach the language; strategies and methods must be well known in order to enable a favorable learning platform.

• A good teacher is inspiring. A teacher is a testimony of the result of hard working and performance. This is instilled into the minds of students, which then will be motivated to persevere and not give up. A good teacher connects with their students in such a way that they feel deeply motivated to do their best and excel themselves.

• Communication is a very important characteristic of a teacher. It does not mean that the teacher will be available 24/7 but mainly that they must always try to keep communication between them and the student fluent and effective.
• Last but not least, a great online German teacher must enjoy what he or she is doing. In other words, they must find joy in what they are teaching and teach it with such passion that students keep themselves motivated to doing their best. Finding such a teacher is far more important, than looking for native German teachers, who do not tick all the boxes and may not even fully understand the learner-related issues of their own language.