Students looking to learn German outside The University of Tennessee can do so at the German Saturday School of Knoxville. Best of all, the whole family can attend classes together.
The German school runs from 9:30 a.m. until noon every Saturday at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, 711 S. Northshore Drive. Classes, which started Sept. 9 and will last for 30 weeks, are offered for native and non-native German speakers of all ages.
“There is still an opportunity to join classes,” said Stefanie Ohnesorg, associate professor and president of the German school. “There’s more flexibility for intermediate and advanced to join than beginners.”
The school is a non-profit organization in its third year and is a member of the German Language School Conference, a national organization of private German language schools in the United States. The school’s eight teachers currently teach around 60 students.
“The idea was created by teachers like myself,” Ohnesorg said. “The students who sign up do get quality instruction.”
Groups are broken down according to age and enrollment. The average class size is around 10 students or less. Students don’t take tests or quizzes, and the classes offer total immersion with its all-German materials.
“They are very dedicated,” said Maria Gallmeier, professor and teacher at the school. “We had a family who took a year and then went to Germany to practice.”
The cost of the program runs around $520 including textbooks and registration. This is less than what an equivalent amount of class time costs at UT, Ohnesorg said.
“People are generally very happy — we have a very good retention rate,” she said. “I don’t think parents would drive their kids on Saturdays 30 times a year if they didn’t get something out of it.”
According to teachers at the school, there are many reasons students may want to learn German. Learning a foreign language can be useful when traveling abroad or dealing with local businesses, and it can improve test scores also.
Up to the age of six or seven, children can learn a foreign language as easily and naturally as their native language, teachers at the school said.
“It’s important to speak a foreign language in a world that is becoming smaller.” Ohnesorg said. “Learning languages also gives our brains more flexibility.”
While the population of students is diverse, they are all united by their appreciation of the German culture and language, Gallmeier said.
“Any foreign language gives you a different perspective and hopefully increases their chances for employment,” she said.
The school also aims to prepare students for language tests administered by American Association of Teachers of German. Passing these tests is a way of showing a person’s proficiency in the language. This is helpful for students wanting to study abroad, usually after two years of studying a language.
“It’s basically always rewarding,” Gallmeier said. “You have a class of motivated students.”
