Promoting German Language & Culture in
West Michigan

German Language School Teachers

Birsena Hodzic - Beginner & Intermediate German
Classes at the Beginner and Intermediate level combine an hour of formal classroom time (led by Ms. Hodzic) with a half-hour for parents and students to socialize or play games in German.  Students learn German in a full immersion environment in which a variety of teaching techniques are used. Ms. Hodzic utilizes a curriculum which combines formal lessons with fun activities, such as story telling and game playing.

The Beginner class has an emphasis on spoken German and meets
    at 3:30 - 4:00 PM for social time
    at 4:00 - 5:00 PM for class

The Intermediate class provides an additional focus on reading and writing and meets
    at 3:00 - 4:00 PM for class
    at 4:00 - 4:30 PM for social time

Birsena Hodzic received her Master of Arts in German, English and Slavic Languages from University of Bielefeld, Germany. She taught German to adults and children for three years in Germany, with an expertise in teaching language skills and developing curriculum. Her special interest is in researching and writing personalized background materials for classroom use. Being proficient in speaking and writing German, Bosnian, Serbian, and English as well as basic comprehension of Russian, she worked as interpreter and translator for ten years. 





Hermann Kurthen - Advanced German

The Advanced class meets weekly from 3:00 - 4:30 PM  on Saturdays. 
The curriculum is driven by the interests of the students with plenty of time for conversation, book discussions, and movies, while working on strengthening grammar and vocabulary. 

Hermann Kurthen is a Professor in Sociology at Grand Valley State University and a founding member of the German Language School of West Michigan. He received his doctorate from Freie Universität Berlin and has taught at universities in Germany as well as the U.S. Before arriving in Grand Rapids in 2004, Dr. Kurthen was a founding member of the German Language School of Long Island, New York. His pedagogical approach uses a playful mixture of stimuli to maintain and develop speaking, reading, and writing skills in German. He also involves children in role-play, group-work, and self-assessment to motivate their creative minds.