Willkommen
About your German tutor
German wasn’t my first language. It wasn’t even my second. But somewhere between 36 German lessons a week in a Bulgarian high school and a university degree, a lecturing role and supervising diploma theses in Germany, it became my passion — and eventually, my profession. For over 12 years I’ve been helping kids find their confidence and a connection to the culture of their parents, guiding teens through HSC, IB and VCE exams, and supporting adults working towards a Goethe Institut exam or simply wanting to speak the language they’ve always dreamed of.
I’m here to make German work for you too.
Who I Teach
- As an online German tutor, I teach kids from German-speaking and expat families, learning to read and write the language they hear at home
- HSC, IB and VCE students who need a clear plan before their exams
- Adults preparing for Goethe exams, travelling, or picking German back up
- All lessons online and one-to-one, planned around each student
My Background
- Born in Pleven, Bulgaria; learnt German at school, with 36 lessons a week
- Studied Business Economics, Management and Marketing in German at the University of Siegen
- Former university lecturer, research fellow and supervisor; marked diploma theses
- Co-authored academic publications and presented at international conferences
- Taught German at Hornsby Community College and The Language Company, Sydney
- 12+ years teaching German to kids, teens and adults
My Work Beyond Teaching
- Reader and collaborator for Australian author Drusilla Modjeska
- Translated German books on the life of sculptor Clara Rilke-Westhoff, including her personal letters with Rainer Maria Rilke, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Lou Andreas-Salomé and others
- Translated private letters (1936–1945) of a 16-year-old Jewish girl who fled Berlin and reached Australia via Great Britain
- Wrote a cross-cultural guide for Bulgarian and German business partners for the chamber of commerce
- Creator of the IB German B Oral course and exam resources
What I’m Passionate About
- Making German click: I learnt it myself, so I know exactly where it gets hard
- Watching a student’s confidence grow: nothing beats that moment
- Bilingual family life: I’m a teacher and a mum of two bilingual children
- How we learn: psychology, child development and how bilingual kids grow up with two languages
- Different cultures and their quirks: the little habits, customs and unwritten rules that make each one unique
- Philosophy and the big questions
- European history since 1945: the Cold War, the fall of the Wall, life after 1989
- Musicals, travel and discovering new places with my family
The Practical Bits
- Native Bulgarian speaker
- Native speaker level in German
- Fluent in English; understands Russian, some Italian
- Current NSW Working With Children Check
- Based on the Central Coast, NSW; students worldwide
I know what it feels like to wonder if German will ever click, and I know what changes when someone explains it clearly and believes you can get there. That’s the tutor I want to be for you.