Volker Losseff

I was born and grew up in Berlin. After pursuing Scandinavian and German studies in Berlin, Oslo and Hamburg, I ended up in the Czech Republic, in Brno, where I started working mainly as a German teacher more than 25 years ago.

What has benefited me to this day is the inspiration I received through studying Scandinavian and in the Scandinavian environment. I don't see the teacher as someone who knows everything better, but as someone who just happens to know better. That's why I see my students as equal partners whom I like to help express themselves in my language. The most important thing is to get rid of the fear of making mistakes. After all, I'm not afraid of making mistakes in Czech either.

It's always about communication, and that's why it's always the focus of my lessons. I want my students to try to say the things they really want to say, and not just repeat what they already know. However, when I notice that something is off, I add a grammar block to a lesson to support the basic knowledge of the language. And yes, I also see myself as a cultural ambassador for my country. That is why I sometimes want to “go beyond the borders” to paint a more up-to-date picture of Germany beyond the stereotypes that we unfortunately still encounter.

Education:

Universität Hamburg – Master's degree (graduated in 1997) 

• Fields of study: Scandinavian Studies and German Language and Literature

Universitetet i Oslo – DAAD scholarship (two semesters)

Freie Universität Berlin – basic studies (four semesters)

• Fields of study: Scandinavian Studies, Modern German Literature, Political Science

Professional experience:

In Brno since 1998:

Teaching German:

• Company courses (industry, banks, etc.)
• Academy of Science
• Translator courses
• Austrian Institute Brno
• Various language schools
• Private lessons

Translations (scientific publications, tourism, advertising)

Transcreation (translations of poetry)

Until 1998 in Hamburg:

• Teaching Norwegian as a tutor at the University of Hamburg
• Teaching Norwegian in language schools/private lessons