Testimonials

Marion is an exceptional teacher. She makes learning German fun! She was always positive and encouraging. I looked forward to and enjoyed each class. Marion possesses the gift of teaching and gave me confidence in my abilities, even when I struggled. It was refreshing to learn with Marion. My only regret is that our time was so short. I hope to be able to study with her again in the future.

Laura Carpenter

Working with Marion the past several months has been very rewarding. As a requirement of the PhD program I'm in, I had to pass a German translation exam, and this is what Marion and I worked on together.

Over the past semester, my translation abilities improved remarkably, due in large measure to Marion's ability as a patient, effective German tutor. She tailored our lessons to those that would best suit my needs and encouraged me with consistent reinforcement and helpful strategies. Icannot praise Marion enough. Her teaching abilities are matched only by her own character, which is honest, considerate, professional, and kind.

Last September, before I began taking lessons with her, I did not stand a chance at passing this translation exam but I'm pleased to say, that after a semester working weekly with Marion, I successfully passed this challenging exam last month.

Ramie Gold, Ph.D. student, UC Berkeley

I cannot speak highly enough of Marion Gerlind and her language training! I am the recipient this year of a highly competitive Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study abroad in Leipzig, Germany. Basic language competency is naturally required to study in many foreign countries, but having learned German in high school and a bit in college (too many years ago to mention!), I thought I would be able to pass my preliminary language exam.

Boy was I mistaken! In a panic, with my scholarship hanging in the balance, I had the good fortune to find Marion Gerlind. Not only was she able to accommodate my frantic schedule, but also in a handful of sessions she helped unlock my latent German skills and thoroughly prepared me to successfully retake my language exam. I refuse to consider my fate had we not met! Vielen Dank Frau Gerlind—für deine grossartige Hilfe und Freundinschaft!

Anne M. Klint, Artist

Marion has been a great help to me in learning German over the last two years. She had a multitude of training techniques and was very adept at picking the ones that would improve my comprehension the fastest. She could clearly explain German grammar, which is notoriously difficult, in a manner I could follow. She could clarify not only the rules of grammar, but often the sense behind the rules. Other tutors I had tried couldn't provide this level of insight.

At the same time, she kept the learning process fun by using casual conversation and role-playing in German. She was patient when I needed help, but also knew when to challenge me to find the right words myself. Over time, I found our lessons a very comfortable place to speak and listen to German, which is exactly the type of environment I needed to improve.

Finally, Marion made a real effort to reveal the culture and cultural perspectives of Germany. I believe that, in her view, an essential part of learning a language is learning the cultural perspectives of the language-speakers. These are the things a textbook cannot teach and prove very valuable when relating to Germans.

Ti-Fred Torres, Director of Xinet Technical Support

Marion was an amazing tutor, and I highly recommend her. Her teaching style is warm and thoughtful, and she is personally committed to helping her students meet their goals. In less than three months, she taught me how to read very complicated scholarly German articles so that I could quickly translate them into English. I was very impressed with her breadth and depth of knowledge about German language and culture, and also with her efficiency. Thank you Marion!

Elisabeth Ward Hightower, Ph.D. student, UC Berkeley

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I am privileged and honored to provide this recommendation for Dr. Marion Gerlind. Dr. Gerlind has served as my private German tutor for over two years. I find her teaching methodologies age and culturally appropriate, engaging and refreshing. Dr. Gerlind draws from her wealth of experience as a language teacher, native German speaker and oral historian incorporating cultural aspects of German literature, folk traditions and history to enhance instruction and language acquisition. Her mannerisms are gentle, attentive and engaging. Teaching plans are mutually negotiated with attainable set goals to ensure the student progresses at a satisfactory pace.

I have progressed with Dr. Gerlind from the point of a non-speaker to achieving the ability and inner confidence to tour Germany alone, speak with local residents in German, utilize basic German reading skills and be comfortable in group social settings. Dr. Gerlind has assisted me to build a bridge to my German roots and enriched my life.

Scott W. Miller, RN, MS, Ph.D. (abd)

Though it is apparent Marion has formidable talents, her approach is the opposite of intimidating. She takes careful notes during each session, and guides the conversation back to familiar topics to repeat vocabulary. She alternates between letting words flow freely, mistakes included, and going over finer points of grammar and syntax in a clear, concise manner. She is amazingly patient. Marion is truly the reason I have persevered to conquer an area of learning that is difficult and frustrating for me. I recommend her to anyone.

Madeline Kingsley, UC Berkeley UNIX computer specialist

I have been a German language student of Marion Gerlind’s for the past 10 years (the first three years meeting regularly with her for private and semi-private lessons, and since then meeting with her for assistance on translation projects and in group classes she has held.)

I have the highest esteem for Marion as an instructor. She is truely gifted—with a natural talent for teaching, which she has developed and enhanced through her interacting with her many private students as well as her university-level teaching and studies. The one hundred percent full attention she gives to everything she does she gives to her teaching as well, and it is evidenced in my learning of German as well as the results I have seen in other of her students.

When I began studying German with Marion I was an almost complete beginner. I have never learned another foreign language so quickly, easily and naturally. Marion is able somehow (seemingly magically) to impart knowledge, support, and confidence to her students that translates into enlivening and enjoyable yet solid core language learning that is intellectually stimulating and challenging. Her lessons are always thoughtfully prepared: they usually (at least in my case) included “everyday” conversation as we shared about the week “practical” situational German (for example exercises in asking or giving directions, or booking a hotel room); and literature or other reading with discussion of form and content. I always leave an instruction hour with Marion feeling more stimulated, enlivened, and informed than before.

Marion's aliveness, effectiveness, ethics and joy-in-teaching are a gift and great luck to anyone who studies with her.

Lu Stevenson, Oakland