The team of our language school in Karlsruhe
Get to know us!
Languages connect people! And the team at SprachenStudio KAST combines enthusiasm for languages, culture and distant countries. Our team consists of native speakers and qualified teachers who teach with motivation and a lot of joy.
The focus is always on you! We ensure that you fully understand what you have learned and can apply it immediately. This is our promise to you!
Would you like to know more about us? Here some trainers introduce themselves personally.
Ursula Sartorius-Kast
management; courses in French, German and English; Tutoring English and French
“Good afternoon, dear language enthusiasts! My name is Ursula Sartorius-Kast, and I run the Language School SprachenStudio KAST in Karlsruhe. I am a graduate translator for French and Spanish and have already discovered my preference for foreign languages during school. After 6 years in international sales in Paris, I started my own business in Nantes in 2003, where I ran in-house courses in German and English. In SprachenStudio KAST I coordinate all language courses, company trainings and cultural coachings and also represent my colleagues once there is a need. In our team we develop new ideas for special courses and we regularly organize interesting events. I like to spend my free time in nature, with my two children and my family. For the sake of environmental protection and animal welfare, I almost always ride my bike. I find relaxation in yoga and I sing in the gospel choir. When I have time, I like to train for a marathon again!”
This is KArlsruher SprachTraining: courses | tutoring | Company training
Fleur-Louise Ridinger
Head of Customer Service – contact person for private and corporate customers; English language training
"Hello dear language enthusiasts, dear customers, my name is Fleur and in customer service I have been your contact for several years now for all language courses for companies and private individuals. I am happy to advise you personally and will be at your disposal for all questions and requests regarding your tailor-made language course. And I am also active as a language trainer for English and German as a foreign language, because it gives me a lot of pleasure to teach and to support my students in improving their language skills. In order to be able to do this in the best possible way, I am of course also continuing my education and have recently completed the Goethe Institute’s ‘Deutsch Lehren Lernen’ (German Teaching Learning) course. Of course, in addition to office work and language lessons, there is also time for hobbies and I like to spend time in nature. I look forward to interesting courses and a wide range of enquiries from well-known and new participants and customers.”
Amanda Kast
Team assistant
“Hello, my name is Amanda Kast and I'm part of the back office team. You see me once a week in the language school, where I take on tasks that run in the background. The other four days of the week I work as a kindergarten teacher. In my free time I love to sing and I like to travel to other countries. I always like to learn about new cultures and I am interested in different languages.”
The appropriate language course can be found here: languages | German courses
Merryn
English courses Business & general language
‘Hello eager language learners! My name is Merryn, I am a South African of English origin and English is my mother tongue. I have been living in Germany for 25 years and since September 2016 I have been working at SprachenStudio KAST. Here I give individual and group lessons for General English and Business English at all levels. I completed my Abitur in the English department of the European School Karlsruhe and the international environment of the school has influenced me very much. Therefore, one of my favorite sayings is “Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction.” Through my university degree in psychology, I am very interested in topics such as human thinking, acting and interpersonal relationships. That's why I know that students are more successful if the lessons are individually designed according to their goals and needs. Above all, you have to have fun with the lessons and I try to teach them in my courses! I like to spend my free time with family and friends and am enthusiastic about astronomy, astrophysics, philosophy and I am a big fan of movies and TV series. I look forward to meeting you!’
Would you like to get started right away? Click here for the current courses!
Our language course classics: English and German! languages | German courses
Aiko
Japanese language courses; Cultural coaching Japan
‘今日は、げんき?Watashi wa Aiko desu. I hope you're all right! I'm Aiko and I suggest you learn Japanese. First, I'll show you a lot of words so you can pronounce them. So I can offer you a varied lesson, enriched with music and characters. I grew up in a family of artists and studied music education and flute at a music academy. I also got to know traditional Japanese arts such as ikebana, calligraphy and kimono stitching with my grandmother. In Germany, I worked as an assistant in an Evangelical Church and a Japanese-German association. I can teach you up to JLPT N3. My dream is that Europeans can travel to Japan alone and communicate there. By the way: In Japanese, a call to silence ‘O-damarinasai’ sounds more polite than the German ‘Speak no cheese’. In my language courses you will learn both: Listening and speaking. And you will quickly improve your knowledge of Japanese!”
Mark
Business English & Technical English; company courses; Cultural coaching Australia
“As an English teacher, I teach Business and Technical English in the region around Karlsruhe. For 8 years I have gained experience teaching all skill levels and all ages. I mainly specialise in training business clients and students. For example, I work at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, and I also teach in numerous companies. The training includes, for example, the practice of greetings, small talk, the preparation of important presentations and negotiations and the conversation in meetings. I have taught technical English in the automotive industry, electronics manufacturing and the construction industry. When teaching, I attach particular importance to clear pronunciation and good conversation flow and, of course, to the right grammar. It is very important to me that the lessons remain interesting and above all fun. I graduated with a BA in Communication Studies and was employed by the Australian Government in the field of media surveillance. I am a big fan of film and TV series.”
Savannah
Business English, Everyday English - for beginners and advanced
‘Hello, my name is Savannah and I come from the United States. I was born and raised in a small town in the state of New Mexico, also known as the Land of Enchantment. I studied at Eastern New Mexico University and completed my bachelor's degree in computer science and mathematics in 2016. I have been living in Karlsruhe since 2019 and have been teaching English as a foreign language since 2018. The fascination and interest in other languages and cultures have always accompanied me and I am therefore very happy to be part of the SprachenStudio KAST team. I hope to strengthen my clients' English skills and help them build confidence in Business English and everyday English. Building a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere during my language courses is very important to me. My hobbies include reading, cooking and traveling. I look forward to meeting you!”
Learn Japanese, Arabic or prefer English? Find it here out!
Ann
Business English courses, English language courses
“Hello guys, my name is Ann and I come from the Philippines and 5 years ago I moved to Germany. I have almost a decade of experience in broadcasting and journalism. In the Philippines I worked as a radio presenter, radio jockey and writer. Therefore, in addition to teaching business and conversational English, I can also offer comprehensive guidance in the areas of voice, language, and accent reduction. In the past, I have also given company language lessons and thus contributed to the linguistic knowledge of my students and improved their language performance. Since moving to Karlsruhe, I have learned other foreign languages and speak a total of 4 languages: English (mother tongue/bilingual competence), Filipino (mother tongue), German (B2) and I am just starting to learn Spanish. This allows me to understand a diverse backstory and convey the nuances of the languages to my students as well. I look forward to sharing my rich knowledge and teaching English in an entertaining way through everyday conversations, music, films, storytelling and culture!”
Gemma
English courses, Business English, English tutoring
‘Hello! I'm Gemma and I'm from the UK! I grew up there and also studied in the UK. I've always loved teaching and I've been doing it with great pleasure for over 10 years now! At SprachenStudio KAST in Karlsruhe I give English courses. These are suitable for adults and students as well as for beginners and advanced. The topics range from everyday topics to specialized business English. I like to design my free time with my many hobbies: Run, play squash, travel and eat sushi!”
Tonima
English conversation courses, English language courses
‘Hello! My name is Tonima and I am from Bangladesh. I studied English Literature in Dhaka and Waterloo, Canada and came to Germany after my Master's degree. I am very interested in other languages and cultures and am pleased to be able to give conversation and language courses in English at SprachenStudio KAST since the beginning of 2022. In my lesson planning, I like to respond to your wishes and ideas so that you achieve your set language goals. For me, it is always important to have a high oral proportion – because a language wants to be spoken! When I'm not busy teaching, I enjoy travelling and reading a lot.”
Meghana
Courses for Business English & Technical English
"Hello to all the linguaphiles out there! My name is Meghana, I was born and raised in India. As a language trainer, I teach Business English and Technical English. I have a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and electronics and in addition soon my master's degree in information science and communication at KIT. In addition to my many years of experience in teaching young people and adults, I have also trained many companies. Most of the business training includes practicing greetings, small talk, preparing important presentations and negotiations, and conversation in meetings and on the phone. Vocabulary and pronunciation as well as grammatically correct sentences are the focus of my lessons. I try to create a pleasant atmosphere in my language courses and encourage my participants to talk more in the new language. I like to travel and cook and my hobbies also include dancing, painting and reading. I am looking forward to new courses with interesting students!”
Christine
French courses & tutoring French, German as a foreign language
“Good afternoon and Bonjour! My name is Christine and I am a native German. As a child, I was lucky enough to live for several years in the beautiful Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, so I learned French like a second mother tongue. I studied biology in Karlsruhe and Freiburg, where I was able to polish up my English by working on international projects. I also took two semesters of Spanish and am currently trying Catalan. For more than 20 years I have been working freelance for various scientific publishers as a translator for medical and scientific texts from French and English. In addition, I give tutoring in French for children and conversation courses for adults. Since 2015 I also teach German as a foreign language and obtained a certificate as a DaF teacher at the Goethe-Institut in 2019. As a teacher, I have already worked in several schools for children and young people, but my main focus is on adult education. From A1 to C1 – I am happy to teach the language of poets and thinkers, with all its beauties and finesse, to anyone who wants to learn it!”
Katie
Courses for Business English & Contract English, Technical English, Everyday English
"Hello together! My name is Katherine and I am a native English speaker from Florida, USA! I studied ‘Teaching English as a Foreign Language’ (TEFL) at the College of Central Florida before I decided to try something new and move to Germany. I've recently started teaching English at SprachenStudio KAST and I love every second of it. I specialize in Business English, Everyday English, Technical English and Contract English. For my lessons, I use immersive teaching methods that depict real situations for business or everyday English. Joy in learning plays a big role for me, so I often plan fun activities for my participants. Whether English for beginners or advanced, my lessons are both productive and amusing. In my free time I like to spend time with friends in the city and I play trumpet. Thanks to one of my students, I was even able to join an instrumental band! I'm also learning German right now. You can always improve and I have found that I have a passion for both teaching and learning languages. All in all, I am an open-minded person and someone who likes to pass on his extensive knowledge and I help my students, wherever I can, to achieve their learning goals. Everyone has the potential to sound like a native speaker. You too!”
Kyle
Company Courses English, Business English Language Courses, Cultural Coaching USA
“Some years ago I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. I grew up there and went to school and university. After graduating, I continued my studies at Freie Universität in West Berlin and earned a Master's degree in Modern History and Political Science. After that, I returned to the U.S. and taught social studies and German for foreigners at private schools in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and later worked in Washington DC for various government agencies as a translator, writer, researcher, and editor. Subsequently, I worked in Qatar for five years as a contractor for government agencies, where I also taught and trained language specialists for whom English was the second or even third foreign language. It didn't take long and I wanted to get away from my desk and into the classroom. And that's where I am today, at SprachenStudio KAST in Karlsruhe!”
Florantine
French courses; German as a foreign language for work and everyday life
"Hello everyone! My name is Florantine. I grew up bilingual with French and German in the border region and went to school in Alsace. At the Department of Translation, Linguistics and Cultural Studies in Germersheim, I completed my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in German as a Foreign Language and English as well as my Arabic Bachelor's degree. I don't want to miss the Germersheim microcosm, as the multicultural community among the students is called. In the university context, I took part in language courses and was happy to learn Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Croatian, Greek, Russian or Gaelic. Many of the courses were based on the natural approach to learning, the Natural Native Approach, which encourages the acquisition of the respective language as well as the mother tongue. In addition to other learning methods, I also follow this approach during my language courses at SprachenStudio KAST in Karlsruhe. Professionally, I have provided translation services, worked on television and given German courses for professional practice. In addition to photography, my hobbies are mineralogy, line dance and increasingly sewing. I recharge my batteries in the fresh air, often with my three turtles in the garden. I look forward to our learning progress together!"
Dorothea
French and German courses for beginners and advanced students
‘Hi, my name is Dorothea. I was born and raised in Karlsruhe. Already during school I liked to deal with languages. After graduating from high school, I studied German and French in Heidelberg. During my 40 years of teaching, I was allowed to teach many students from different ages. Since I still like to do this today, I am now working in SprachenStudio KAST. I hope to find many language enthusiasts here who enjoy learning with me. See you soon! Bienvenue!’
Ivelies
English language courses, Business English
“Hello, my name is Ivelies and I am originally from Curacao, the largest of the Dutch Caribbean islands. My real mother tongue is the native Papiamentu, which is actually only spoken on these ABC islands. In addition, we have Dutch as the official language and English as a colloquial language in order to communicate with the numerous tourists. And yes, let's not forget the popular Spanish, which is also widely spoken there. I have established myself for many years as an English teacher, but also as an instructor in the professional field of international tourism. I am very sure that I will be able to teach my students professionally in some – or all – of these subjects and areas of interest. I look forward to meeting you soon, whether in person at the language school or during an online course!”
The current course program can be found here: languages | German courses
Ingrid
German as a Foreign Language (DaF) level A1 to C2, language courses Spanish & French
“Hello, I am Ingrid and I have been part of the language school team in Karlsruhe since 2013. After studying Applied Linguistics, graduating as a French and Spanish translator, I first worked as a French teacher in the training of foreign language secretaries and correspondents as well as a sworn document translator. I then moved to the industry, where I worked for many years as a foreign language secretary and translator. Part-time I took over German courses and language courses in French with some educational institutions. In 2005, I decided to make my part-time job my main job and continued my methodological and didactical training for foreign-language German lessons through a distance learning course at the Goethe-Institut. This was followed by further training, such as the further training required by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to obtain admission as an integration course instructor, so that I was also able to take integration courses thanks to the BAMF approval in 2012. Since 2010 I teach German, Spanish, French in group and individual training and give company courses in which the specific requirements of the respective industry are addressed and work as a freelance translator. In my short free time, I learn Italian myself, do bike tours and go swimming. I am passionate about foreign cultures, exhibitions, travel and I love spending free time with my first granddaughter.”
Gerhard
German as a foreign language in general & Professional language courses: Medicine, Industry & Crafts, Business Communication, Negotiations; Exam preparation
“Hello dear language learners, my name is Gerhard. Communication is my life and this can also be seen in my numerous professional stations: Primary and secondary school teachers in German, publishing staff, editor at a weekly newspaper, author and copywriter in the advertising industry and for publishers, coach and trainer for communication and team training. For more than 10 years, I have been teaching German as a foreign language and helping German learners improve their language skills, following the motto: Learning a language means living a language. In addition to general language teaching, I also conduct special German courses for the profession such as German for doctors and nurses from abroad, courses for employees in industry and crafts, business communication and negotiation language as well as exam preparation. In my free time, I walk, photograph, read good books and write.”
Mathias
English courses & In-house courses Business English; Chinese language courses; English tutoring
’Hi there and Nimen hao 你们好! My name is Mathias, I studied Sinology in Heidelberg and studied and worked in China for a year. Foreign languages have always been one of my major areas of interest, which is why I also learned some Russian, Italian and Japanese. For me, languages are the gateway to the world and that's exactly what I like to convey to my students! The passion for teaching itself gripped me many years ago and now I work in Karlsruhe and the surrounding area as a freelance language teacher for English, Chinese and German. When I'm not teaching in the language school or in-house, you can usually find me in the climbing hall, in the dance school, on my bike or abroad, because I also like to travel passionately. I am looking forward to many interested and curious pupils!”
Robert
German as a foreign language for companies and private customers
"Hello together! My name is Robert and I have been a teacher for over 30 years. My teaching biography began during my studies in the 80s, when I taught German to American employees of Opel/GM. When I finished my studies, my first job was teaching Russian Germans, who had been given freedom to travel under Gorbachev and moved to Germany. I could not have imagined a better start to teaching, because the people were very nice and very grateful, and I got to know a lot about life in the USSR. After three years I switched to the school service and taught German, history, ethics and English in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg for the next 30 years. Now I am retired, but have not lost the joy of teaching and come back to my beginnings by teaching German to foreigners again. It is important to me that both the students and I enjoy the lessons. I always find it exciting to meet people from other cultures and help them get off to a good start in Germany.”
Adam
Business and General English for private and corporate customers
"Hello together! My name is Adam and I am very happy to be part of the KAST team! I grew up in Clevedon, near Bristol, in the UK and have been teaching languages since 2007. I started as a foreign language assistant at three schools in the Karlsruhe area before teaching German and French in secondary school in the UK. After that, I started working as a freelance English teacher. A particular highlight of my work are tailor-made courses such as ‘Speak English like a Brit’ and ‘English through TV’, which I offer to learners at C1/C2 level, as well as tutoring for pupils. As a passionate linguist, I have a Bachelor's degree in German, French and Italian as well as two Master's degrees in European Studies and Translation Studies. In 2017, I moved to Ettlingen – coincidentally the twin city of my British hometown Clevedon. In my free time I organize, organize and moderate the quiz evening in the Ettlinger Irish Pub. I also like to travel and watch movies, TV series, Formula 1 and rugby. I am very much looking forward to accompanying you on your language trip!”
Catherine
German as a foreign language for companies and private customers
"Hello together! I am Katharina and I am very happy to be a German teacher at SprachenStudio KAST. I grew up in Leopoldshafen and have Russian roots. My passion for language and culture began early, because I completed a Bachelor's degree in German Studies and a Master's degree in Theatre Studies. Privately, my heart beats for dance and theater, and recently I am also active in poetry slam, which gives me a lot of joy. Together with my partner Adam, who teaches English at SprachenStudio KAST, I prepare and support the weekly quiz evening in the Ettlinger Irish Pub on Mondays. I am very much looking forward to sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for the German language with you.”
Sheila
Business English in Presence and Online
“Hello, I'm Sheila, born in Chicago, and I have a legal career of more than 20 years in Illinois as a lawyer. Since I have been living in Germany, I have been writing the judicial thriller ‘In the interest of N.K.’ and took first place in the Strasbourg Short Stories Competition. In addition to my writing work, I am a lecturer in law at the University of Mannheim and also work with great commitment as a teacher of business English. As a student of German and other languages, I appreciate the challenges of speaking a foreign language; I therefore want to create a supportive learning environment and look forward to providing personalised teaching tailored to each student’s unique learning style and goals.”
Mariacristina
Italian courses and cultural coaching Italy
‘Buongiorno a voi! My name is Mariacristina, I am Italian from Pavia – Italy. After my studies in German studies with a focus on linguistics, I was a publishing employee and worked in several schools in Italy. I have lived in Karlsruhe for 28 years. When I arrived in Germany, I started teaching Italian to pupils and young people on behalf of the Italian Consulate. Soon I realized that my enthusiasm is greater when I am allowed to teach Italian for adults: That's where I really bloom! For 27 years now I have been teaching Italian at all levels for adults with some educational institutions, and recently I have been very happy to be part of SprachenStudio KAST. In my free time, I enjoy being in nature with my children, playing cards and board games, dancing and cycling. For a year now, I have been accompanying pilgrims on pilgrimage routes in and around Karlsruhe.”
Pedro
Cultural coaching Portugal and business courses Portuguese
‘Hi! I'm Pedro, I'm from Portugal and I teach European Portuguese. In class with me, you will be promoted through various media and get a natural access to the language. From reading texts, a lot of listening comprehension and grammar exercises to spontaneous, adapted moments of conversation about current topics, your breakfast, what you did on the weekend or the last movie you saw. I am a friendly, humorous person. I love nature, grilling in good weather, hiking, jogging, traveling, listening to and playing music, watching good movies, cooking when I have time, and then eating."
Our team is looking forward to meeting you in your next Language course get to know!
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