Experience a German Breakthrough in Berlin This Year
Celebrate History and Tradition - auf Deutsch!
Welcome to the Fluent German Retreat 2019, to take place in Berlin, German's irresistible capital city.
This is our Christmas in the City Retreat, a unique getaway where you can boost your German skills with tailor-made experiences in a private group setting.
The Fluent German Retreat is a carefully organised and curated week of language, offering live German learning, inspiration and guidance, a relaxing home base, unforgettable outings, and a week to completely focus on your progress.
Why You'll Love Your Retreat in Berlin
Berlin is legendary. This is Germany's capital, and one of Europe's most exciting cities.
In Berlin, you'll have a diverse urban experience: discover world-class galleries alongside street art, visit government seats and Checkpoint Charlie, and enjoy breweries and by Christmas markets.
If you are learning the German language and want to get a true feel for the culture of Germany (far from Lederhosen), no place can offer you more than beautiful Berlin.
Learn German in Germany
Speak the German language, feeling your skill increase, and growing in confidence every day.
Our group is small and private, so that we can adjust teaching to your level and preferences. The lessons are personal - expect poetry and storytelling rather than vocab lists and grammar drills.
We’ll start off each day with a great breakfast in our apartment. This is followed by chilled-out classroom time, where you can practice and master the German language.
Here’s what learners say about the language instruction at the Fluent German Retreat:
“ Kerstin Cable is a gifted teacher who prepares well for her lessons. She let us express ourselves even though we made mistakes in syntax and pronunciation.
We focused on strategies for implementing contemporary German into our active vocabulary of expressions. The group atmosphere was relaxed and fun for everyone because Kerstin set the tone from the outset.”
“Our group was able to focus on areas of vocabulary and grammar which were extraordinarily helpful, and I truly believe being in a small group is a richer experience than one-on-one, simply because you can learn even more from each other.
Pronunciation instruction was tremendous, and I came home with pages and pages of happy notes. That level of expertise is critical!”
The afternoons are for exploring our amazing retreat destination, where we have beautiful outings planned. Here is just a tiny taste of what we have in store for you:
Immersion Outings at the Fluent German Retreat in Berlin
* Berliner Weihnachtsmärkte
Experience the unmissable atmosphere of Christmas in Germany. Berlin offers more than 20 different enchanting markets to celebrate the Christmas season in style. Join us for a glass of Glühwein and shop for special works of art that you’ll find only in Germany.
* An Island Full of Museums
Art and history lovers rejoice! Berlin’s museum island is a spectacular sight both inside and out. Here, you can visit the Pergamonmuseum to see monuments and buildings from antiquity, marvel at the European masters in the Nationalgalerie, see modern art in the Boros bunker or meet an Egyptian queen in the Neues Museum. Wow!
* Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag
You will see Germany’s most famous landmark and the symbol of reunification, and pay a visit to the Reichstag building which combines modernity with eternity..and maybe we’ll even get to wave to Angela Merkel!
* Murder Mystery Dinner
Practice your German on a thrilling mystery adventure. Can you solve case based on secret clues? Will you be an investigator, a victim…or even a suspect? In this dinner experience, our team can become daring detectives while speaking plenty of Deutsch.
* East Side Gallery
The Berlin wall divided this city into two countries for 28 years. At the East Side Gallery, this grim monument of Germany’s past has been transformed into stunning street art in the world’s largest open-air mural collection.
Your Retreat Leader
Hi, my name is Kerstin and I am your leader for the Fluent German Retreat in December 2019. I'm a native German speaker with added English, Luxembourgish, French, Spanish, Welsh, and few more. I am passionate about effective language learning, and work on helping language learners excel.
I have been teaching the German language for 6 years, from relaxed 1-to-1 sessions in coffee shops to university lectures in world-class institutions.
In the Fluent German Retreat, I have found the perfect way to apply my teaching experience and help you learn in an ideal environment: a small group, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, fun outings, and creative language classes.
Your Home For The Week
You will live in a beautiful Berlin apartment featuring private double bedrooms, modern bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a relaxing lounge.
These images are representative of previous accommodation arrangements - we’ll upload the Berlin images soon
The Most Important Questions And Answers
When Is It?
The dates for our German Retreat are planned to be 1 to 6 December 2019. You can arrive anytime late afternoon/early evening of the 1st and plan to check out the morning of the 6th.
What Is Included In The Retreat?
5 nights' accommodation in a private room in our retreat apartment with exclusive use for the week
Immersive, custom 6-day German course and coaching sessions from native German speaker and experienced tutor Kerstin (that's me!) in our small group of enthusiastic students in a relaxed immersion environment
4 immersion outings experiencing the city of Berlin and its unbelievable amount of attractions
All transportation costs during the week for bus, S-Bahn, U-Bahn etc.
Breakfast and lunches during the days
Dinners at a range of great restaurants in Berlin
Definitely a warm glass of Glühwein at the Weihnachtsmarkt 🎄
Both structured and spontaneous conversation practice
If you have dietary restrictions, that's not a problem. Let us know in advance and we will discuss is to ensure we can accommodate you perfectly.
How Big Is The Group?
Our group will include you, 3 to 5 other motivated German learners and your retreat leader Kerstin. It is a small and exclusive retreat group, ensuring that you will be able to get individual attention and support when you need it.
Could I Bring My Friend or Partner With Me?
We have space for you and your partner, and in fact there is an attractive rate we can offer to a couple or two friends sharing as our accommodation does offer twin beds. We'd love to get to know both of you, so don't hesitate to send an email to kerstin@fluentlanguage.co.uk and let us book a short call so we can learn about your language goals.
What's The Required German Language Level?
In this deliberately small group, we can adjust teaching to your level. The group is hand-selected to ensure that each participant will be able to achieve their language goals.
As a guideline, you should be able to conduct and follow a conversation beyond the absolute basics. In formal terms, we're looking for participants between A2 and B2. If you a little nervous about whether your level is right for this retreat, don't hesitate to email me kerstin@fluentlanguage.co.uk and I will be able to guide you personally.
What Will I Need To Do?
At our German retreat, you'll be able to enjoy the German immersion experience that we have prepared for you. You will need to arrange your own travel to Berlin (see below for detailed instructions). You must also ensure that you have valid travel insurance and documents for your trip to Germany.
How Do I Get To Berlin?
It’s easy and convenient to travel to Berlin.
✈ You can fly to the city’s airports, Berlin-Schönefeld or Berlin-Tegel. Either one of these airports offers a quick and easy public transport connection to the city centre.
🚅 The train station Berlin HBF is served by Deutsche Bahn whose website and planner will show you national and international connections. Trains by Deutsche Bahn are fast, affordable, and uncomplicated. They connect to dozens of international train systems including Eurostar.
🚍 If you like to travel by coach, Berlin's ZOB bus station has you covered with connections via Ecolines and Flixbus among many others.
If you want to spend more time in Europe after the retreat, Berlin will be a perfect starting point for trips to Poland or Czechia as well as other amazing cities like Hamburg, Leipzig, and Dresden.
If you'd like expert assistance with your travel arrangements, let us know as we've got a professional travel agent on call for you.
How Do I Register?
Send an email to kerstin@fluentlanguage.co.uk, including a bit of background about how long you've been learning German, how you've studied, and a description of what level you're at. You will receive an email from me with your decision and a payment link to confirm your booking within 24-48 hours.
Dates and accommodation details are to be confirmed until a minimum number of participants has been booked on the retreat. No problem, simply double-check the status with Kerstin before booking your flights.
I Have More Questions! What Should I do?
No problem! Email me at kerstin@fluentlanguage.co.uk. I'll be excited to hear from you!
Can't make these dates? Register here for news about future immersion retreats.
What do the Retreat Attendees Say?
“I loved the retreat and found a lot of value in being a part of it.
Being able to interact with native speakers in an interactive setting, throughout an entire day, and in the context of a real topic of interest (Mosel valley wine making) was invigorating.
The writing exercises in our morning study sessions forced me to wrap my mind around the language in a way that I hadn’t done before.
There were other parts that were also useful and fun, like the historical city tour, visiting the Christmas market, touring the sparkling wine operation, and going out to the various restaurants together. All of these things combined to make for a well-rounded experience.”
“I’m so glad I got to be part of this retreat! Immersion is a great way to give your language skills a huge boost, and in addition to that, Kerstin creates a fantastic learning environment with just the right balance of fun + challenging.
It was great for me to practice speaking in very relevant daily life type situations and then be able to follow up with further questions and explanations with an experienced teacher.
The activities, lodging, lessons, food etc. were all excellent. Kerstin’s learners are in good hands!”
“Since the retreat, I’ve started using my German so much more. I took part in a Polterabend party in a small village speaking 90% German. I started having meetings at work in the German language. Now I feel fluent, and if I get stuck I can always find the words to express myself.
For people who live a busy life, a retreat is a great alternative to normal language lessons. For me it was a relaxing vacation and a useful and active way to spend a week.”
“Being in Germany and immersed in the language was extremely helpful for vocab.
With regards to speaking and understanding, it was beneficial to hear so many different people speaking in different situations. I had a great time traveling in Germany and I cannot wait to return.”
