I'm looking for someone to help me kick-start my spoken High German. I've been taking private school lessons (Alpha Sprachstudio) and have completed the A2 exams. I write fairly well, but my comprehension and speaking skills are non-existent. Ideally, a student with a flexible schedule (and a whole lot of patience) to help me. Perhaps once or twice a week for an hour to work on day-to-day conversation. I'm retired and my husband and I travel frequently. Conversation sessions would be as a supplement to my other schooling. Interested?

http://www.englishforum.ch/calendar....y=2011-3-9&c=1

Hi and welcome to the Forum.
There is a German conversation group that meets every wednesday evening in Zürich , starting at 18:30.(see link above).
It very informal and currently very well attended. I do attend when I can and would suggest that you give it a try.
It`s a great way to improve your German in a relaxed setting and also to meet nice new people of many nationalities!
I`m sure the leader of the group (I`m sure he won`t mind me calling him that) would more than welcome you.
Please be sure to register your attendance on the events calender as the group is getting to such a size that he has to reserve an area large enough.
Hope to see you there sometime!
Cheers,
Basher.

Many thanks for the invitation. At the moment, I am looking for one-on-one assistance, but will definitely keep the conversation group in mind when I feel a bit more confident. As it stands, by the time I would get a full sentence together, everyone would be on their way home!

I think the language group has quite a wide range of levels (from what I've read on the forum anyway...).

Although I know the following advice is quite hard to follow (through personal experience) the best way to improve your conversation is by talking to people and trying not to think about how many mistakes you're making

Otherwise it sounds like a tandem might be a solution for you...there's a whole thread on tandem seekers in the language corner:

Find Your Tandem/Language Exchange Partner on EF!

You're right, you're right . . . but . . . . at the moment, I'd like to work singly. Knowing myself as I do, with a Tandem Partner, I'd spend the whole time helping with English. So, let's leave it at my search for someone to work with me a few hours a week just on Hoch Deutsch. I appreciate your support and suggestions, however. Thanks!

I don't mean to sound rude. Let me get this straight: you don't want to pay for a group lesson, nor attend a free conversation group, nor exchange your English with someone who can teach you German. You simply want someone to teach you one-on-one?

Sorry . . Perhaps you misunderstood. I pay dearly for private lessons and have simply polled the group should someone know of anyone interested in doing some one-on-one conversational practice (not "teaching") with me to help supplement the lessons. Maybe a friend, a student in the family, someone they've used for the same purpose. I said nothing about not paying, and in fact, would happily do so. The group session that several people suggested is a wonderful concept, but not for me for complicated reasons not important to this thread. I thought this forum was to be supportive and I had hoped people would see my inquiry as a simple search in case someone knew anyone interested in working with me. As for your response, may I suggest the next time you are tempted to begin a post with, "I don't mean to sound rude," don't yield to the temptation.

Please make clear whether you will pay or not pay, because it makes a great deal of difference to the other person who you want to 'use'.(in your own words)

Many many people seek one-to-one/tandem partnerships to help learn a language.

I help some people here with English conversation . . . I'm not learning their native language, it's just nice to lend a hand.

I also meet with some German-speakers to swap conversation-practice - I get German help, they get English help.

Why berate someone who's simply asking if someone would like to help them?

1.
If you have an iphone, you can download 100s of podcasts free of charge that will guide you and improve your german speaking and pronounciation.
2.
Exposure to german media will not only improve your understanding of the lingo, but also the culture... Watch german TV and read newspapers and CHILDREN's BOOKS!!
3.
Going to school is good, however language is about interaction. Talking with people in german will force you to think in german.... once you can have a basic conversation... you'll be laughing!!!

Thanks for the support!