Karen Brougher

My interest in the German language began in high school when I met several foreign exchange students from Germany who were studying at my school. I was fascinated by hearing another language spoken in person. At the time, the internet didn’t exist, so talking to those students about their country and culture was especially exciting. Our school also had an exchange program with a partner school in Germany. German students would visit us for three weeks and stay with host families in our community. The following year, we had the opportunity to travel to Germany for three weeks, where we stayed with host families as well. That experience traveling to Germany had a big impact on me and deepened my interest in the German language and culture.

I’ve been a teacher for over 26 years and look forward to sharing my passion for the German language with you. I began my teaching career in 1998 in West Virginia, where I taught German at a public high school for 14 years. In 2012, I transitioned to teaching social studies to middle school students, where I taught for 10 years. For the past two years, I’ve returned to teaching German part-time in an online setting. I’m looking forward to a great time in class together!

On teaching: I like to begin each class with a warm-up activity to engage all learners. I also provide plenty of opportunities for students to practice conversational skills and participate in interactive games and activities that support language acquisition. I believe it’s important to create a relaxed and welcoming learning environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, and students build relationships to support one another.