Testimonials

I have had the pleasure of working with more than 2,000 individuals in my teaching career. Here are a few testimonials attesting to the success my clients have experienced by us working together to achieve their language goals.

Private Testimonials

“I’ve been learning with Nina for almost a year now and I can say that it’s definitely money well spent. The one-on-one instruction really helped me since she worked at my learning pace, so I didn’t feel like the lesson was going too slow or too fast. The learning materials provided are also all very helpful. Nina is very easygoing and knowledgeable. As well as the usual grammar and vocabulary lessons, she also includes some neat information about Germany or German historical figures or traditions. I always look forward to her classes and I know that I have received invaluable practice that I would never have gotten from random free language apps. It’s worth it!”

– Jeannine Avelino, Video Editor

“Nina Schmidt is an excellent language instructor who is professional and well prepared for each lesson. My German has improved with her help and she has been able to tailor instruction for me based on my individual needs. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to improve their German language skills.”

– Anna Gebauer, Journalist

“I felt really comfortable with Nina right away. She is really funny and patient. She helped me with my common English grammar mistakes especially my pronunciation and past tense verbs. She was able to explain grammar to me in a way that made sense.  Within a short time, my confidence in speaking English improved a lot. Now I’m starting Spanish with her!”

– Lily Lee, Grade 10 student

“I don’t think I would have been able to make it through my final semester successfully without Nina’s help. She calmed my anxieties and walked me through her plan to ensure I succeeded in obtaining the second language credits I needed to move on to my Masters Degree. I’m so grateful for all her support over the last 6 months. I highly recommend her services to anyone in my situation!”  

– Leslie Sim, UBC Student

 

“Original, innovative instruction along with some fun and laughs make my weekly lesson something I look forward to. I would certainly recommend Nina Schmidt to those wanting a refreshing language learning experience.”

– Tony Tornquist, Financial Advisor

“Nina was a lifesaver for me! I needed to finish my UBC 2nd year Spanish credits in a 12-week condensed course and came to her lost, confused and stressed. She assessed my needs, set realistic goals and held me accountable. Also, Nina has written her own collection of helpful worksheets. I have recommended Nina to many of my friends who are looking to learn Spanish or German.”

– Eli Zbar, University student

“I have been trying to learn German for a number of years as my fiancé’s first language is German. I tried attending beginner German classes but found I was not learning very much.  Conversely, I have greatly benefited from the tailored approach Nina Schmidt brings to our lessons. She is very enthusiastic and dedicated to her work and I am excited to continue my path towards German fluency with her as my guide.”

– Kimberly Barber, Family Physician

“My partner and I are currently doing the spanish travel essentials course that Nina offers and are really enjoying the experience. There is a big difference between someone who can speak spanish and someone who can TEACH spanish and Nina is a truly good teacher. She is patient and well prepared for each lesson and caters to both myself and my partner’s different strengths and weaknesses. I would not hesitate in recommending Nina.” 

– Kate Baines, future traveller

 “Nina not only prepared me for moving to Berlin for work in the fashion industry, she also helped me write and memorize my marriage vows in German! My husband is German, and his friends and family members that attended the wedding were very impressed! I would highly recommend Nina.”
– Sarah Danniels, Fashion Stylist

Corporate Testimonials

“Nina Schmidt offered corporate lessons in Spanish to my colleagues and myself for a period of two years. I found her to be a great teacher. She used a mixture of bookwork, listening exercises and conversations, all of which make her lessons motivational and productive. Nina is very good at explaining grammar and relating grammatical concepts between different languages (we have English and German in common). I recommend Nina without reservation to anyone who wants to learn Spanish in an efficient and enjoyable manner.”

 Lars Beggerow, Chief Geologist, Far West Mining (now part of Capstone Mining)

“Nina Schmidt provided Spanish language training for myself and a number of my employees for a period of ten years. I found her approach to be well organized and effective and I am happy to recommend her services.”

– Bob Stanlake, President, AMEC  (Now Wood)

“I am happy to say that with Nina Schmidt’s help, I went from speaking zero Spanish to approaching fluency in about 18 months.  Nina taught me using a variety of techniques including conversation, reading and grammar. She was always punctual and fully prepared for each of our lessons.  Also, as a busy working professional, her flexibility made it easy to fit lessons into my schedule. Thank you Nina for making it such a fantastic experience!”

– Jeremy Vincent, Geologist

“I was fortunate enough to receive personal Spanish instruction from Nina Schmidt over a two-year period. After grasping the basics of the Spanish language I moved forward and gained confidence in both writing and speaking. Nina is a patient and flexible instructor whose style accommodates all levels of ability. She uses a wide variety of teaching aids and this helps to break the potential monotony of traditional classroom teaching.”

– Dean Gamage, Commercial Director 

“It was a distinct pleasure to work with Nina Schmidt! Over a period of 6 months, we worked intensively having lessons three times a week. I had a clear plan in regards to my Spanish and Nina was able to help me meet my goals and stay on track. Nina was impeccably punctual, creative with her approach and resourceful with the materials. She focused on my need to develop Spanish business communication skills and to diminish my accent. I would love an opportunity to work with Nina again in the future.”

 Fabiana Gennari, Training and Organizational Development Leader

“Nina is an amazing teacher!  Her background in linguistics as well as her knowledge of Hispanic history and culture make her an unusually insightful Spanish teacher.  I have taken language courses from other teachers over the years, and none of them have come close when it comes to her ability to explain the grammar and cultural nuances of the language.  In addition to her skills, she’s enthusiastic and a very nice person.  I would definitely recommend her.”

– Erin Bryden, Engineer

“I have enjoyed receiving Spanish instruction from Nina Schmidt for the last 2 years. Nina teaches holistically ensuring that my conversation, reading and writing skills develop at the same pace. Having weekly lessons allows me to stay on track with my studies and with her help I hope to better communicate with my colleagues in Latin America in the near future.”

 Richard Hawkins, Commercial Manager

“The beauty of Nina Schmidt’s teaching style is her ability to adapt to each students’ particular learning requirements, teaching proper grammar and pronunciation, thoughtfully correcting, and most importantly keeping each session entertaining and fluid. My requirements entailed a crash course in beginner/intermediate Spanish to allow me to comfortably begin a new work position in South America. With Nina’s help I am confident in taking on the challenge of working abroad and one day mastering the language.”

– Ian Coleman, Field Engineer, Bechtel Mining and Metals