Blog

Sometimes the most important question in a sentence is not who performed the action, but whose perspective makes that action meaningful. Imagine two men, Kofi and Daniel. Kofi tells you something about an earlier event. Later, you report the conversation to another person: Kofi said that he left. Who left? Kofi? Daniel? Somebody else? English […]

From doing something to making something happen: understanding German verbs of activity, influence, participation and consequence By Tymur Levitin | Levitin Language School 1. When English says “work,” German may be asking a different question Consider five ordinary English sentences: “The engineer works at a university.” “The medicine works.” “The new system works.” “The new […]

A practical guide to German vocabulary, meaning, word formation and real-life communication By Tymur Levitin | Levitin Language School Introduction: Why German Has So Many Words for Work Imagine someone asks you a simple question: “What do you do?” You might answer: In English, these statements describe different aspects of the same professional reality. German […]

An accurate comparison of four professional language services — with practical examples, a decision guide and advice on choosing the right support for your document. You have a document that needs professional attention. Perhaps it is a business email, a CV, a website page, an academic text, a customer letter or an important document intended […]

By Tymur Levitin | Levitin Language School A student solves a mathematics problem and gets the correct answer. The teacher takes off marks. Another student explains a biological process accurately. The response is still incomplete. A third student writes a well-informed history essay, includes relevant dates, and presents several arguments. Yet the examiner’s feedback says: […]

The difference between nennen, beschreiben, erklären, begründen, vergleichen and beurteilen — and why understanding a subject is not always enough to complete a school assignment in German. A student understands the science lesson. They remember the facts. They can explain the topic in their first language. They may even know the relevant German vocabulary. Then […]

A sentence does not only tell us what happened. Sometimes its grammar prepares us for who will carry the story forward. Consider two tiny stories. I opened the door and walked outside. I opened the door and Peter walked inside. English handles them easily. In the first sentence, the person who opens the door is […]

The Social Life of Boy, Guy, Man, Gentleman, Boyfriend, Partner, Husband, Daddy, Sir — and My Man When does a boy become a man? At eighteen? At twenty-one? When he gets a job? When he marries? When someone stops calling him a boy? The question looks as if it should have an answer in years. […]

“Knowing what a word means is knowledge. Knowing why you need this word here — and not another one you also know — is language.” — Tymur Levitin A student reads a sentence and understands every word. Then I remove one word and ask: What would you put here? Suddenly, the answer is not obvious. […]