German kindergarten in need of English-speaking teacher

This summer, Leonie will leave the Dansenberg kindergarten, Villa Winzig, and start school. She will be one of a few children who took part in the English teaching project, “English on the Doorstep,” initiated by the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, the city of Kaiserslautern and the KMC.

“Leonie and a few other kids were here when the three-year project started and will leave as it will come to an end soon,” said Elisabeth Lindemer, head of the kindergarten. “They were able to learn the foreign language in a playful way.”
At the end of August, the University of Kaiserslautern will finish providing the academic supervision of the project.

“The project will officially continue, but without the university’s supervision,” Lindemer said.

During each school year, ever since September 2009, a group of 25 German kindergarten children had the chance to learn English from kindergarten teacher Christine Dodd, a British native.

“I must admit that my job got easier over the time, because the children learned fast and were able to talk back to me in a decent time,” she said.

The kindergarteners also learned by talking to American children. During the three-year project, a cooperation was established between the German kindergarten and the child development center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Students of both locations meet each other on a regular basis.

“We are happy to have been able to arrange these get-togethers,” Lindemer said. “The American parents bring their children over here and everybody has a lot of fun when the German and American kids play, speak and sing together.”
Dodd will leave in August to return to Scotland.

“That’s why the kindergarten is looking for a new teacher. It has to be an English native speaker, who also should speak some German, but this is not a precondition,” Lindemer said. “The applicant should have a pedagogical background and be able to work with little children.”

Working hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Interested applicants should send their applications to Kindergarten Villa Winzig, Dansenberger Strasse 32, 67661 Kaiserslautern.

“We will screen the paperwork and invite applicants to visit us here in Dansenberg as long as Mrs. Dodd still is around so they can see how things work,” Lindemer said.