About
Peter Patter Language Learning isn’t just a resource for language learning, it’s a whole approach to language teaching that emphasizes speaking and the written word from the very beginning of instruction. We begin speaking and writing in the Target Language on day 1, using even the most basic grammar and vocabulary to craft stories and conversations. In addition, specially tailored texts accompany each day of instruction, allowing students to enjoy real stories written in their Target Language that are composed entirely using vocabulary and grammar that they have already learned. Peter Patter is committed to helping students reach their language learning goals, and instilling early confidence in students’ ability to successfully interact with their new language is a key to mastery.
About Peter
Peter C. Woods, PhD, is a translator and linguist specializing in Germanic and Slavic languages with over twelve years of experience teaching in multiple languages and at all levels. He believes that language learning is as much about cultural exchange as it is about grammar and vocabulary and has devoted his life to this pursuit.
Peter’s interest in language began with German while spending a year of high school abroad in a small town in Germany, while his passion for teaching developed while teaching the local language Sranan Tongo as a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname. Although his primary languages are German, Russian, and Yiddish, Peter has also worked extensively with other Germanic and Slavic languages, including Norwegian, Dutch, and Slovene.
Peter has held positions teaching German as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Oberlin College, Adjunct Professor at Diablo Valley College, and Graduate Student Instructor at UC Berkeley. Peter has also held positions as the Department of German & Slavic Studies Russian Tutor at George Washington University and as an English teacher at a private school in Moscow, Russia. Other experience includes teaching private lessons in Russian and Yiddish, as well as facilitating German, Russian, and Yiddish speaking events for language learners, and he continues his academic teaching online with small group and individual lessons.
Peter’s foreign language experience also includes translation of German, Russian, Slovene, and Yiddish into English. He has worked as a translator for companies such as the Eckenroth Foundation, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital History, and Zorro Productions, Inc., and additionally as a private contractor.
Peter holds both a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Germanic Linguistics from The University of California, Berkeley, as well as a Bachelor of Art degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. Peter has studied under noted scholars and renowned linguists including Drs. Richard Robin, Irmengard Rauch, Thomas Shannon, Elaine Tennant, Ronelle Alexander, and Johanna Nichols.
Book a Private Lesson or Enroll in an Academic Course Today
Peter Patter 