From Human to Human.

At that time, my approach was relatively uncommon, because the introduction of the Euro, as the common currency in Europe from early 2002, had brought attention to the considerable price differences between the member states and brought the focus within the German economy on rigorous cost cutting. Because trainer fees are traditionally considered costs, they had not been raised for many years, despite the general increase in the cost of living in the country. Many trainers therefore found themselves in a financial and moral crisis. Some German cities even saw public protests and strikes among the freelance staff.

Having worked as a language trainer myself, I wanted crossXculture to remedy this situation. From the beginning, I viewed our trainers as our most valuable resource. My aim was to have a positive impact on the quality of language teaching through transparent pricing towards our customers and fair pay for our trainer staff. Having grown up in the US, I had an ardent entrepreneurial spirit and believed in the saying, “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.” This conclusion was certainly not far fetched, because after all, qualified trainers could choose both the industry and the institute for which they wanted to work. Today, we owe it to this new and promising concept that the crossXculture language school evolved to become a hub for highly motivated and qualified trainers.

When my father saw the logo, he asked me if the “cross” in the company name had a Christian background. I was truly surprised by the thought, since I had based my choice of words on the English adjective “cross-cultural”, which I had heard and used a lot during my studies, in the sense of cross-cultural identity, migration, etc. Yes, perhaps I was even a little offended at the time that my father was inclined to subordinate my newly conceived concept of a revolutionary “language school of fair trainer fees” to an already existing community of values and was unwilling to accept it as my own “creation”. I was thirty-two years old at the time, and such matters are never easy between father and son.

As we moved forward from these early foundations, crossXculture faced significant challenges that tested the strength of our values and the commitment to our trainers. During the financial crisis of 2008/2009, for instance, we lost some of the important customer contacts that we had acquired during the founding years. On the other hand, I met my now wife, Sabina, in that same year, who has since supported me with her solid knowledge in bookkeeping and business management. In 2013, our daughter Sarah was born. In 2016, the Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) managed to poach some of our trainers by stipulating higher fees nationwide and installing lucrative all-day courses for refugees. We reacted by increasing our fees and were able to survive under the new conditions. In 2018, our son Maximilian was born. The birth of our children not only brought joy to our lives but also inspired me to think more deeply about the legacy and values we pass on through crossXculture.

In 2020, the regulations surrounding the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to our in-company language courses. Our income dropped to zero within a week, and despite our successful transition to online training, it would take several years for us to fully recover. We found solutions for each of these twists and turns without losing sight of our concept of beneficial cooperation or lowering the quality of our training. On the contrary, it became clear that we would maintain the bond with our teachers, customers, and within our family, even when things got tough. I guess no one goes through life without a few scars, and perhaps that's a good thing, because each new challenge is also an opportunity to grow and to test one's own resolve.

From the very beginning, it was important to me to offer training by the people for the people, without losing sight of our humanistic values and achievements. From time to time, we humans put ourselves in precarious situations, and freeing ourselves from these can be a real challenge. And so, perhaps for the first time, I can fully appreciate the importance of not losing sight of the benefit to society when making our decisions. And this is undoubtedly also a Christian concept. In this respect, my father's question was perhaps not as provocative and off-topic as I understood it at the time.

With crossXculture, we offer numerous companies and their employees stable and valuable language course formats for an intelligent and sophisticated exchange of ideas. “Where do we stand linguistically and socially, and in which direction should we develop?” These are important questions, especially today, to which we as a society must find answers in order to ensure our health and well-being in the long term. Language learning groups offer the ideal venue for us to keep our finger on the pulse of our time. For almost 20 years now, we have been documenting the development of our course participants through the language levels and have enjoyed celebrating their successes with them.

Shifa M. who works for a German NGO writes about her German course:

"I have been to many German classes in Germany. When I joined this class, I knew I had found the perfect place to learn German. Her pace and mode of teaching were just what I needed. Learning by doing, by practice, touching, seeing, speaking, and smelling helped me retain what she was teaching. She was just the best. I wish I could join her class again." (1 Oct 2024)

After all, we learn languages best when we have something to say. With crossXcultures' extensive pool of 1,300 qualified trainers, we are giving you access to experienced trainers and conversation partners throughout Germany, both online and on site, trainers who will challenge and support you with all their skills. Just like in real life and from human to human.

Whether you're a business looking to enhance your team's communication skills or an individual eager to improve your language abilities, crossXculture is here to support your journey. Let's continue this conversation—reach out and see how we can help you grow.

cXc | crossXculture
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