Meet the Members

Having lived and taught in India, China, Africa, and Europe, as well as her native USA, Sarah Chevaillier knows from experience what can be gained and what may cause problems when different cultures meet. “It’s about grasping concepts of diversity; dealing with the unfamiliar and not dismissing other people just because they handle things differently.” Growing up near Los Angeles, Sarah was always restless to experience other ways of life. Her high school gap year in Zurich was an early eye-opener. After returning to the USA and gaining a university degree in French, German and English Comparative Literature , she

Bettina Zydatiss is an education adviser for families with gifted and talented children in her native Berlin and is fascinated by how children learn and the way we use language to communicate. Bettina began her career in the late seventies, studying English and physical education at the Berlin Free University (Freie Universität) before working as a probationary teacher. In 1988, she became assistant to Professor Wolfgang Zydatiss, a didactics professor at the University. The new job changed her life as she and her new boss fell in love. They got married and their son Kolja was born the following year. It

New club member Gill Spence, from England, remembers moving house many times in her childhood. “We had homes in Essex, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.” she says, “We moved almost every five years. My parents just seemed to enjoy doing it!” As an adult, she finally felt truly settled after having lived for 30 years in the pretty Devonshire village of Ottery St. Mary. However, her daughter Hattie had other ideas. Hattie, who lives in Berlin with her German husband Tobi and four-year-old son Charlie, asked Gill if she would consider coming to live nearby so that she and Charlie could

Dual nationality (British and German) Club member Julia Lang, who was born and grew up in the South-West of England, had a surprising reason for joining the BIWC in 1997. She wanted to practise her English! Having lived in Berlin for twenty years, and operating day-to-day in business German, French and her mother tongue, she felt the need to pick up again on her native language and enjoy using it with others in a social context. At that time, the Club had a golf group and she was delighted to find an opportunity to learn how to play at the