Meet Annabel, 21, a ski instructor based in the Austrian Alps. Find out more about how she uses German in her role. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
For Annabel, being able to speak both German and English was really important when it came to securing work out in Austria. Her language skills have enabled her to communicate with a range of clientele, including Dutch, Danish and German. This has helped her to progress a lot quicker and further in her role as an instructor.
Ski instructing is the best job in the world and it gives you the opportunity to travel, which is incredible.
Annabel:
Hi. Mein Name ist Annabel und ich arbeite als Skilehrerin. - Hi. My name's Annabel and I work as a ski instructor.
Hi. My name's Annabel and I work as a ski instructor.
I work as a ski instructor, mainly in the Austrian Alps. I teach kids and adults of all different abilities, and in the summer I sometimes work in a snow dome. In my first season out in Austria, I worked mainly in kindergarten, getting to know the kids and kind of doing the more basic training, and then during my second season and onwards, I progressed to adults and more advanced technical skills, which is what I prefer.
Ja, die Kniegelenke sind gebeugt. - Yes, the knee joints are bent.
Das ist alles parallel. - That is all parallel.
Das ist die perfekte Skiposition. - That is the perfect ski position.
Depending on where you’re working, the ski season will normally start around October/November time and go through to March. The ski days are quite long, but after work I often trained because I'm planning to become a competitive freeride skier. I'm hoping that I will start competing in the winter of 2024 out in Austria, with the Open Ride Qualifying Tour. I love the fact that I can do my hobby, my passion, my absolute favourite thing, you know, skiing, as my job. I absolutely love being in the mountains. I love being outside, working with other people and watching their confidence grow as they work with me.
Super! - Great!
I think it's really important to do a job you love, because as they say, if you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life.
Colleague:
Danke, danke! - Thank you, thank you!
Annabel:
Gerne. - With pleasure.
For me, it was really important that I spoke English and German, because it made me far more employable out in Austria. The ability to speak to different clientele, whether that was Dutch, Danish, English or German, meant that I was able to progress a lot further in my work, a lot quicker.
Hoch um die Kurve, wieder klein. - Tall around the corner, small again.
I am an Austrian Anwärter which is an SBSSV qualification. It's universally recognised as a Level 2 qualification. I have got that in ski and snowboard, and it took me ten days to qualify out in Austria. The Austrian system's great because when you do the qualification there, you're guaranteed a job afterwards as they put different people into different jobs across the region. I, personally, already knew the ski school I wanted to work with, so I had an email chain back and forward with my ski school and went into that job after I qualified.
Meine Skihose, meine Mütze. - My ski trousers, my beanie.
There are different challenges, obviously working outside and in the mountains, especially when you're working with kids. The conditions can vary and you need to make sure that you're aware of the weather changes and the fronts as well as making sure that all the kids are happy and safe.
Colleague:
Hallo! - Hello.
Annabel:
I was actually born in Germany and my mum is German, so I had a good foundation of German from childhood.
Annabel’s mother:
Hey Anni. - Hi Anni.
Annabel:
Hi, wie geht’s? - Hi, how are you?
Annabel’s mother:
Mir geht’s gut, wie geht es Dir? - I am well, how are you?
Annabel:
Ja, super gut. - Yes, super great.
I then moved to the UK in 2007 and went through the English education system. I then did GCSE and A-level German in the UK, which really meant that my grammar, spelling, reading was all really improved.
Info zur Ausrüstung geben. - Give information about equipment.
I am dyslexic, which meant that learning a language was quite difficult, especially mixing English and German at the same time. I really wish I'd known sooner that grammar and being really precise in your language doesn't really matter. It will come naturally eventually and people really appreciate when you're trying to speak their language.
Alles ist gut bei mir. - All is good with me.
Heute Morgen habe ich nicht so viel getan aber ja… eigentlich gut. - This morning I didn’t do much, but yeah, actually good.
If you have even the smallest inkling that you want to do a season, absolutely go do it. Ski instructing is the best job in the world and it gives you the opportunity to travel, which is just incredible.
- The main skills Annabel uses in her role as a ski instructor include leadership, patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- Annabel was born in Germany and her mum is German, so she had a good foundation level of German from childhood
- She moved to the UK when she was seven years old and studied GCSE and A-level German. This really helped with her German spelling, grammar and reading
- In her first season over in Austria, she worked mainly in Kindergarten teaching children basic ski skills. In her second season, she taught adults and more advanced ski skills, which she enjoyed the most
- Annabel is an Austrian Anwärter, which is universally recognised as a Level 2 qualification. She has this for both skiing and snowboarding, which took her ten days to complete
- She loves the fact that she can do her hobby and passion as a job. She says that being outdoors in the mountains, working with other people and watching their confidence grow, is really rewarding
- Annabel's days on the slopes are quite long, however she wants to become a competitive freeride skier so she trains after work. She hopes to begin competing in the Winter of 2024 out in Austria.
Top tips
- Do a job that you love because as they say, if you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life
- Don't worry too much about being really precise when starting to speak another language. It will come naturally after a while and people really appreciate when you're trying to speak their language.
A ski instructor can also be known as an outdoor activities instructor. Outdoor activities instructors lead trips and teach skills in activities like hill walking, climbing, canoeing, skiing and snowboarding.
What to expect if you want to be a ski instructor
- Ski instructor average salary: £16,000 to £30,000 per year
- Ski instructor typical working hours: 36 to 38 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a ski instructor?
You could get into this role via a college course, an apprenticeship, applying directly or doing specialist courses approved by national sporting bodies.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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