Story & Approach
About Man Bites the Dog & Me
Bastian Treptau, Founder & Instructor
Why Man Bites the Dog?
I founded Man Bites the Dog as a passion project — a passion for language, culture and communication across borders. I have been teaching German for more than a decade in various settings and worked with a range of clients. I taught at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota for three years, ran the German program at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota for six years and I have worked with individuals and small groups outside of higher education throughout that time. Perhaps the most crucial lesson I learned is that no two clients are the same. They vary in their goals, their styles, their prior experience and much more. This is why I wholeheartedly believe that lessons and programs tailored specifically to each client’s individual needs yield by far the best results.
Every Word Matters
The name Man Bites the Dog originates in my approach: I was helping a client break out of "thinking English" when learning German and explained one of the most fundamental differences between the two languages: In English, we make sense of language primarily based on word order: “Man bites dog” conveys a very different message than “Dog bites man.” In German, the first level of meaning is derived from what we call cases. Essentially, articles take on different forms to give meaning to a sentence. That’s why the German “the” becomes so important: “Der Mann beißt den Hund” and “Den Hund beißt der Mann” state the same thing. This realization led to a breakthrough for my client.
Why Work With Me?
I believe in my work because of my experience on the one hand and my clients' success on the other. I draw on over ten years of teaching German, including 40+ college courses and over a dozen more for learners of all ages in other settings. Most crucially, I have spent more than 1,000 hours (and counting) instructing individuals. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Culture & Media Studies from the University of Düsseldorf in my native Germany and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, my long-time home. My passion for and work with languages have shaped my own life. I view sharing that with others as both a great privilege and an important responsibility.
Reach Your Goals in German
My clients have a long track record of accomplishing their goals. After working with me, they have gone on to obtain certifications of various levels; they have improved their grades or bolstered their resumes; they have traveled to, studied or worked in and even moved to German-speaking countries. Virtually all of them have continued their work with me to meet or exceed the benchmarks they had set for themselves — no matter if their learning context was a month-long custom program or years of individual lessons. These client stories have hugely impacted my decision to found Man Bites the Dog and I am confident that together we can reach your goals in German, too.
I look forward to working with you!
Client Stories
Dedicated to delivering exceptional results, we prioritize providing personalized attention to each client. Explore the testimonials below to learn about their experiences.
Rob Audino
Engineer at ASC
Client since 2023
“I’ve been a part of the German community in America my entire lifetime and recently had more chances to spend time in Germany itself. Bastian's instruction has opened my world and ability to communicate with friends, colleagues, and family in German. I'm preparing to move to Germany and the progress we make in our lessons gives me the confidence that it will stick. Since starting with Bastian in July of 2023, I've gotten countless compliments from the Germans in my life about my language skills and even passed the B1 exam in June of 2024. If you want to learn German in the US, there is no better place!"
Carter Learned
Gustavus Class of '24
Client since 2022
"Learning from and working with Bastian at Man Bites the Dog is akin to a breath of fresh air. He is someone who cares about you and your goals, thoughtfully motivating and guiding your education to achieve success. Bastian helped me discover and deepen my passion for German language and culture, making me feel personally seen and heard throughout the journey of language learning."
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working toward your goals.