German Language & Culture 2012

In 2012, STUDIENFORUM BERLIN e.V. will host intensive German Language & Culture Programs of the 

University of Richmond
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Rochester
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Virginia Military Institute

Students who want to join one of these programs may contact either June Hwang (Rochester), Kathrin Bower or John Treadway (Richmond), Nancy Montez (UCLA), Margarete Landwehr (West Chester University), Patricia Hardin (VMI) or Gisela Jacobsen (Studienforum Berlin).

The German Language Program

The STUDIENFORUM BERLIN's German Language Program is a four to eight week, intensive language and cultural program to enhance a student's cultural knowledge and proficiency. You will experience contemporary German life and culture. Excursions and field trips in the Berlin area to sites of historical and cultural importance are an integral component of the program. Excursions to sites outside of the Berlin area (e.g. to Dresden, Weimar, Prague) are optional.

The Language Programs are offered for groups of (min. eight) students and for individual students (mostly in connection with internships in Berlin), usually 20 or 24 hours of instruction per week.

Applications must be made at least four months in advance.

They can take place throughout the year at any date (beginning on Saturdays).

Students assume responsibility for providing all necessary signatures and authorizations by the designated deadlines. Applications which are not fully completed will not be considered.

Eligibility

STUDIENFORUM BERLIN's Language Programs are offered to all students who have had at least two semesters of college-level German or its equivalent.

Orientation

There will be an on-site orientation in Berlin during the first week to provide participants with an overview of STUDIENFORUM BERLIN's resources, the facilities and user procedures of the school as well as the logistics of living in Berlin such as housing, transportation, health and safety, and recreation (6 hours).

Orientation does emphasize health and personal security while studying and while traveling in Berlin and Germany.

STUDIENFORUM BERLIN's staff will be available throughout the duration of the course to meet the needs of the students and accompanying faculty. This includes making reservations for cultural events (theaters, concerts, exhibitions, etc.). STUDIENFORUM BERLIN also organizes sightseeing tours within Berlin and Potsdam as part of the program as well as excursions to historical and cultural places of interest outside of the Berlin area, e.g. Dresden, Weimar, Wittenberg, Eisenach, Prague. These optional excursions take one to three days.

The Courses

Language instruction will be provided by "Die Neue Schule" in Berlin-Wilmersdorf which has extensive experience in carrying out language courses especially for U.S. students. "Die Neue Schule" has the status of a "Supplementary Private School" and is supervised by the Berlin Government (Senator fuer Schulwesen).

The courses of this program are of various lengths: 4 to 8 weeks. Students with basic, intermediate and advanced levels in German are accepted. 

Die Neue Schule requires a written placement test to be transmitted at least two weeks in advance. The student's placement is based on this test as well as on a brief conversation on the first day of the program.

Here is how you provide your placement test at Die Neue Schule. 

The language courses take place Monday to Friday and consist of 20 lesson periods per week (a total of 80 to 160 hours). Special arrangements (e.g. 100 hours in 4 weeks or a combination of language instruction and content courses) are possible on request. There is a placement test (that meets the Goethe-Institute standards) at the beginning of every course. To enhance the intensive learning experience classes are small (max. 12 students).

The method of teaching is communicative and based on the simple premise that language comes from speaking. Role-play and intensive conversation training are therefore an integral part of every course.

All staff of "Die Neue Schule" have university degrees as well as extensive experience in individual and group teaching in "German as a Foreign Language" (GFL).

Apart from well-equipped and bright classrooms, modern facilities such as DVD, video, teaching cassettes, etc., are available.

For further information or questions please email us.