What is the right German course for me?
Here is a checklist: Which aspects should be considered?
- Why do I want to learn German? What is my goal?
- How much time do I have?
- When do I have time?
- Can I keep to a regular schedule (once or twice a week)?
- Do I want to practice outside of class?
- Is my company interested in me speaking German and will they pay for my course?
- I already speak several languages and want to move forward quickly with my German.
- I would like to discover the German language in peace and without stress.
- I learned German a long time ago and want to refresh my skills
Read on!
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Here you will find a lot of interesting information about learning German:
German intensive courses
What is an intensive course?
„It's a course in which you acquire language skills in a short time through intensive and concentrated teaching.“
Sure ... are there courses that are not "intensive" ?
Honestly, if a course is not "intensive", you should ask yourself if you could do something better with your time.
Should I take an intensive course or a normal course?
Reasons for an intensive course:
- You need German for your work quickly.
- You want to improve quickly in a special field - for example, you are an architect and work together with German companies on the construction site.
- Your German is rusty and you want to quickly become fluent again.
Reasons for a normal course:
- You want to improve your German continuously: you have no time pressure and no concrete goal, one or two hours per week is enough.
- Knowledge of German will help you in your job, but is not indispensable.
- Learning German is your new hobby!
Does an intensive course also make sense if I am a complete beginner?
Yes, just get started !
- An intensive course quickly teaches you the basics so that you can communicate soon.
- Even beginners can make good progress, for example, if they need specialized German for their job.
- Or: You have a few days off and would like to use this time to learn German - great!
Is an intensive course fun ... or exhausting and boring?
My classes are efficient AND entertaining. You will not even notice how time passes!
Further information on intensive courses, planning and organisation
can be found here.
BOOK
German A1 - C2: Levels and certificates
- Tips for your preparation
Attention: You take the official exam at INL: https://www.inll.lu/fr/
You cannot obtain a certificate from me as I am a private provider.
I can help you with your preparation.
The certificate
Language certificates are internationally valid and describe how well you can speak a language. This is helpful, for example, for employers or universities - after all, there are many levels between "zero" and "perfect".
Therefore, the certificates are a very good idea.
You do not need the certificate …
for your communication in real life ! 😉
CEFR: Levels A1 - C2
Levels A1 to C2 divide languages into six levels so that language skills can be compared according to an international table. Languages in their natural manifestation do not have this classification. The levels are artificial.
Here is a short description of the levels :
A1/ A2
You can give information about yourself and about your environment and your everyday life, you can ask questions to get simple information. You understand your interlocutor when he/she talks slowly and simply about concrete things.
Attention: A1 is already the first level, a complete beginner does not have level A1.
B1
You can link sentences to give reasons and conditions, make plans, and talk about your experiences. You understand the most important points when your interlocutor speaks in clear language.
B2
You can talk about any subject, including abstract matters, and converse fluently with native speakers, using grammar correctly. You can hold technical discussions in your field of specialisation, explain your point of view, present advantages and disadvantages.
My experience:
The leap from B1 to B2 is the most difficult: In the B2 exam, grammar mistakes are (almost) no longer "forgiven".
C1/ C2
You can study or work in this language without any problem. You can read any text, you know nuances of meaning and different levels of language.
Further criteria of language competence
In addition to the levels, there are further assessment criteria (for the spoken language), which are intended to refine the grading: Scope (vocabulary), correctness (grammar), fluency (complete sentences without "uh"), interaction (reaction to the interlocutor), coherence (red thread).
These aspects can provide inspiration for your exam preparation. How would you assess your level? Can you already speak fluently and coherently about a topic?
My personal experience with the reliability of the certificates :
It is definitely helpful to assess a person’s language skills, but they cannot be fully categorized:
People have different strengths, a personal style, their own character, one speaks more, the other is rather shy ... The certificate does not give unlimited information about a person’s communication style and his ability to react in a concrete situation. For this reason, I would not advise any recruiter to rely exclusively on the certificate.
In addition, the specific language of a profession is not part of the CEFR exam: When hiring new employees, you should test their language skills in a typical work situation.
The levels from A1 to C2 are each divided into four functions of the language: speaking, understanding, reading, writing.
The exam has four parts corresponding to these four competences. Therefore, you should base your exam preparation on these four language functions.
What do you have to do in the exam?
Daniela, what do the levels have to do with your courses?
Do your language courses follow this complicated system?
Answer : Yes and no !
- If you want to prepare specifically for your exam, we make a course 100% focused on this goal .
- However, each course provides you with the knowledge you need for the exam. If you don’t have concrete plans for your exam yet, you can start preparing later and use everything you have already learned.
My general language courses:
- We focus mainly on real-life conversation, our focus is on speaking and understanding.
- We nevertheless follow the requirements of the CEFR: e.g. a beginner’s course is aimed at level A1 or A2.
My targeted preparation courses:
- In the course we practice the oral part with the typical topics and questions (I play the examiner!).
- The written part is best practiced by yourself: you write essays outside the course and I correct your texts.
- Ideally, you will also practice reading and listening outside the course with the provided exercise material.
Important:
An exam situation is not real !
If you want to pass the exam, we must practice according to the exam questions! This allows us to make the most of your time.
How many hours does it take from one level to the next?
Generally: 180 - 200 hours - this is very individual! There are many online tests for self-assessment.
They have no official validity, but it can't hurt to take one for orientation …
Book preparation course
Learning German in your company - Guide for HR
Five reasons for German courses in your company :
- Speaking German in the office: German language skills help to facilitate the processes in your company: meetings, phone calls, emails, coffee breaks with colleagues: Your employees can easily switch from one language to another.
- You have a new team member in the German-speaking team: The newcomer speaks German, but needs a bit of training to communicate with his colleagues. In our course we train communication in work situations.
- German in everyday life - German is one of the three official languages in Luxembourg and is spoken by many people. Your employees will appreciate your offer for a German course in your company.
- Training in the company is subsidised – find more info here:
https://www.lifelong-learning.lu/article/cofinancement-de-la-formation/fr
- A joint German course improves the working atmosphere! Your employees have the opportunity to talk to each other and get to know each other better.
My experience with German courses in the company:
We work with concentration, and the German course is also a productive distraction for your employees.
Their questions about German e-mails or texts can be discussed directly.
Business German
What is Business German? - What do you need it for?
You don’t need it to communicate with your friends or write poems - you need it to do business!
Therefore, the business language has special characteristics.
- All technical terms must be clear so that everyone understands the same thing.
- The clarity of the terms is the basis for legal certainty. The law can only apply if the technical terms are clearly defined.
- Business language creates trust between business people and strengthens stability in business relationships:
- The business language is as simple and clear as possible, without irony or flowery allusions that can be misunderstood.
- Small talk is important for business relationships: it is characterized by a general politeness, which is also free of individual or cultural peculiarities that would have to be interpreted by the interlocutor.
What about business German?
Business English meets the above conditions: after all, it is the language that is most commonly used in international relations.
So business German is like business English, only with German vocabulary?
Yes and no.
To answer this question, we need to look at some aspects:
Technical terms
ok, the English technical terms have a clear translation into German. There are specialised dictionaries for this.
But the world is evolving and the English language is becoming more and more important, especially in the world of finance. This means that the more modern the "thing", the less likely it is that there will be an equally modern German word for it. Everyone uses and learns the word from the beginning in English. In this case, there is no point in trying hard to find a German translation. So the English word is in a German sentence, and that’s no problem. Take a look at Handelsblatt, Wirtschaftswoche or „Aktionär“.
As far as technical terms are concerned, business « German » is largely English anyway. There are no clear rules: just try to use the English technical term in your German sentence: there is a good chance that your dialogue partner will understand you. This means that you already know a large part of the vocabulary!
Of course, English nouns are written in German with capital letters, and e.g. not all plural forms have an "s" at the end: "der Player", "viele Player".
On the other hand:
German business language has preserved many words from law and administration that resist simplification.
There is a historical explanation for this:
The geographical area in which "German" is spoken was fragmented over many centuries into territories, each with its own rulers. At the end of the Middle Ages, these began to expand their administration and bureaucracy. This was the beginning of the modern state.
However, for the many documents, contracts and legal texts written during this period, the authors could only use the Latin language. „German“ was the language of ordinary people, and they did not use abstract terms that lawyers need.
Moreover, there was no standardised language, but many regional variants. Therefore - around 1500 - a new form of "German" had to be developed that was suitable for administration and bureaucracy. This was the so-called "Kanzleideutsch" - a preliminary stage of the modern German language.
And that is why business German still sounds bureaucratic and complicated today. It is in its "DNA", so to speak. (What do Martin Luther, his translation of the Bible and the invention of printing have to do with this? You can ask me in our course!)
A translation from business English can sound complicated in German. The message is just as clear and precise, but unfortunately contained in a monster of a sentence.
So: on the one hand, there are more and more technical terms that only exist in English, on the other hand, there are still complicated formulations from German administrative language that cannot always be simplified.
Business German is therefore not business English with German words!
In general, I would say:
Apart from the real technical terms, it is not a specific German that you learn to "do business".
The best thing is to learn a solid German, do a good business and find a solution to communicate in German – according to the above mentioned rules of clarity and simplicity.
This is exactly what we practise in our course!
What about small talk?
You don’t have to worry here. You can talk about the usual topics: a remark about the weather is always a good thing (sports, travel, etc.).
Note:
A business talk is not the time to acrobatically demonstrate your knowledge of German syntax:
Keep your sentences short! The person you are talking to may not have the patience to listen to your sentence constructions: it would be a wasted effort to use elaborate subordinate sentences - correct ones, with the verb at the end ... if the person you're talking to doesn't appreciate having to wait for you to finish your sentence. On the contrary, he is happy when he can quickly understand your short sentences - which have intelligent content ! - and continue to talk.
Of course, it depends on your business partner: A traditional company on the Swabian Alb (Attention, there are many "hidden champions"!) can possibly communicate differently than an advertising agency in Berlin-Kreuzberg (Maybe but not...)
Questions about the following topics ?
- My German is not perfect, I’m afraid to make a fool of myself!
- Which German do I learn in the course?
Is my way of expressing myself in German a sign that I belong to the elite?
Is there a type of German that identifies me as a graduate of an elite school?
Or the embarrassing opposite?
Read more about Business German
BOOK
Business Correspondence
Do I have to be perfect to write my emails in German?
No.
Do I make a bad impression if I make a few mistakes?
No.
My personal opinion:
I get a lot of emails from my students who have all levels from A1 to C2 and I never had the impulse to make fun of them.
On the contrary: I appreciate self-written emails (maybe with a few mistakes) more than obviously automatically translated ones. I take it as attention when someone takes the time to write in my language and I also think: Oh, a person with courage ! He/she dares to risk mistakes !
Of course, it depends on the situation :
I’m sure you can judge it.
Artificial intelligence or your own intelligence? - A compromise
- Small emails, for example to make an appointment or to postpone, you can write yourself.
- For a complicated matter, use the software and you can be sure that there are no grammatical errors.
- Compromise: It has a great learning effect to try it yourself first and then see what the software says (if you have the time ...).
Attention: What lawyers can do, only lawyers can do !
If you are not a lawyer, there is no point in formulating very complicated statements in the hope that they will become legally viable. They won't. You should leave the legally relevant matters to a lawyer.
And now the good news! It's easier than you think! And that brings us to the „Hamburger Verständlichkeitskonzept (concept of comprehensibility)“:
The Hamburger Verständlichkeitskonzept
The rules of German business correspondence
The Hamburger Verständlichkeitskonzept was developed in the 1970s. It is a model that helps us to write texts in an understandable way. It also works for business correspondence.
In earlier times, the French style was also used for German correspondence. The sender showed sophistication and courtesy, and his social position towards the addressee was also expressed in style.
These priorities were abandoned in the 1970s in favour of the following aspects for German correspondence:
The focus is on objective comprehensibility, not on politeness or placement in social hierarchies.
- Use simple, familiar words.
- Your sentences shouldn’t be too long.
- Do not use filler words.
- A clear structure leads to a better understanding.
- And finally, as you write, imagine, "How would I read it myself? Would I understand this text well?"
For francophone email writers: It is not advisable to simply translate the sentences of the French correspondence literally into German.
I know that in reality it can be different:
Emails you receive in German often look complicated
because native speakers
- still have the traditional complicated sentences in mind
- want to be particularly respectful.
- want to be particularly serious,
Stay cool and focus on the content !
The advantage of the new model:
You do not need to memorize formal sentences, it is enough to tell the addressee what you want from him.
The disadvantage of the new model:
You can’t hide behind formal phrases. You need to know for yourself what you want and decide for yourself what words you use to communicate it.
But what is the rule?
The Hamburger Verständlichkeitskonzept is not a law, but a model intended to simplify the style of correspondence.
It is not forbidden to write in a complicated way, so to speak in an "old-fashioned" way.
The old style and the new style coexist.
Okay, but what about politeness?
The trick: short IS polite !
Why? Because the recipient quickly understands what you want – maybe he is under stress and is grateful if he can save time !
A clear structure also makes it easier for your correspondent to understand what you want to say.
Conclusion: The modern German correspondence style means:
➜ for the recipient: quick understanding
➜ for you: less risk of making mistakes
... this is exactly what we do in our course:
We train writing according to the Concept of Comprehensibility. You learn to write good emails, even if your German is not (yet) perfect.
Examples, tips and tricks are available here.
BOOK
Technical German
Why should I take a specialized course in technical German ?
Isn't that a normal German course?
Yes, it is a normal German course. However, the focus is on the specific German you need for your job.
In a general German course you learn to make conversation about general topics and to communicate in everyday life.
Of course, this will also help you at work, but the overlap with your specific vocabulary can be small.
A specialised course is more efficient than a general course.
The course in technical German is oriented towards your goal.
It’s about making progress quickly and soon being able to speak German on your construction site.
Is this specialised German course more expensive than a normal course?
No.
How many hours is the course?
I offer a package of 30 hours, but it is advisable to discuss in advance what exactly you need: maybe a few hours is enough to get fit, then you do not have to buy a whole package.
I propose the following:
We meet (the first meeting is free), you tell me what you do and we try to speak German : That’s our starting point. We practice and improve what you already know and focus on the topics that are relevant to you.
- We train your communication in work situations.
- So you can exercise your German without stress and expand your vocabulary.
- We also practice reading emails and documents, if desired.
Are there also courses for beginners?
Yes.
Why you will make rapid progress:
You are an expert in your field: On Luxembourg’s construction sites you have already learned many words - in contact with architects, builders, craftsmen, suppliers.
Dimensions, numbers, prices, delivery times: you will see that you already know many words !
I say:
Technology and learning German go well together!
Why?
A sentence in German is like a construction! The vocabulary is the material, the grammar the statics: You need both to make the construction stable!
You can learn German by thinking like an engineer !
You don’t believe me? - Try it out !
Does a German teacher know anything about technology???
No, but he can speak German!
Don’t be shy!
I recommend this course especially for people who already know German but do not « dare » to use it at work. You will see: Once you have started, it works better and better!
BOOK
Is Life too short to learn German ? – My method
„Life is too short to learn German!“
– said Oscar Wilde.
What could he have meant?
- "The German language is so rich that you can spend your whole life discovering new things in it"?
- Or: "The German language is so chaotic and inefficient that it is better not to waste your time with it"?
Mark Twain is more direct. He wrote: „A person who has not studied German can form no idea of what a perplexing language it is. Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp.“
These two somewhat pessimistic gentlemen …
refer in particular to two aspects of the German language:
The declination
There are three articles, masculine, feminine and neutral, which are declined in four cases. So if you look over a text, you will see lots of "der", "den", "ein", "eine" and so on. Many words look similar but have different endings, e.g. "gut", "gute", "guter", "guten". These words have endings according to the declination.
The sentence structure
The sentence structure seems chaotic:
Sometimes the verb - which tells us what the protagonist is doing - stands at the end of the sentence. Very important: you always have to read or listen to the end of the sentence to find out, for example, whether someone has bought, sold, seen or stolen a car.
The German sentence structure seems strange to many people.
There is this anecdote, for example:
A rich American lady travelled to Berlin in the 19th century. She was very interested in politics and wanted to hear Chancellor Bismarck speak in the Reichstag. So she hired an interpreter and they both sat down in the audience gallery. Bismarck began to speak ... he spoke and spoke, but the interpreter said nothing. The American tourist asked him, "So, what does Bismarck say?" The interpreter replied, "Just a moment, madam, I'm still waiting for the verb!"
[quoted from Maria Thurmair: Waiting for the Verb,
https://epub.uni-regensburg.de/25061/1/ubr13057_ocr.pdf]
Don’t panic: learning German is not rocket science!
But how to learn it?
I would like to describe below what I do in my courses and what my principles are.
My method
My experience:
There is no point in using the same method for all learners: what works for one person does not work for another. People are different - fortunately !
My principles:
- The priority is that you are well.
- Hold on! - That doesn't mean you don't have to work! "Learning in your sleep" I think is a myth!
- Intuition and creativity - are very important!
- Solid grammar knowledge, which you need to consolidate through diligent practice - is very important !
- Your questions are always welcome ! Questions are productive and move us forward !
I adapt to your way of learning - that means:
- I have a fully prepared course programme for each meeting.
- If you have questions, or if you want to talk spontaneously about another topic - let's do it !
- You can simply attend my courses without investing any additional time. Everything you need to know you will learn in the course.
- Ideally, you invest a little time to review each lesson and to do your homework. This way you will make rapid progress.
- If you write texts - an effective way to learn - I correct them (this is free) and send them back to you.
You will make it !
Oscar Wilde? Mark Twain? We follow Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962).
He said:
„A magic dwells in each beginning,
protecting us, telling us how to live
[…]
only he who is ready to journey forth
can throw old habits off.“
(That means: It is always interesting to learn something new!)
This advice certainly also applies to your German course!
There is no magic method, ...
but - indeed ! - it's the beginning that counts!
BOOK
How to win a prize for your excellent German
Who awards this prize?
The INL awards certificates ...
Your interlocutors award prizes ! They congratulate you on your excellent German!
If your level is already good, you don't have to wait long for the compliment: "Your German is very good!"
If you are a beginner or have an intermediate level, here are a few tips on how to get this compliment:
Your conversation partner has the perspective of a native speaker: but he is not a language teacher. He has different criteria for judging your language competence. Often native speakers are not aware of how difficult it is for you to make correct sentences. That's why it usually doesn't work to try to impress your counterpart with complicated sentence constructions, especially if you - still - need breaks to think.
If, on the other hand, you speak in simple sentences, your conversation partner will immediately understand what you mean. After all, he is interested in what you are saying. He wants to understand it. Your native-speaker counterpart does not consciously analyse your grammar. If you make a mistake, he doesn't think: "Hm, ok, that was a mistake, but the grammar was sophisticated!" He is happy if you make few mistakes, even if your sentences are simple.
Your interlocutor does not award a prize for complexity. It is not necessary to demonstrate in every conversation all the grammar rules you have ever learned. You will certainly get the opportunity to discuss a complicated topic, and then you can show how well you speak German. But please don’t make your sentences more complicated than necessary!
The trick is that when you make simple sentences that are understandable and correct, people assume that you are also able to make long, complicated sentences.
Your short, correct, intelligent sentences are like the tip of an iceberg:
It must be a huge amount of knowledge underwater!
And if someone says,
„Your German is very good!"
- don't contradict, but appreciate the compliment!
More information on sentence structure, declension, tenses and the passive voice can be found here.
BOOK
Should I learn German or Luxembourgish?
In the following I would like to explain why Luxembourgish plays such an important role for Luxembourgers. As I am not a Luxembourger myself, this is second-hand information, so to speak:
What do German and Luxembourgish have to do with each other?
Luxembourg is small. Over the centuries, it has been dominated by various powers: France, Germany, the Netherlands, ...
French and German have always played an important role in the region. Not only because of geographical proximity, but because power and domination can also be exercised through language. Who governs determines what language is spoken. Therefore, it was an important symbol of resistance for the subjects to continue using their language, even if they did so secretly.
From a scientific point of view, Luxembourgish belongs to the group of "Mosel-Franconian language varieties". It sounds similar to the dialect that is spoken on the other side of the border, for example in Trier...
Why can’t you just say, "Hey, Luxembourgish is a German dialect!"
This has to do with the fact that the Luxembourgish language is very important for the identity of the Luxembourgers. This can be understood by looking at the history of the country:
History of Luxembourg