You Can Learn German Anywhere

Life in any country is more full and fulfilling when you can understand and express yourself to people in their language. Although many Germans speak English rather well, they tend to do so in the corporate / professional settings rather than in shops or markets where most of you will also have to get along. Besides, this is an opportunity to enrich your time in Germany by developing your language skills.

It is very likely that as part of being transferred to Germany, you will receive some sort of family language training as a benefit. A private teacher is expensive but definitely the most efficient way for a beginner to learn German. Look in the Yellow Pages to find names or, better still, try to get recommendations from friends or colleagues.

The cheapest way is finding a course through the adult education program (Volkshochschule), which has branches all over Munich. You may choose a German language course or a cooking or painting class where you will be among other Germans and learn German conversation from them. The courses vary much in quality. If you are not happy with a course, it is possible to switch to another one.

As these programs are subsidized by the city, tuition is quite reasonable. To enroll or get information, you need the program; it is sold in most bookstores in Munich shortly before semesters begin in September and February. In other areas, it is either distributed to all households or you can pick it up free at local stores and banks. To register for a course, you should appear in person at the office of the Volkshochschule, register via phone, or send in a registration form authorizing the Volkshochschule to withdraw the course fee from your account. Note that in Munich many courses are popular and queues are not uncommon on the first day of sign-up. You may choose from a variety of class times: mornings, evenings, and weekend courses.

If you search the Internet for “Deutschkurse & München” or look for example under “Find It” at the Munich Found website (www.munichfound.de), you will find several language schools that offer instruction. Among them the Goethe Institute stands out, working to disseminate knowledge of German culture and language in 77 countries around the world. They offer high-quality, but rather expensive, language tuition.

A large spectrum of German language courses is offered for foreigners. Many universities, evening schools and adult education centers (Volkshochschulen - www.vhs.de) offer a cheaper alternative to courses at the numerous private language schools or one-to-one tuition. The state-run Goethe-Institut also offers language courses for foreigners in its branch offices abroad (www.goethe.de).