I choose the wrong foreign language school when I signed up for an intensive German language course in Stuttgart. I have since changed schools and my German has improved substantially since changing schools. Along the way I learned a few tips to help you choose the right foreign language school and avoid the mistakes that I made.
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How Does The Foreign Language School Assesses Your Language Level?
Most language schools will want to assess your current abilities in the foreign language you wish to study. If no assessment is required, run in the other direction as fast as you can, unless you are an absolute beginner, in which case no assessment is necessary. At my old language school the only assessment done was a grammar test. This should have been my first clue that the emphasis of the course would be on grammar. At my current school I was tested for grammar as well, but also speaking and writing. The writing was a problem since I was required to write 250 words and I had never written more than a few sentences. As a result, I ended up repeating a 200 hour course I had already completed at my old school, wasting time and two months to redo the course. This ended up being a good investment as I learned so much, but had I chosen the right foreign language school from the beginning, it could have been avoided.
What Standards Does the Foreign Language School Have in Place?
At my old school, the program was a 6 month Beginner German program, broken into three different 200 hour courses. This is standard among language schools in Germany and while testing was in place, it turns out that even if students failed the test badly they were permitted to continue on in the course. This is not a good result for anyone and it was not communicated until the time of the exam that they “didn’t really matter.” As a result, we had people of all different language abilities in our course. The more advanced learners became bored while the learners who had not grasped the concepts in the previous course quickly became overwhelmed. At my new school, a similar system is in place, but students have to pass the exam or they are not allowed to continue into the next course. This certainly puts more pressure on the students (I know I was very stressed about my German language test), but it also sets standards and results in students being at similar language abilities so the class flows much more smoothly benefiting all the students and providing a more enriching learning environment.
What is the Focus of the Foreign Language School?
This can be tricky to assess, since most schools will tell you they focus on developing a wide range of language skills from speaking, reading, listening and writing. Before I registered in my old school I was assured it would be interactive and I would learn all the language skills I needed, but in reality the course was 90% focused on completing grammar worksheets, which done alone isn’t useful for learning a language, not to mention not a fun way to learn a language. To assess the focus of the foreign language school try and sit it on a class first so that you can see first hand how the teachers teach and how much time is spent developing each of the different language skills. If this is not possible, ask for the contact info of a couple of past students that you can contact and ask them questions directly. My new school also promised that they focused on all of the language skills and they have delivered. Before I registered I spoke with several past students and the information they provided was invaluable in ensuring that I would develop the German language skills in all areas, not just grammar. To further your foreign language skills see The Best Way to Learn a Foreign Language
If You Choose the Wrong Foreign Language School Get Out Fast
None of us like to admit we’re wrong and if the language school you’ve chosen is not working get out sooner rather than later. Looking back on it, I knew after a week that this wasn’t the right German school for me, but I stuck with it for 4 months! Had I changed schools after the first week or even the first month, I’m sure I wouldn’t have had to redo a 200 hour German language course. Along with this, be wary of schools that want all their money up front. You want to be able to get out without losing all your money.
What other tips do you have for choosing a foreign language school?
Laurel,
I’d been considering taking a french course since cds, etc. haven’t been working for me. I think it’s because I don’t really get an interactive experience which I think is crucial in learning the language. I think that I need to have a flesh and blood human being right before me in order to absorb the language. If I decide to move ahead on this, I will refer back to your article so that I will be sure to choose the right one.
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Great advice! I’ll be doing this eventually in Freiburg & it helps to know what to look for.
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In Denmark we are taught a lot of languages from an early age (eg. English, German and French) which means that most of language skills are learned through play, practice and role playing. I think that’s a lot better than grammar sheets. After all people do understand what you mean, even if you use verbs in the wrong tense and person. So make sure to keep having fun at the language school. That way you’ll learn more.
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@Renee – I think interaction is important as well since rarely people speak exactly what is written in a book or on a CD. You might understand “Hello, how are you?” but then in real life if someone says “Hey, how’s it going?” or “What’s up?” you’re totally lost. If you do take a course let me know how it goes. My pronunciation is terrible in French.
@Ali – Thanks and good look learning German. How lucky are you to be in Freiburg? I haven’t been, but heard it’s a beautiful place and I love the Black Forest.
@Mette – I am so jealous of the Danes language skills! Seeing how well everyone spoke English and with only a trace of an accent was what got me started watching cartoons in German since everyone I spoke to said they learned a lot of English from watching TV. Completely agree that learning a language has to be fun, otherwise you lose your motivation. A lot of days I scrambled to do those grammar worksheets on the train a few minutes before class started – definitely not the best way to learn a language.
Laurel, what a great guide! Immersion is definitely the best way to reinforce what you learn in class. When I lived in Italy, my Italian classes were through my University, but my host family didn’t speak English to me- only french or italian. Needless to say I speak italian with a french accent, but hey, it’s better than not at all!
This is great advice. I have to admit I totally struck lucky: my husband picked somewhere he’d heard of because it was pretty much opposite where he worked, but it turned out to be perfect for me. My first teacher was extremely kind and patient, which was just what I needed. My current teacher I find absolutely brilliant, but for a friend of mine who joined for three classes, it just didn’t work and she went back to her old language school, which just goes to show that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. I think it’s really important to find somewhere where you’re comfortable. Learning German is hard enough without not liking your teacher or understanding what’s going on!
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I’m like Mette, I went to school in Germany and was taught English, French and Latin. Next I learned Spanish, in the country with a private teacher for starters and then just battling through. I did the same with Turkish. I am a firm believer in private tution because it is exactly tailor made to your abilities and progress. You need much less lessons, learn very fast, get into conversation, so it’s well worth the money which in the long run may turn out cheaper than a language school
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This is a great post!!!
I will add my $0.02. I attended “Super expensive famous” Language School. It was amazing and met all of your criteria above and then some until…
my teacher got sick. She left 3 1/2 weeks into the semester. After that, I endured horrible substitutes who sometimes did the same lesson plans. We finally got a more permanent substitute who filled the time teaching us about Christmas in Germany for almost 2 weeks. (not to mention, the large number of people of other religions in my class didn’t really care for this)
e-time occur
When we complained, the “Super expensive famous” Language School gave us more time to learn about Christmas and extended the class an extra 2 extra hours one day which, due to my schedule, I couldn’t make it.
Maybe another tip is to find out what the back-up plan if the teacher leaves? Of course, hopefully this situation doesn’t happen often.
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@Jillian – Agreed, immersion is the best way to go. I studied Spanish for 3 weeks in Mexico and stayed with a host family and it was surprising at how good my Spanish got in 3 weeks when I was always speaking it.
@Frau Dietz – So glad that you found a good German school and teacher. Excellent point about a teacher not being the right one for everyone. Fit is very important and not all teaching styles will mesh with all learning styles.
@Inka -Great to hear about your experiences with private language instruction. I had private Spanish lessons and agree that I learned a lot more than I do in a class, although I am currently in a class setting.
@Yelli – Sorry to hear about your bad luck with substitute teachers. I had a similar problem at my first school and it was like a revolving door before they brought someone in who was nice but not qualified to teach. At my school, my teacher also was unable to teach, but they found a suitable stable replacement. Good advice to ask what the school’s plan is, since some schools seem to have a larger and better trained pool of substitute teachers than other ones.
I think that is one of the great deficits in the US public school system. We are mono-lingual and darn proud of it…well, at least where I live in the southern USA. In fact, people are up in arms if you even suggest that it might be a good idea to learn Spanish since there is a large Hispanic population. They’re indignant that ‘we’ would have to learn ‘their’ language instead of looking at the big picture.
They see it as ‘those people’ taking over their country. Well, newsflash, unless you are native American, you should keep quiet. Oh goodness, don’t let me get started on that kind of backward thinking. I think it only puts us further behind the rest of the world. More knowledge shouldn’t be looked down upon, it should be encouraged and celebrated….but you can’t convince some folks of that.
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Great advice!
I had quite a similar problem in my school in that they kept just bumping students up regardless of their ability which eventually led to a disparity in levels, not to mention that it slowed the class down. But one problem in Germany is that when the students are doing the government-funded integration program through the B1 level, the schools who participate kind of have no choice but to keep moving students along until they take the big B1 Certificate Deutsch test (because the schools get the money from the government). And when the students fail, then it’s on their own dime to go back and take the classes again. Only 1/3 of the students actually pass the test – and this rang true in my class as well. If a student was forced to go back and take a class again before moving up to the next level, who would pay for it, especially considering the government only provides the funds for the initial 600 hours through the B1 level/test. Not to mention that the schools that do these integration classes have class sizes that are WAY too large for language learning. I know Germany means well by trying to get people to learn the language, but there are some problems in the system.
Laurel, very handy advice as I am thinking of taking up Spanish in Central or South America or even Spain! You wouldn’t happen to have any recommendations for me would you?
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Great article, Laurel. I would like to learn another language if by some remote chance I master English before I bite the bullet.
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This is very interesting! I don’t think it is hard to get the right school, but still people just don’t seem to ask the right questions! I met someone yesterday who had booked a French language school run by an English lady in the Basque area of France- work that one out!
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Great tips, I wish I had them when I started looking for Spanish schools. I lucked out on the first one in Mexico but subsequent ones in Central America weren’t so hot.
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I attended the Grundstufe II class at Goethe Institut in Staufen, Germany. I don’t think it’s is there anymore – Goethe eliminated some schools. I enjoyed the class and I think Goethe teachers do a good job.
Stellar post Laurel. I arrived here recently and I’m due to begin my language course soon. I haven’t chosen a school yet and until today hadn’t put much thought into what to look for. I’ll take your advice into account. Thanks.
@Renee – Western Canada is similar (in parts of Eastern Canada they speak French). I think we get lazy speaking English, and just assume we don’t have to learn another language. I really wish it was mandatory to learn another language in school as well, since it’s much harder to do as an adult, and it also gives you an appreciation for how difficult it is for other people to learn English.
@Jen – Thanks so much for your comment, very interesting. Many students in my school were government funded as well, but I didn’t realize the schools had to push them through. Surely if they didn’t pass they could say the student wasn’t allowed to continue? I guess they don’t want to lose the revenues, but I agree this system isn’t working. Very interesting that only 1/3 of students actually pass the B1 Exam. I think this would probably be true of my old school as well.
@Grace – Guatemala is well known for its Spanish courses that are relatively inexpensive. If you can try and go off season, I studied Spanish in Mexico in December and ended up getting private lessons at no extra cost since there were no other students at my level. Have fun, and can’t wait to hear about your Spanish learning adventures!
@Barry – LOL
@John in France – I think that was my problem, I didn’t know which questions to ask. Also in Germany, I now know to avoid the schools that have government sponsored students, but I would never have thought to ask that prior to coming to Germany. Interesting story, I guess some people want the comfort of knowing there’s another English speaking person nearby, just in case.
@Ayngelina – Despite asking very few questions about my Spanish school in Mexico, I also lucked out. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t.
@Julian – Thanks for sharing your experience. I have heard wonderful things about the Goethe Institute, but unfortunately there isn’t one in Stuttgart, but good to know for other readers.
@Marie-Paule -Besides the advice, find out if the school accepts government sponsored students as this was an issue in both my class and Jen in her comment shed some light on why this creates problems. If you’re looking for a school in Stuttgart let me know and I can give you 2 recommendations and 2 to avoid.
Do you have any thoughts on German tests? I’ve been taking high German here in Switzerland for over a year and soon have to decide whether or not to take the B2 exam and then whether it should be TELC or Goethe. Not that I need the test for my profession, just that I feel like it might be something tangible to get out of going to class two hours a day everyday for so long.
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Jennifer – In Germany, the “big” test is C1, it’s the test that is required if you plan to go to university and is the standard test in Germany. I’m not sure about the TELC, I haven’t heard about this. I’m not planning to go to university, but do plan to take the C1 test since I would like proof of my German skills should I wish to work in Germany at some point and I’m sure they would want proof of my language skills and like you, I also want something tangible out of my German classes. Good luck!
Laurel,
Which school are you going to now, out of curiosity. Not sure if you remember me from an earlier post, but I’m taking German at the VHS in Kaiserslatuern. I just started level 5. I was also frustrated by the gov. sponsored people who HAD to be there. (as we’d say, keine Lust, kein Lernen), however, by level 4, almost all of those people had dropped out. We have one person who should be back in level 1, but we just ignore her and she just sits alone and plays with her phone while we talk, haha.
We have two teachers, one focuses on grammar, the other more speaking and group learning. I plan to finish at VHS because the one teacher is really good, and it’s one of those “is the grass greener on the other side?” kind of things. But it’s always good to know which options are out there.
Glad you’ve found somewhere that you’re comfortable in.
~Laurie
Laurie V recently posted..Berlin
I’ve not had to learn German here thankfully. Although ten years of travel and US schools is a price in itself for fluency. I have seen the difference in the Italian classes I have taken. The best was the 6 months of just 3 of us in a class. Even only a few nights a week I learned enough to speak basic sentences when I went traveling. Tried a VHS course here and it was not for me. Too low level in some places and too open in others. Not that I was that good to be above the class, but just didn’t fit.
Smaller class sizes seem to be the best. The balance is cost. That and daily practice. Going to language school in Italy was great because 10:30 every morning was coffee time. Not only was it a totally Italian thing, all the levels went together and mingled. So the upper level students could help the lower ones as well. It was cool. I hope Ali and I can find something similar here.
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The choice of school is definitely important. I live near a pretty modest town in Niedersachsen, and there are not so many schools that would offer the “Integration and language” course. After initial accessment I was told there were only two levels: one for those who are illiterate (in German), and another one for those who know how to write ABCs and a little more. I was put in a class of about 20 that was supposedly B1, with about 1/4 of the class repeaters. The repeater count increased as the course progressed, to about 1/3.
The conditions were appalling, mostly due to the background of the students; some of them are illiterate even in their own language, while some others have never been exposed to the Latin alphabet prior to coming to Germany. I was the only person in the class who could speak fluent English. I know it sounds a little prejudiced, but the vague similarity between English and German would, at least in my opinion, be an advantage over other students from, let us say, North Africa.
The recurring theme for these students is that, they “don’t have time” after class. Situations involving young Turkish girls, for example, who usually come married with conservative Turkish men living in Germany, are far too common and there is no need to elaborate; and the same extends to other similarly-minded students. On the other hand, some other students are working parent(s) and are encumbered with more immediate concerns than improving their command of the German language. Almost all return to their corresponding ethnic enclaves immediately after class and have no additional exposure to German until the next class.
I was fortunate enough to be allowed to learn on my own undisturbed. Even given that flexibility it was not very easy, as it is very difficult to find someone of similar level to practice speaking. And, in my school, getting help on topics beyond the B1 level is more difficult than pulling teeth; I would just be told “sorry, this is already beyond B1 and I cannot help you with that.”
I also hoped that there would be a much stronger focus on writing. The focus, at least for this school, is just to get students to read German, so that they could understand instructions. The “Writing” exercises were often limited to simple letters and e-mails, and the instructor was more hung up on “irrelevant” items like putting a dot after their signature (which I still do out of habit) than the content itself. I tend to think that, if the students were asked to write more rigorously, their speaking and comprehension skills would correspondingly improve. After a few months, I still see the students struggling over the same problems, over and over again, and the problem could be solved easily if they were simply asked to write and think hard about German grammar.
We are now at the stage of preparing for the “big test”. To be honest, while I do reasonably well (not having to worry about repeating) I do find the test hitting below the intellect at points. The “reading” component, for instance, more a test on “symantec”. I get frustrated when they keep asking me to find the “perfect” classified ad, or when whether something that is otherwise true turns out to be “false” on a notice because of a “technicality”. Would it not be possible to just read a passage of text and answer some detailed questions about it? I guess with this they can also throw the same curve balls.
Recently I saw a series about this “integration course” on TV, and I would say, even though the endgoal for all classes are the same (B1 + orientation), the level of the students are much better, at least from the show, in the bigger cities. I suppose the background of the students have a lot to do with it. It is easier to teach German to a group of highly educated foreigners, than to do the same for a group of near-illiterates.
PD.
Dear friends,
I’ve just moved to Stuttgart, working for a German company and looking for the ‘right’ German language school as described in the article and posts above. Could anyone give me a recommendation, I need to immerse myself in the language asap.
Thank you in advance!
Mary
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@Mary, I attended IFA, which is rigorous, but you do learn: http://www.ifa.de/deutschkurse/kurse-und-pruefungen-im-ueberblick/. Would not recommend Henke, that was the first school I attended. I’ve heard mixed things about the Volksschule, but have consistently heard that the classes are large. Best of luck with learning German.
I am currently attending IFA’s A1 course. I think you do learn there. It’s a bit overwhelming at first because teachers are not allowed to speak english, but they do translate stuff when nobody gets the idea. I have a young and an older teacher and i have to say the older one sucks big time. I don’t know if all older teachers are like this but she just seems to not care at all. The one thing that pisses me off the most is that she is trying to impose on us her Schwabish accent which is a bit different than hochdeutsch. Putting that aside, i think IFA is quite good and is conveniently located right next to the Ubahn and bus stops are also very close.
Hi Armando, Thanks for sharing your experience. I ended up in IFA after the disaster at my first school and it was much better but still far from perfect. The teachers make all the difference, sorry to hear that you have one that isn’t so good. I’m surprised that she’s teaching you Schwabisch, as the standard is obviously Hochdeutsch. I agree the location is very convenient, but I still found some of the teaching methods very dated.