German School
German school in Berlin
The German school in Berlin is the only language school in Germany with a 16.000 sqm urban campus located in the very centre of Berlin, in the trendy and bohemian “Prenzlauer Berg”. The street on which the school is located has been described by the media as “Berlin´s coolest boulevard”. It is home to more than 40 bars, cafes and fashion stores featuring Berlin designers.
The German Campus in Berlin has 2 boutique hotels and a swimming pool under monument protection. The facilities on campus are exceptional: 66 bright classrooms (all with state-of-the-art-equipment), a restaurant serving modern German food, 50 apartments and 72 hotel rooms of premium standard. There is also a book store, student lounge, sports facilities, a internet room with 15 computers and free internet access. There is free WiFi throughout the entire Campus. There is also an onsite cafeteria with garden terrace, a restaurant with sun terrace and the campus also boasts a lovely landscaped garden.
Accreditations
Super Star School Germany
The Berlin School has received the Star School Germany award 5 times and has been awarded super star status . The awards are bestowed every year in London, by Study Travel Magazine, and honour the best language schools worldwide. The best language school is identified by votes: Language travel professionals from more than 60 countries determine the language school they consider the best in any given country. In Germany they selected the German school in Berlin 5 times, based on personal inspections and clients´feedback.
The school is a member of:
German Courses
Minimum age: 18
Standard course
These short term German courses in Berlin are suitable for students that want a general German course focusing on the four key language skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening. Suitable for students with previous knowledge of German or complete beginners that have a short time to spend learning the language abroad.
Lessons per week | 20 | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 12 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Mini group course
The German mini group course is as the standard course but with a smaller group size of no more than 6 students. Perfect for students that want a group environment with more personal attention.
Lessons per week | 20 | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 6 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Semi Intensive course
These German courses in Berlin are as the standard German courses in Berlin but with 5 extra German lessons per week of no more than 12 students per class. Ideal for students that want an Intensive short term course.
Lessons per week | 25 | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 12 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Intensive course
These German courses in Berlin are as the standard German courses in Berlin but with 10 extra German lessons per week of no more than 12 students per class. Ideal for students that want an Intensive short term course.
Lessons per week | 30 | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 12 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
German for Life course
The German for Life Course is a moderately priced long-term group course, identical in content with our Standard German Course, but offered for longer durations. These courses are popular with Gap Year students and students that have several months spare to learn German.
Lessons per week | 20 | Duration | 12-52 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 12 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Combined course
Students follow the Standard German course and have an extra 10 private lessons each week depending on how intensive a course they desire. Perfect for students that want the diversity of a group course but would like a few private lessons to focus on a specific area of the language, topic or exam.
Lessons per week | 20 + 10, | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | Maximum 12 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Private tuition
20 or 30 private lessons per week. Lessons can be tailored to the needs and requirements of the students, to a particular subject or focusing on a specific exam. Students can have private lessons on a 2 to 1 basis providing they are of a similar ability.
Lessons per week | 20 or 30 | Duration | 1-12 weeks |
Levels | Beginner to Advanced | Students per class | 1:1 or 2:1 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
German TestDaf Preparation course
This 4 week course has been specially designed to prepare students for the exam format and the precise demands of TestDaF. Students follow the 20 lessons of standard German per week and then have an additional 10 lessons a week towards preparing for the TestDaf.
Lessons per week | 30 | Duration | 4 weeks |
Levels | TestDaf | Students per class | Maximum 15 |
Minutes per lesson | 45 | Minimum age | 18 |
Accommodation
Home Stay
Ideal if you want to practice your German “at home”: You have a single room in a flat you share with Germans. Your hosts can be couples (married or not) as well as singles, with or without children. They can be students, taxi drivers or professors, of all ages and social strata. All hosts have been inspected, and many have been hosting our students for several years.
Include:
- Single bedroom, shared kitchen & bath
- Own key, Bed sheets & towels
- Meals: bookable with self catering, breakfast or half board
Distance to school:
- 10 - 35 minutes by public transport (if you book with self catering or breakfast)
- 30 - 55 minutes by public transport (if you book half board)
On campus apartments
The 50 studio-apartments are in 2 buildings facing the garden just behind the language school. With sizes varying between 23 und 38 m², every studio has its own unique style. There are 2 categories: standard and superior. All standard studios are mini-lofts, i.e. the sleeping area is on a higher level – the ceilings are 4.80 m high.
All studios are fully equipped mini-apartments and you can book single, double or shared double:
own WC and shower (bathtub in superior studios)
free WLAN for your laptop
telephone and TV
linen & towels
On campus Hotel rooms
The hotel is located in the most spectacular building on campus: the historic baths "Stadtbad Oderberger". The baths are a Berlin landmark under monument protection. They opened in 1902, and survived WW II but were shut down in 1986 due to damage in the pool. The baths were abandoned until the school renovated them, converting this beautiful neorenaissance building into "Hotel Oderberger". Students can book a single room in the hotel
Facilities include:
bathroom with WC and shower
refrigerator, coffee / tea maker, linen & towels
WiFi - wireless LAN access, TV and phone
breakfast buffet in campus cafeteria between 7.30 and 10 am
Flat Share with International students (Off campus)
The school operates several flats in Berlin, reserved exclusively for their students. All flats are fully equipped with kitchen, bath, TV, WiFi – some of them additionally include living room, phone, washing machine or dishwasher.
- 1 to 3 bedrooms per flat, each bookable as single or shared,
- Bed sheets & towels included
- Breakfast at school cafeteria included
Example 1:
Apartments in Hotel Queen Louise on Lake Weissensee, 20 minutes by direct tram to the school. Most apartments have a balcony and in summer there is also a terrace on the roof. Each apartment has 1 bedroom. You can book an apartment all to yourself or with a friend.
Example 2:
11 Apartments in Driesener Str. near the school. The building is typical Berlin style, built in the 1910s. You can book an apartment all to yourself or share it with another student. Distance to the school: 30 minutes walking or one stop on metro line U2
Example 3:
Flats at Schwedter Straße, very close to the school, only a 7 minute walk . Each apartment has a kitchen and 1 or 2 bedrooms. You can book a bedroom all to yourself or you can book "shared double", i.e. you share your bedroom with another student
Low Budget Studios
If you prefer to have your own apartment in Berlin, this is definitely the cheapest option: the school operates 30 studio-apartments in a modern student residence, inhabited mainly by students going to university in Berlin.
Apartments include:
- size 21 sqm
- fully equipped kitchen
- bathroom
- TV, high speed WiFi
- bedsheets & linen
- coin operated washing machines in the basement
Transfer
A transfer service from one of Berlin's airports (Tegel or Schonenfeld) to your accommodation is available at an extra cost. Alternatively we can provide you with advice on travel.
Activities
Activities
The school in Berlin organises a weekly social and activity programme for students, to further their German language skills outside of the classroom, whilst also helping them to learn about the German culture and Berlin.
Example of a weekly cultural programme:
Monday: Tour of Prenzlaur Berg and welcome meeting in the school restaurant for new students.
Tuesday: Trip to see “Kunstwerke”, one of the best addresses for independent art in all of Europe.
Wednesday: Walking tour through Oranienburgerstraße – before the holocaust this used to be a centre of Jewish life, and today that street is one of the trendiest in Berlin. Great opportunities for shopping on Oranienburger Straße!
Thursday: Visit of the Badeschiff – a swimming pool in the middle of river Spree, with a fantastic scenery and a nice bar. At night: every Thursday we show a movie with German subtitles (big screen in the lounge).
Friday: Join us for a boat trip around Museum Island – or a bike tour with us, along the Berlin wall. At night our guides take you to Friedrichshain: a young and rather alternative district famous for its night-life.
Saturday: Full day excursion with a school guide: to Potsdam for example or to Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp. Every second week we arrange excursions to places further away like Dresden, Hamburg or Leipzig.
Information
Students
Student numbers in summer can reach 600, in other seasons between 200 and 400 per week.
- Ages: 18 – 25 years: 35%
- 26 – 30 years: 30%
- 31 – 45 years: 25%
- older than 46: 10%
Average age tends to be lower during summer.
Student Nationalities
Students from over 100 different countries attend courses. The graphic shows the top 20:
Placement
A placement test – consisting of a written and an oral part – before starting the course is obligatory for all new students. You receive the link to our online test together with the invoice. Please instruct students to complete the test before their arrival. They only have to do the interview with one of our teachers before starting their classes on Monday then and may arrive to the school reception at 08.45 am. Students with zero knowledge of German of course don’t have to do the test and can come at 09.30 am.
Method
Teachers work in pairs, with two teachers responsible for a class, alternating after every break. The aim is to expose students to more than one voice and speaking style. The teaching approach is communicative. Students are encouraged to talk as much as possible, systematic error correction is a key concept in our teaching model as is the exclusive use of the target language (German) in class. We extend this philosophy to activities outside the classroom, i.e. to after-class activities and excursions.
Text Books
Text books are included in the course price. The school uses books such as Netzwerk, Aspekte, Mittelpunkt, Themen aktuell, Tangram, em. They constantly monitor new publications and may employ additional text books that seem appropriate. For self-study students can borrow or buy books and audio tapes at
the bookstore in the lobby of the school.
General guidelines for Homestay
- Keys: Students will receive keys so that they are independent, but have to take care of the keys well. In case of loss they are responsible for compensation and any damages that may follow.
- Coming and going: adult students are free to come and go as they like as long as they respect their hosts’ daily routine (e.g. avoiding loud noises at night).
- Inviting friends: Some hosts don’t mind if their guest invites friends to come over for a coffee, others however do. To be sure, students should always get their hosts’ ok before inviting friends.
- Telephone: Students should not use the host’s phone without explicit permission. They should also ask if receiving calls is ok. We recommend that students bring their mobile or get a phone card to use public phones.
- Wi-Fi: Please instruct students not to inconvenience their hosts by downloading or sharing illegal files via their hosts’ network and that doing so will have legal consequences.
Course Prices
GERMAN COURSES
1 lesson = 45 minutes / Minimum age = 16
ADMINISTRATION FEE: € 60.00
Week (s) | STANDARD COURSE
20 lessons per week / Max. 12 per class |
1 | € 255.00 |
2 | € 450.00 |
3 | € 675.00 |
4 | € 900.00 |
5 | € 1075.00 |
6 | € 1290.00 |
8 | € 1720.00 |
12 | € 2280.00 |
extra weeks | € 190.00 |
Summer surcharge on all courses from 1st July to 2nd August 2024: € 50.00 per week |
Week (s) | INTENSIVE COURSE
30 group lessons/ Max. 8 per class |
1 | € 375.00 |
2 | € 750.00 |
3 | € 1125.00 |
4 | € 1500.00 |
5 | € 1750.00 |
6 | € 2100.00 |
8 | € 2800.00 |
12 | € 3900.00 |
extra weeks | € 325.00 |
Summer surcharge on all courses from 1st July to 2nd August 2024: € 50.00 per week |
Weeks | COMBINED COURSE 20 group + 10 private lessons |
1 | € 760.00 |
2 | € 1520.00 |
3 | € 2280.00 |
4 | € 3040.00 |
Summer surcharge on all courses from 1st July to 2nd August 2024: € 50.00 per week |
PRIVATE TUITION | |
Per lesson | 10 lessons |
€ 63.00 | € 630.00 |
Registration fee | €30.00 per person |
Accommodation Prices
ACCOMMODATION
Sunday to Saturday
Week (s) | HOME STAY
Single room / Breakfast |
HOME STAY
Single room / Half board |
1 | € 324.00 | € 390.00 |
2 | € 648.00 | € 780.00 |
3 | € 972.00 | € 1170.00 |
4 | € 1296.00 | € 1560.00 |
5 | € 1620.00 | € 1950.00 |
6 | € 1944.00 | € 2340.00 |
8 | € 2592.00 | € 3120.00 |
12 | € 3888.00 | € 4680.00 |
extra weeks | € 324.00 | € 390.00 |
High season supplement from 16th June to 3rd August 2024- € 70.00 per week. |
ON-CAMPUS /FLAT SHARE WITH INT'L STUDENTS | ||
Week (s) | Single occupancy/ Breakfast | Shared occupancy/ Breakfast |
1 | € 756.00 | € 486.00 |
2 | € 1495.00 | € 897.00 |
3 | € 2300.00 | € 1380.00 |
4 | € 3105.00 | € 1863.00 |
extra week | € 763.00 | € 441.00 |
High season supplement from 16th June to 3rd August 2024- € 70.00 per week. |
LOW BUDGET STUDIOS
Upon request. |
TRANSFER SERVICE ARRIVAL AND/OR DEPARTURE | ONE WAY |
BERLIN AIRPORT | € 120.00 |
2024 Dates
STANDARD, MINI GROUP, SEMI-INTENSIVE, INTENSIVE, GERMAN FOR LIFE COURSE & COMBINED COURSE: All levels except beginners can start on any Monday throughout the year. Beginners must start on dates shown in RED. | |||||
JANUARY | 2 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 |
FEBRUARY | 5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | |
MARCH | 4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | |
APRIL | 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 |
MAY | 6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | |
JUNE | 3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | |
JULY | 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 |
AUGUST | 5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | |
SEPTEMBER | 2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 |
OCTOBER | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
NOVEMBER | 4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | |
DECEMBER | 2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 |
PRIVATE TUITION | ANY MONDAY |
PREPARATION COURSE TestDaf | Please contact the office for dates. |
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS | 1st January, 8th & 29th March, 1st April, 1st, 9th & 20th May, 3rd October, 25th & 26th December.
The school is open year round, including the period between Christmas and New Year. Lessons lost due to public holidays will not be replaced or refunded. The school organises an excursion/an activity or a seminar on those days (except Christmas). |