German Language Schools in Germany

Do you want to learn German? There is no better way than to study at a German Language School in Germany. Here we answer all common questions and recommend some good language schools.

The best way to learn German

What are the age limits?

How do I apply to a German Language School?

How much does it cost? Are there any scholarships?

Where can I study?

The German language and why you should learn it

Does the school help me with accommodation in Germany?

Do I need a visa to attend a language school in Germany?

Can I work when I study in Germany?

Do I need an insurance if I study in Germany?

How can I judge the quality of a language school?

Recommended German Language Schools

 

The best way to learn German

There is no quicker or better way to learn German than to study at a language school in Germany. You will have 15-30 German lessons every weak taught by a native German teacher. Language schools focus on practical language usage: speaking and listening, reading and writing. Once you leave the classroom, you are surrounded by German so you can practice in the supermarket, in the restaurant, and everywhere you go.

Most private language schools teach German on all levels from beginner to advanced level. Before your course starts, or during your first day at school, you will be given a placement test to place you in a class that matches your level. Then you stay at this level until you pass the placement test for the next level.

If you are beginner level, it will only take a couple of weeks for you to learn as much as you would have done studying German for a whole year of high school and after one semester you will have made big progress. Then you should be able to easily get around in Germany and talk with strangers without much effort. After many years of experience in this field, we are convinced that studying at a language school in Germany is the best way to learn German.

When you study German in Germany, you don’t only learn the language much quicker than if you would study in your home country. You also get a much better understanding of the German culture and society. This will be very helpful to get a deeper understanding of the language and the German people, and it will be a big benefit if you will use German professionally in the future.

 

What are the age limits?

German Language Schools are open for students of all ages. Younger teenagers usually attend specific junior programs. The minimum age for adult courses is usually somewhere between 16 and 18 years old. There is no upper age limit, so you will probably study with students from several generations, all with the common goal to learn and improve their German skills. The average student is usually between 19 and 30 years old.

 

How do I apply to a German Language School?

Language courses at private language schools are incredibly flexible. All you have to do before you enrol is to decide when you want to start your course (most language schools have several start dates per month, and some schools start every Monday) and for how many weeks you want to study. Your language course can last from one week to one year, the longer you study, the more you will learn. But if you already know some German you can get very far in just one semester.

Applying to private language schools is easy. All you have to do is fill out an application form on our or the school's website. Almost everyone that applies get accepted. You don’t even need to submit your grades. Private language schools only have one mission: to teach German to foreigners. It does not matter if you are a professor or a high school dropout, if you just graduated from high school or if you just retired. Everyone is welcome, regardless of your background and language level. The only obstacles are that you have to be able to pay for your course and get a visa to your country of study (read more below).

We can help you to find and apply to suitable German language schools. Fill out our information request to get help.

 

How much does it cost? Are there any scholarships?

Most language schools in Germany are small private institutions. They don’t get any grants from the state to run their schools so to finance their school they must charge tuition fee from their students. The price depends on which course you choose and how many weeks you want to study. The longer language course you take, the lower your average weekly cost will be. For example, a well known German language school charges 150 Euro in tuition fee for one week in their standard course with 20 lessons per week and 1040 Euro (130 Euro/week) for eight weeks in the same course.

In our experience, it is hard to get scholarships for language courses abroad. Language schools are often too small and too poor to hand out scholarships, and other scholarship givers often prioritize degree students in universities. However, schools that we work with can sometimes offer scholarships and discounts to students from DreamStudies.

 

Where can I study?

Where can you study German in Germany? Almost everywhere. All bigger cities have several language schools to choose from, and many smaller locations also have a language school or two where you can study. Here we take a closer look at some of the most popular destinations for language students in Germany.

Berlin

Berlin is a great location to learn German. Located in former Eastern Germany the German capital is by far the cheapest capital in Western Europe. Living costs are much lower than in other great European cities such as London or Paris.

In Berlin, there are a lot of language schools to choose from. We would recommend well-accredited schools such as IALC approved BWS Germanlingua on Friedrichstrasse.

Munich

Munich is Germany’s third largest city after Berlin and Hamburg. Here the living costs are higher than in Berlin, but otherwise, Munich is a great city for language students. Here the weather is a bit warmer than in Berlin, and the foot of the alps are not far away. In the fall you will experience the world famous October fest. If you want to see something new you can take the train to the neighboring German-speaking countries Austria and Switzerland in a couple of hours.

In Munich, we recommend the language school approved BWS Germanlingua located in Hackenstrasse in central Munich.

Lindau at lake Constance

The small town of Lindau is one of the most beautiful places in Germany with a spectacular location on an island in beautiful Lake Constance. Across the lake you can see the Swiss Alps and Bregenz in Austria is only a bike trip away. By train you can reach the alpine resort Oberstaufen in half an hour and bustling Munich in two hours. But you will seldom want to leave the charming streets of Lindau and all the boating and water sports opportunities that wait around the corner.

You can study German in Lindau at the popular Dialoge Sprachschule a language school right next to the train station on Lindau island.

Cologne

Cologne, in the heart of old Western Germany, ranks just after Munich in size and it is the largest city in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr area. The city is most well known for its trade fairs and the grand Gothic Cathedral.

Here you can study at another one of BWS Germanlingua’s campuses located in Hohenzollernring.

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is one of my favorite cities in Germany, maybe because I like Japan. More Japanese live here than in all other places in Europe except London and Paris. This means that you can find many genuine Japanese restaurants serving food that is hard to find outside Japan.

Düsseldorf is a good shopping city whether you are interested in designer clothes or want to bargain cheaply. It is only a short train ride to other German cities such as Cologne, Bonn, Essen and Dortmund. It is also close to Belgium and the Netherlands.

In Düsseldorf, we recommend the german language school GoAcademy near the train station.

Heidelberg

Another favorite city in Germany is Heidelberg. A bustling student town with a beautiful setting in a river valley by the Neckar River in southwestern Germany.

Freiburg

Freiburg is another university town with a nice setting close to the famous Black Forest and close to the borders of France and Switzerland.

 

The German language and why you should learn it

German is often forgotten in favor of learning other languages such as English, French, and Spanish. However, there are many reasons to learn German. It is one of the three official languages in the European Union, and it is the language with most native speakers in Europe. Germany has the biggest economy in Europe so speaking German opens up many business opportunities. Germany also has many excellent universities where education is almost free of charge, in German…

German is sometimes described as a difficult language, but if you already know English, you get a lot for free since they are both Germanic languages. This makes especially vocabulary learning a lot easier since there are a lot of similarities. If you also know another Germanic language such as Dutch or Swedish, it will also be much easier to pick up the German pronunciation.

Here you can find some common German phrases with pronunciation.

 

Does the school help me with accommodation in Germany?

Accommodation is important when you study abroad. Private language schools in Germany will help you to arrange your accommodation. Usually, you can choose between staying in a host family or an apartment. Host family is the best option to improve your German quickly, and this gives you the chance to live like a real German. However, many students prefer shared apartments for greater independence and sometimes a lower cost.

Read more in our article Student housing when studying abroad.

 

Do I need a visa to attend a language school in Germany?

Citizens of EU/EES countries do not need a visa to study in Germany. Nationals of many other countries can visit the EU for up to 90 days while others need a visa from day one (read more at EUR-lex). For longer stays, all non EU/EES-nationals will need a student visa. Your German Language School can advise you on which visa you need based on your nationality and chosen course.

Read more about student visas.

 

Can I work when I take a language course in Germany?

The right to work in Germany correlates to the visa that you are on:

  • EU/EES nationals can work without restrictions
  • Other nationalities on a tourist visa or visa waiver are not allowed to work in Germany
  • University students on a student visa are allowed to work during their studies in Germany, but when you attend a language school, you would normally need a special permit from the German authorities to work during your studies.
 

Do I need insurance if I study in Germany?

Yes, you should always have a good insurance when you study abroad. EU-citizens with the European Health Insurance Card have the same rights to urgent health care as German natives. This will make your insurance cheaper, but you still need insurance to cover theft, liability, legal costs, sick transport, and many other things.

Read more and find recommended study abroad insurances.

 

How can I judge the quality of a language school?

Taking a language course abroad is an investment in time and money, so it is very important that you choose a good school where you will learn a lot and get value for your money.

Germany does not have any national recognition for language schools, so we have to look at other sources to judge the quality of a school. Some of the most reliable are the international quality organizations for language schools such as IALC and Eaquals. Their member schools are regularly screened and inspected guaranteeing a high quality of teaching and good student experience. Schools approved by these quality organizations also get automatically approved for funding by the Swedish government agency CSN.

We can help you to find and apply to recommended German language schools. Fill out an information request form to get help.

 

Recommended German Language Schools

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