Location: The school is located right in the center of Berlin's trendiest district - Prenzlauer Berg.

School Size: The school has 40 classrooms with a capacity for 12 students per class.

Class Size: The maximum students allowed in each class is 12 students. However the average number of students at the German Language School per class tends to be about 8.

Timing: Summer is the peak season where there are as many as 200 students at one time. Those who would like to study this summer should register as early as possible.

Start Dates: Classes can begin on any Monday of the year, unless it falls on a holiday. Complete beginners, however, must begin on the following dates in 2006: Jan 2, 30, Feb, 27, Mar 13, Apr 3, May 2, 29, Jun 26, Jul 10, 24, Aug 8, 21, Sep 4, 18, Oct 9, 30, Nov 27.

Holidays: Classes will not be held on the following holidays in 2006: Dec 19 2005-January 2 2006, April 14-17, May 1, 25, Jun 05, Oct 3.

Duration: Classes run in weekly increments starting on a Monday and ending on a Friday. Students are required to sign up for a minimum of 2 weeks. Students can sign up for 4 group lessons, 6 group lessons, or a combination of 4 group lessons and then 2 private lessons. Each lesson is 45 minutes. Classes run from 9 am until 12:30 pm Monday through Friday for those taking 4 lessons per day. Those taking 6 lessons per day will be in school from 9 am until 2:30 pm.

Content: Each class focuses on oral comprehension, writing, reading and speaking. Free class discussions, role-playing and conversation help develop verbal expression, vocabulary and good sentence structure. Grammar is not studied in isolation; rather it is packed in informative and stimulating texts that provide valuable cultural, political and historical background. Some topics covered include: relationships, social life, jobs and labor, history of Berlin or cultural identity.

Books: Books for beginners include "Passwort Deutsch 1 + 2" by Ulrike Albrecht, Dorothea Dane, Christian Fandrych. "Systematische Grammatik" by Gaby Grüßhaber, Uta Henningsen, Angela Kilimann, Tina Schäfer, and for more advanced levels "Tangram" by Rosa-Maria Dallapiazza.

Homework: Homework is provided to help students practice what they learned in school. It will never exceed 45 minutes per night. The German Language School offers an activity program in the afternoons where students can train their language skills on the spot rather than practice in the form of homework.

Schools Features: 40 classroom, on-campus housing, a restaurant, lounge and a garden. Bicycle rental, wireless internet access and 20 PC terminals with internet access available on-campus.

College Credit: College credit is available through Samford University in Alabama. Contact us for more information.

Excursions/Activities: Every Monday the guides at the German Language School in Berlin present to students all activities and excursions scheduled for the two weeks to come. If you prefer to explore the city on your own or for those days where no activities are scheduled, The German Language School guides provide suggestions of where to go and what to see. Twice per month, The German Language School organizes overnight trips to different cities such as Hamburg, Dresden, Leipzig, Dessau, and Prague. A minimum of three fun after-class activities are provided each week. They can include visits to other districts of Berlin, boat trips, tours through castles, museums, and other sites of interest such as the Berlin Wall. Not only are tours provided by the German Language School in Berlin, but socials are organized as well during happy hours and nights out on the town to trendy night clubs and bars. Every Thursday afternoon, after all courses have finished, students of the German Language School have the option to view a German film or a seminar about Berlin. A teacher will give an introduction about the film and answer all questions afterwards. Films and seminars alternate, and topics of the seminars include: history of Berlin, German pop music, the former GDR, German film history, German literature, and politics in Germany.

Additional Programs: The German Language School offers students the option to take other classes in addition to their German language studies. The German Language School cooperates with various institutions in Berlin, allowing students to indulge and learn new hobbies while meeting and communicating with locals who share the same interests. Students can sign up for dance classes, horseback riding lessons, sailing, and even seminars that include long walks throughout Berlin with expert commentary while retracing the steps of famous novelists, or learning about Berlin from a woman’s perspective, or that of a Turkish immigrant... etc

Those who wish to have a more formal education for the purpose of using German in their careers, The German Language School offers entire programs for Business German, German for Lawyers, German for journalists, German for teachers, and German history, politics, and culture.

Accommodations: Students have the option to stay with a host family, a studio apartment located on campus, or a nearby hotel. The benefits of staying with the host family is that the student has the opportunity to learn more about the German culture by living with the locals meanwhile saving some money because hotels tend to be more expensive than living with a host family. However the benefit of staying in a studio or a hotel is that these accommodations allow more independence and are located about only a 5-10 minute walk from the classes whereas the host families tend to live an average of 30 minutes away by bicycle or public transportation.

Day care: Contact us for more information.