Learning German

Würzburg is a good place to study. “Würzburg i__ eine al___ Universitätsstadt m___ einer ho____ Lebensqualität.“ Mira Simeonova is filling in the blanks. The 19-year-old from Bulgaria is taking the placement text for the German language classes at the University Language Centre. Then she will be told which level is most suitable for her.

In the Language Centre, international students can learn German. They are advised which course is best for them and are prepared for the DSH, the German language proficiency test for university admission. This exam is a requirement for nonnative speakers who wish to study for academic degrees in Germany.

Courses at all levels

Mira Simeonova wants to take Computer Science at Würzburg. After she has passed the DSH, she will still be able to take classes at the Language Centre to continue to improve her German. “We offer courses at all levels throughout the year,” Ingeborg Florescu, head of German as a Foreign Language at the Language Centre tells us. “We look at the specific language requirements for the various subjects.” Then students are taught such skills as writing academic papers, making presentations, and so on.

Mediothek, Computer Lab and face2face

Language lessons in the Language Centre are anything but dull. The teaching staff frequently include topics about Würzburg and the University, so that the students learn something about their study environment.

The Mediothek offers language learning software, films, audio files and other media. In the Computer Lab students can work with interactive language learning programmes. And face2face offers a one-to-one version of a conversation lesson. Here two students from different countries who want to learn each other’s languages meet and practise together. International doctoral students and visiting academics can attend language classes here, too.

The participants come from all over the world: China, Korea, Japan, Israel, Syria, Haiti und many European countries. There is a pleasant atmosphere in the language classes. “We often work in small groups, so that everyone has an opportunity to speak,” says Iryna Fomuk from the Ukraine.

In her Advanced German class she is in a group with Dong Li from China, Zakariae Sedjari from Morocco and Joanna Konarska from Poland. All of them are full of praise for their language teachers. “They take a great interest in us as individuals,” Mira Simeonova says.