Learning German

As an EU citizen, you have no legal entitlement to admission to an integration course and usually have to finance the German language course yourself. However, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) can admit you and your family members to an integration course if you and your family members do not yet speak sufficient German, have not yet attended an integration course and there are free course places.

An integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course, in which knowledge about the legal system, history and culture of Germany is taught. The state pays half of the tuition costs. You have to pay your own contribution to the course costs.

If you have already reached language level B1, you can take part in professional language courses. 

Under the following conditions, you may be entitled to participate in a vocational language course: If you 

• are registered with the Employment Agency as a training seeker, job seeker or unemployed, or are participating in vocational preparation measures or assisted training, or
• receive unemployment benefit II or 
• you have to reach a certain language level, to accompany the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications or for access to a profession, or if you are a
• are a trainee/apprentice. 

The Goethe-Institut, which is represented in many countries, offers an opportunity to learn German before coming to Germany. It promotes knowledge of the German language abroad and fosters international cultural cooperation. You can thus take advantage of the opportunity to complete one of the many language courses at levels A1-C2 in your home country. 

In addition to the many online language courses, one possibility for learning foreign languages (European languages, German as a foreign language) are the language courses offered by the local adult education centres. In many places, language courses in German for foreigners / German as a second language are part of the regular programme at the adult education centre. In larger cities, you will often find language courses for Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, etc. You may also have to search in the vicinity of your place of residence to find the language course you are looking for. Language courses at adult education centres (Volkshochschulen) are subject to a fee, but are often cheaper than those offered by other language learning providers.

The state association of adult education centres (Landesverband der Volkshochschulen) offers an overview of adult education centres in Saxony-Anhalt with an interactive map of the individual locations.

Language tandems are a free option for learning foreign languages. Such language partnerships exist in various cities and towns. In a language tandem, language learners of different mother tongues support each other through personal meetings or other exchanges. It can be a matter of refreshing language skills, expanding vocabulary or having an intercultural chat.

To find a language tandem locally in Saxony-Anhalt, you can use the search function of the language tandem portal tandem.net or the language partner portal erstenachhilfe.de.

For students in Saxony-Anhalt, the universities offer language tandems, for example the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg.