Learning German
The institute offers regular in-house German courses for their staff. But there are also other options with special advantages and discounts for MPI staff to learn German.
Knowledge of the German language is essential for interactions at the institute and your daily life in Freiburg. Moreover, good German language skills are now also more frequently required by foreign authorities to extend your stay. Here we list relevant options if you would like to take German classes, look for a language buddy or start a self-study program using a smartphone app. In some cases, MPI employees can benefit from advantages and discounts.
Once a year, the institute organizes in-house German courses for its employees. The language courses are open to all members of the MPI-IE. Please contact the International Office to find out when the next class will start.
Suppose no German classes are being held at the MPI while you start or want to take the course. In that case, you can attend a class of your preference and receive a partial and generous reimbursement of your course fees after successful participation. Please get in contact with the International Office to learn more about the requirements and details.
The Goethe Institute offers various classes for language levels A1-C1. MPI employees are entitled to a
If you’d like to learn German while you are still in your home country, the Goethe Institute also offers German language courses all over the world.
The integration course is a course of language and political education for immigrants offered by the German state at a very low cost (EUR 1.95 for each lesson - if you pass the final exam, you can claim back half of the costs of your contribution).
The purpose of this course is to enable immigrants to act independently in all matters of daily life without the help or mediation of third parties and is an asset for gaining the permanent residence permit in Germany. Whether you may take an integration course or, in some cases, are required to do so, depends on your country of origin and your level of fluency.
Upon issuing your residence permit, the foreigners’ registration office will let you know whether you are allowed or required to take an integration course. You can find information and prices on the website of Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
Feel free to consult with the International Office if you need more information on Integration Courses or if you need help with applying.
Having one class of German every week may not improve your German at a rapid pace and you will need to work outside of class to make any realistic progress. There are many other resources you can use to improve and practice your German on your own. Additional no cost or low cost learning options are also available.
Phone or online apps: Duolingo // Vokabeltrainer-App // +Babbel // Goethe Institute On-line training
Podcasts: CoffeeBreak German // Mein Sprachportal // Slow German Podcast // Deutsche Welle’s Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten (slowly spoken news)
Tandem & Language buddy: The idea is that two people with different native languages meet (or text) to practice a foreign language and learn with and from eachother. Here are some websites where you can sign-up and find a language-match: PH-Freiburg // Tandem.net // Language Tandem for Doctoral Candidates (only for matriculated candidates at the Uni Freiburg) // SWFR Freiburg.
