It is advisable to contact a number of language schools for German courses to find out what they offer. This will allow you to make better comparisons and find the right course for you. Our guides will also certainly help you. In the guide "Education and training in languages" (see navigation point "Education help" above) you will find a comprehensive list of the individual course types, from standard courses to individual lessons, their advantages and disadvantages as well as other possible language diplomas. For German courses in Switzerland, but also abroad, you should also read the guide "How to choose the right course provider" (see navigation point "Education help" above).

First of all, take a look under the heading Language schools / Language trips / Language stays for the individual German courses that might interest you. There you will find a list of all schools and providers for the respective continuing education, further training. Get in touch with some of the providers and obtain more detailed information before deciding on an offer. As the choice of German language schools is very large, it is a good idea to take a closer look at the selection criteria for a suitable German school.

Would you like to attend a language course for German as a foreign language? Whether you are coming to Switzerland as a student, as a family member, looking for work or have already started a new job for which you would like to learn more German, there are suitable courses for all needs. At a German school in many locations in Switzerland, you can learn German in conventional standard courses as well as in intensive courses in a group, small group or in individual lessons.

However, perhaps you would like to learn to speak exclusively or mainly, rather than write? Then a conversation course or a combination conversation/intensive course might be ideal for you. You can also find diploma courses that prepare you for language exams at many German schools. Special courses, for example for job seekers, mothers with children, families, women, senior citizens, special professional groups or illiterates, can also be found in many places.

At a German school in Switzerland, you have the opportunity to choose the right course for you from a wide range of options. Courses for German as a foreign language are particularly popular and can be attended in a variety of ways. On the one hand, there are so-called standard courses, which can be attended either in the evening, during the day or, at some schools, on Saturdays. These extend over a longer period of time than intensive courses, as intensive courses are usually attended every day (Mon-Fri).

In addition, diploma courses can be attended in both variants, in which the German school prepares you for the German exam you wish to take. Private lessons are also possible, as are special courses, such as business German or conversation courses, German for job seekers or company courses. A distinction is made between German as a foreign language, German as a second language and German as a native language. There are corresponding continuing education, further training courses for all three areas, which are also divided into different levels of proficiency, especially for the first two, depending on how well you speak German.

Most language schools offer various German courses, mostly intensive courses and standard courses, which differ mainly in the number of hours per day and week. With both models, there is often the option of choosing an evening course or a day course so that you can continue to work or look after your children, for example. Courses with childcare are also possible at some German schools. In addition to these two types of course, there are also private lessons where you can determine the duration and time yourself, or diploma courses that prepare you for German exams, such as the Goethe-Zertifikat.

In addition, many German schools offer special courses for mothers and children, job seekers, special professional groups, business German, German courses for women, teenagers or children only, illiteracy courses or various other courses. Please always enquire at the relevant German school about the exact courses offered for German as a foreign language or German as a second language.

You can attend different types of courses at German language schools. The most common are standard courses and intensive courses. These differ mainly in the frequency and number of lessons per week. Standard courses are usually held once a week in two 45-minute lessons, although this is not universal. At some schools the lessons only last 40 minutes, at others 60 minutes, so you should always bear this in mind when choosing a suitable school. Intensive courses often take place two evenings a week or one evening of 4 lessons to increase the learning load.

There are also diploma courses that prepare you for upcoming German exams that are officially recognized by the respective ministries of education. These exams certify different levels of knowledge depending on your level.

Specialized courses can be of a very different nature. For example, business courses are increasingly being offered in which you can learn how to communicate orally, how to write letters and emails and how to deal with business partners. German courses for job seekers are also extremely popular. All types of courses are also offered as private lessons, where the language teacher will focus exclusively on you and adapt to your learning pace in order to increase your efficiency.

For all companies, company courses are often the best solution when it comes to training some of their employees. Such German courses are offered by many schools throughout Switzerland and are extremely flexible in terms of content and timing. The schools create concepts tailored to the individual needs and objectives of your company, so that your employees can learn German in the best possible way.

Every language school offers different types of German courses in which you can learn German. The most common are the so-called standard courses, in which you improve your German skills one evening or afternoon a week. These German courses extend over a longer period of time, for example 5 months. For those who prefer to learn faster and more intensively, there are intensive courses where you attend a German course several days a week, for example 5 days a week for 3 hours over 4 weeks. The duration and intensity of the individual courses varies depending on the school.

A German course can also take the form of individual lessons, a conversation course, a combination course in which both forms are mixed together, a small group course, a German course especially for women, children or families, a German course for job seekers or a grammar course. All German courses are divided according to level, so that you can be sure that you will only sit in a German course with people who understand and speak as much or as little German as you do.

If you would like to have your language skills certified, you can attend so-called diploma courses that prepare you for recognized language examinations, such as the Goethe certificates. In addition, German courses are of course also offered in the form of company courses, in which employees or a group of them are trained in the German language, conversation and grammar, tailored to the needs of the company and the industry.

 

 

There are many different types of German courses to choose from. These have different characteristics, such as standard courses or intensive courses, diploma courses or special courses, for example for job seekers. They differ mainly in their focus, i.e. their objectives. If you would like to obtain a recognized language diploma with a German course, choose a diploma course that prepares you for a language exam. If, on the other hand, you want to learn German as quickly as possible with a German course, individual lessons or an intensive course might be ideal for you.

After these basic considerations, you must then decide on a level. This says something about your previous knowledge and the goal you want to achieve. There are levels from A1 to C2, from beginner to advanced. These levels are regulated throughout Europe and therefore apply to all schools in Europe. This means that if you attend a German course here in Switzerland and graduate with an A1 certificate, you will have learned almost the same as if you attended a German course in Italy or Croatia.

Once you have decided on a course model and a language level that suits you, you can now start choosing the right school. You can also find information on choosing the right language school in our guides, for example in "How to choose the right education provider" (see navigation point "Education help" above).

Would you like to learn German and are you interested in a beginners' course? At a German school here in Switzerland, you have the opportunity to do this in a variety of ways - in standard courses, intensive courses, one-to-one lessons, combination courses, special courses or diploma courses. Depending on the course you choose, the duration and intensity may vary, but the content is usually quite identical. You will usually learn the following in a German beginners' course:

• Expand vocabulary
• Understanding simple sentences and learning to speak
• Introduce yourself (Hello, my name is... and I come from...)
• Introduce others (This is my sister...)
• Ask and answer simple questions (where are you from? what do you do?)
• Enter personal data on forms
• Communicate with a conversation partner in a simple way

Please always ask the respective German school directly for the detailed content of the German course that interests you the most.

Most language schools offer you different types of courses to choose from. These are usually intensive courses or compact courses, standard courses, diploma courses and semi-intensive courses. At almost every French school, you can choose between individual lessons, group or small group lessons, and often a combination of these options. Standard courses and intensive courses do not necessarily differ in the size of the group, but they do differ in the intensity with which they take place. Standard courses usually take place once a week, often for one to two hours at lunchtime or in the evening during the week. In many places, intensive courses take place three to five days a week with 4 to 6 hours of lessons per day. This also means that the duration of such a course is usually shorter, as you can learn the same content in a much shorter time than in a conventional standard course. For people who want to learn a language quickly and intensively and have the time to do so, this is an ideal alternative to a language course at a French school abroad or in French-speaking Switzerland, although it does require a high level of motivation and willingness to learn.