The Goethe Institut is the most famous language school in Germany.
It is largely spread over the country and the world. It is known to be pretty high priced but is it reallyworth that money?
I went in 2017 to theB1.2 intensive courseat the Goethe Institut from Munich and I will share my experience here with you so that you can learn from it and get an idea if it issomething for you or not.
FAQ - Questions about Goethe Institut:
🏆 What is the Goethe-Institut?
The Goethe Institut is the official and most famous organization for the german culture and language.
You can learn German on all levels at the Goethe Institut all over the planet. They organize all kinds of cultural events. The Goethe Institut works under the Foreign Government Department of the German Government.
🌎 Where is the Goethe-Institut?
The Goethe Institut is spread all over the world.It has over 157 locations in 98 countries.Here you can check out if a Goethe Institut is also near you.
📝 How hard is the exam at the Goethe-Institut?
The exam is definitely doable if you study intensive and visit the lessons.When you do all your homework and participate much in the lessons you will probably pass the exam without problems.
đź’¸ How expensive are German Courses at the Goethe-Institut?
Prices vary between 200€ and 1000€ per course.If you book anonline courseyou will pay around 200€. For agerman intensivecourse, the price will be around 1000€.
Reasons why I choose the Goethe Institut and not another one.
My German language teacher always talked about the Goethe Institut andhighly recommended itso I knew already for a long time that it is the most famous and most known institute in Germany.
But that was not the main reason why I chose it.
Reason 1:
In Germany, thecertificate from Goethe is the only one that really counts in official documentsand such. Meaning that if you need the certificate fora visa, marriage, a semester abroad in Germany, or any other official requirement you will need to do the exam at Goethe.
Goethe is aninternational standardfor your german level and this certificate is known all over the world. Sometimesthe employer even expects a certificate from Goethebut not always.
Reason 2:
With Goethe, you will have anall-around experience of Germany.Including cultural events, sightseeing, and much more. No other institute will give you this kind of experience. I will talk about thislater in this reportmore detailed.
Reason 3:
The Goethe Institut alsooffers you accommodationif you need one and especially in the big cities it is a real problem to get one yourself.
In Germany, it is not easy to get a place to stay even more if you are not in Germany yet so it is a reallynice and comfortable serviceto stay in one of theresidences of Goethe.
Reason 4:
It was easy to book and areally smooth experiencein general. Thewebsite gives you all the informationyou need in many different languages.
It shows you the cities in Germany, all the prices and dates, and lets you book with really less effort.
The Application Process of the Goethe Institut
At first, you will need to fill out aregistration formonthe websiteto get started.
You can choose there already if you want to bookwith accommodation or without.
You can directly pay online perVisa or Mastercardor you do abank transfer.
The prices varyfor the course.I paid over 1000€ for a German intensivecourse with 80 lessons which made it a price of12€ per lesson.This is definitely afair pricefor the amount of german that you will learn in that time.
In general, you need to pay at least4 weeks before the course starts.But because the courses are mostly booked you should even consider doing it2-3 months before.
After I paid for myGerman intensive coursethey sent me an E-Mail which said that in3 days I will receive the actual confirmationof the reservation.
The offer alsoinsurance👨‍⚕️ andairport transport🚗 if you want to book that also.
They sent me anonline test 📝 to evaluate my german level.That's how they make sure that you are in the right language course.
There isno need to cheator to be too pressured because you don't want to end up in a course that is above your actual level.
After that, I didn't get the results so it was mainly for them. When I arrived inMunichI had to doanother test on the first daywhich was based on the results of this online test to get a final decision on which level I belong.
The Language Course in the Goethe Institut
On the first day, they also explained to me how the wholesubway systemworks and how to find my course, etc. It was really helpful especially for a person like me who has never been to Germany before.
On my second day, I directly went to my intensive German course (German B1.2).
I had anafternoon course,which was from1:15 pm till 5:30 pm. It depends on your level if you get the afternoon or morning course. Themorning coursewould be from8:30 am till 12:45 pm.
Every course in Goethe is with round-about16 classmates.We started with alittle introductionin german about yourself and then we already went to the book.
In my course at the Goethe Institut, they usedthe book "People" *which I can alsohighly recommendfor anyone who wants to learn German.
The topics were not completely new for me butI never went so deep into these topicslike "Dative", "Genitive" etc.
We did alot of talking and listening comprehensionduring this course which was very good.
If you want tolearn german vocabsI would recommend you this little PDF with an awesome method:
The teacher was very helpfulwhile we were trying to talk. She wasreally friendly.You can't compare her to any teacher that you know from school. That made it a reallynice and fun environment to talk and learn.
One task we did every day was called"What did you do yesterday?". So we would write the answers to that in a little green Goethe notebook andour teacher would correct all the mistakes.
That is howthe actual whiteboardlooked from my classroom in Goethe:
Overall I learned a lot.We had4 hours per dayandhomeworkwhich was round about one hour on top of that.
If you don't want to study full-time there is also anoption for part-time learners.In some cities, there was also the option for only weekend learning.Just check it out yourself.
Because we did so much talking during the lesson and also in the pauses my classmates and I always spoke germanmy level improved with impressive speed.
If you are generally interested in learning german but you don't want to travel or you can't afford to travelthen you could check outour german online learning*service where a professional german teacher will teach you 1-to-1 lessons toget you fluent as fast as possible.
Just selectDAF (German as a foreign language)and fill outyour nameande-mailand we will organize a trial lesson for you.
The Learning Campus of the Goethe Institut
The campus is really nice and modern.
The building in Munich has 16 classrooms which are spread over 2 floors.
You have aCafeteria(= a place for little food and coffee) and amedia librarywith computers, books, and tasks to practice alone. There is also a nicepause roomto relax and talk to your classmates.
The classrooms are all equipped withWhiteboardsand you get all thenecessary thingsfrom the teacher for example notebooks, worksheets, and books.
The Culture Department of the Goethe Institut
Right off the bat on the first day, we had ainstruction from the culture departmentof the institute which provided us with all kinds of cultural information about Germany. They gave usmagazines, maps, travel guides and explained where we can get the best out of the city.
This is definitely one of the things which makes theGoethe Institut so special.
They really care that yougo home with a complete experience of Germany.No other language school provides somany cultural eventslike Goethe.
Here aresome examplesof the things that they offered in Munich:
One of my favorites was thetrip to the Neuschwanstein Schloss.
These trips and events were also great to reallyget to know your classmatesand to actually form somefriendships.Some still last till today. 🤗
The activities were scheduled so you can have classes in the morning/afternoon and have the activities after that.
Every day there was something to doso you really never got bored.
Some activities were completelyfor freewhilstothers cost some moneybut they were never really too expensive (maximum 50€).
Here a littlelist of actual activitiesfrom the Goethe Institut in Munich:
- Beergarden visit
- Sightseeing in the city
- Museum visit
- Visit a park
- Grilling together
- Going to Dinner together
- Cultural Festival
- Karaoke bar
- International food party (where everybody brings their cultural food)
The Accommodation of the Goethe Institut
Goethe hasaccommodations all over Germany.The prices vary a lot due to season and city. You can easily find out the pricesif you take a look here.There are also some photos.
If you want a course in your countryyou can check hereif there is one.
I chose Munich as my destination and paidaround 900€/month for the accommodation there, including food.
This was pretty expensive.
To be quite honest you can definitelyfind better prices when you go and look for yourself.
But it is justvery difficult to actually get an apartmentor a room in a so-calledWGwhen you are not in the city yet.
You can also start with a Goethe accommodation and thenswitch after the first monthif you find something at a better price.
In the Goethe residence you will get somebreakfastanddinner5 days a week but not on holidays.
When I wanted to book, the main residence was fully booked, so they sent me to an outpost which was also very nice. They even organize to live in aguest family.
So even with the more expensive price you reallycan't complain for that amount of service.It just really depends on what you are looking for.
The Goethe Exam and Certificate
At the end of the month, you can dothe exam for the level that you studiedfor.
The exam costs 100€ extra.
It is definitely recommended to do this exam because with it you will get yourlanguage certificate.
The exam is scheduled for thelast day of the coursewith no pause before it. You might think now that you need some time to study for it but in my case,it was perfectly fineand I didn't study extra time for the exam. If you do your homework and really participate actively during the course you will learn a lot andyou should pass the examat the end.
There will bethree main partsof the exam:
- Hearing Comprehension
- Writing
- Talking
You will get theresults usually within 1-2 daysand I went there after it to get my certificate.
Conclusion
Altogether it was anawesome experience.After Goethe, I went to theGerman Academyto dolevel B2and it was really different.I definitely preferred the Goethe Instituteven if the price was higher it was definitely worth the money.
The cultural experienceI took from this time and theall-around service from Goethewas just perfect.
I highlyrecommend this to everyone who wants to learn Germanandexperience the culture deeplycombined witha lot of fun.
Even for people who are only looking to learn the language without the cultural part,Goethe is still the best choicedue to the quality of the courses and the great learning atmosphere.
If you are interested ingerman online lessonsthen you could also check out our language service to learn 1 to 1 with a German teacher.
Do you haveany questions? Don't bother to ask me themin the comment section:)
FAQs
Is Goethe exam hard? ›
German A2 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is a 60 points exam and you have to score a minimum 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.
What is the passing score for Goethe-Institut A1 exam? ›A maximum of 100 points may be earned - 75 points in the written exam and 25 points on the oral exam. The exam is deemed to have been passed if at least 60 points (60 % of the maximum point score) have been earned and if all sections of the exam have been completed.
What is the hardest German language exam? ›Going Toe-to-toe with the Goethe Zertifikat
If the TestDaF is the academic German level test, then the Goethe Zertifikat is the all-around one. It's by far the most famous test of the German language and is accepted by everybody who needs any kind of proof of German ability.
Get to Know the A1 German Exam Structure
There are four sections and they correspond to the four parts of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To pass, you need to hit 60% across the four sections, so if you're bad in one area, you can bring it up with another part of the test.
German Language Test for University Admission
The results are given in percentages and thus the graduate is placed in a level range. Of the three different levels DSH-1, DSH-2 and DSH-3, the former is the easiest.
The exam is deemed to have been passed when at least 60 points (60 % of the maximum point score) have been earned and if all sections of the exam have been complet-ed. Of these points, at least 45 points must have been earned in the written exam and at least 15 points in the oral exam.
How long does it take to study for A1 German? ›How Long Does It Take To Learn German A1? According to the Goeth Institute, it takes at least 2-3 months for someone to learn German A1 daily. While some courses offer weekend options or 3-day weekday lessons, it generally takes about three months to learn German at this level, depending on your motivation.
Is Goethe exam worth it? ›I highly recommend this to everyone who wants to learn German and experience the culture deeply combined with a lot of fun. Even for people who are only looking to learn the language without the cultural part, Goethe is still the best choice due to the quality of the courses and the great learning atmosphere.
How long does it take to learn A1 level German? ›Assess your current level & test your German online! | Intensive course (20 lessons/week) | |
---|---|---|
A1 | beginner | 8 weeks |
A2 | elementary | 8 weeks |
B1 | intermediate | 8 weeks |
B2 | upper intermediate | 10 weeks* |
The German language has 6 CEFR levels – starting with A1 (absolute beginner), and ending with C2 (completely fluent).
What is harder Spanish or German? ›
Overall, Spanish might be easier than German at the beginning stages, but the two tend to even out in difficulty once learners get to the more advanced stages. German has more complicated grammar rules that need to be mastered early on, but once learners get familiar with them, they find that they're pretty consistent.
Which is harder French or German? ›French tends to be easier for beginners, though it gets harder as you get into its intermediate and advanced layers. German has a tougher on-ramp for beginners, but gets easier as you go along.
Can I learn A1 German in 2 weeks? ›Yes, it is possible, that is if you have dedicated many hours of German language learning without distractions. Language experts mention that learning German beginner level (or German A1 level) takes at least 75 hours to fully grasp.
Can I get a job in German with A1? ›With a A1 German you can start to start at a German university (English-speaking studies). Also you can become an Au pair in Germany or start an FSJ or BFD. If you are an EU citizen with German A1 you can directly work in several jobs. As a student you may work for up to 90 days a year in Germany.
Is German A1 beginners? ›Level 1 is a course designed for beginners, someone who has had no previous experience with German. It covers basic vocabulary, verbs in the present tense and the German sentence structure.
How do I not fail a German test? ›- A Useful Course of Action: Enroll in a Preparation Class. ...
- The Why of It: Keep in Mind What's to Be Gained. ...
- Early and Often: Set a Study Schedule. ...
- Practice Makes Perfect: Take Every Practice Test You Can Find. ...
- Total Immersion: Surround Yourself in German a Few Days Before the Test.
The only reason that German seems so difficult to people is that it has grammar rules that other languages don't. German is a language with relatively high “inflection,” meaning that the words in a sentence change based on their grammatical roles.
What is the most accepted German language certificate? ›The Goethe-Institut certificate (Zertifikat) is recognised worldwide as a German language certification, and can be used in Germany for visa, residence permit and citizenship applications, as well as for university entrance requirements.
How much does Goethe exam cost? ›For external candidates, the fee for A1 and A2 each exam is Rs. 8000/- plus 18% GST and for B1 fee is Rs. 16400/- plus 18% GST.
How much time does it take to prepare for the A1 German Goethe exam? ›The Goethe test certification is divided into levels from A1 to C2. The preparation course takes around 2 or 3 weeks depending on how much help you need.
How many Goethe levels are there? ›
The Goethe-Institut German language exams correspond to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and range from A1 for beginners to C2 for language skills at the highest level.
How long does it take to learn German fluently? ›According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!
Can I learn German in 3 months? ›For those new to languages, it may sound like a daunting task to become fluent in any language in 3 months, let alone such a complicated language as German. Nonetheless, Adriana can tell you from experience that it's definitely possible!
How many months to learn German? ›German is rated as a category 2 language and considered to be similar to English. The FSI estimates that German takes approximately 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours to learn.
Why is Goethe so expensive? ›Goethe Institut is an expensive option since it is a private school for determined individuals. But what accounts for their price rates reflects their quality learning materials and teaching prowess as these special courses are also made by native speakers.
Why is Goethe so famous? ›Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) is the central figure in the German literary canon. Poet, novelist, playwright, and scientist, he is to the German language what William Shakespeare is to English-speaking cultures, only more so.
Is German B2 difficult? ›How hard is B2 level German? The German language is complex yet highly systematic. For a systematic language, you need a systematic course structure though. If the course material you are using has a thought-out structure, then it shouldn't be difficult.
How can I learn German by myself? ›- Set yourself a goal. ...
- Start off on the right foot. ...
- Turn learning German into a habit. ...
- Practise speaking German with online tutoring. ...
- Learn new vocab in meaningful chunks. ...
- Make studying German rewarding. ...
- Dive into German culture with TV.
- Frisian. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Norwegian. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Italian. ...
- French. ...
- Swedish.
There unfortunately have not been any wide-ranging studies on language speed. One 2011 study from the Université de Lyon looked at 7 languages, which reported the order as Japanese (7.84 syllables per second), Spanish (7.82), French (7.18), Italian (6.99), English (6.19), German (5.97) and Mandarin (5.18).
Is German one of the hardest language? ›
While German might not make the list of the easiest languages to learn, it isn't one of the top ten most difficult ones either. If you're looking for a quick answer to whether learning German really is as hard as you've heard – the answer is yes and no.
How many words should I know to be fluent in German? ›In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.
Is it better to speak Spanish or German? ›Spanish would win if you chose between two based on how easy each one is to learn. This is primarily true for speakers of English and one of the romance languages. It is simpler to understand and write in Spanish than in German. Spanish is also phonetic, and orthography is like pronunciation rules.
Which is harder German or Japanese? ›However, in general, we can say that German is generally considered to be an easier language for English speakers to learn than Japanese. This is because German and English share many similarities in terms of grammar and vocabulary.
Is French or German more useful? ›If your main goal is to use the language in Europe, you might find that German is slightly more useful than French, while the French language might be more helpful when traveling around the world.
What is the hardest German word to pronounce? ›1. Eichhörnchen (Squirrel) Although squirrel is also tough to pronounce in English, it's a classic when it comes to difficult German words to pronounce. Many English speakers struggle, and some even consider this the hardest German word to pronounce.
Which language is most spoken in world? ›1. Chinese — 1.3 Billion Native Speakers. Numbers vary widely — Ethnologue puts the number of native speakers at 1.3 billion native speakers, roughly 900 million of whom speak Mandarin — but there's no doubt it's the most spoken language in the world.
Which foreign language is in demand? ›1. French (Français) French is the most popular foreign language in India, and the reasons to learn French are apparent. With over 30 Francophone countries around the globe, It is spoken by roughly 300 million French speakers globally.
How many hours to learn French? ›If you are an English speaker, learning French requires 575-600 hours of study (or 23-24 weeks full- time). It is the same for other European Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish etc) and the Germanic ones (Danish, Swedish, Dutch/Afrikaans Norwegian – not German).
What level of German is required to work in Germany? ›Depending on the German federal state, level B1 or B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required. German for your spouse: Are you entering Germany with your spouse, who will work in Germany?
Can I live in Germany without speaking German? ›
Can you live in Germany without knowing German? It is just about possible to live in Germany without knowing much German. But in order to find employment and to fully integrate into society, you will need to be able to speak and read German to a good standard, especially if you live outside the major cities.
Is it hard to get a job in Germany as a foreigner? ›Generally, the job market in Germany is competitive, and it may take time to find a suitable job opportunity. However, there are various resources available, such as job search websites and recruitment agencies, to help individuals find job openings.
Can you get a job in Germany if you don't speak German? ›In short: yes, there are English-speaking jobs in Germany. Foreigners who look for jobs in tech startups or digital departments have a higher chance of finding work in Germany without speaking German.
Is B2 enough to study in Germany? ›Commonly accepted English language certificates as a proof of your proficiency in English language for academic studies in Germany are: Educational Certificate of an English-Speaking School. You must have completed at least 5 (B1) /6 (B2) schooling years in a school whose main language of instruction was English.
How long does it take to go from A1 to A2 in German? ›Basic A1 to A2 – Attending an Intensive course takes A1 in around 60 hours and A2 in 120 hours. Intermediate B1 to B2 – German level B1 takes 200 hours and B2 takes approximately 300 hours to become fluent.
What is the hardest language exam? ›The TOEFL Exam
Like the IELTS, the Test of English as a Foreign Language is graded on a sliding scale. It's also about an hour longer than the IELTS, at 4 hours. The TOEFL tests test-takers ability to understand English spoken with an American accent.
- A1 (Lower Beginner) ...
- A2 (Upper Beginner) ...
- B1 (Lower Intermediate) ...
- B2 (Upper Intermediate) ...
- C1 (Lower Advanced) ...
- C2 (Upper Advanced/Fluent) ...
- Goethe-Zertifikat. ...
- Goethe-Test PRO.
German A1 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is 60 points exam and you have to score 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.
How many days does it take to learn A1 German? ›Assess your current level & test your German online! | Intensive course (20 lessons/week) | |
---|---|---|
A1 | beginner | 8 weeks |
A2 | elementary | 8 weeks |
B1 | intermediate | 8 weeks |
B2 | upper intermediate | 10 weeks* |
Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.
What is the 7 hardest language to learn? ›
- 1 – Chinese (Mandarin)
- 2 – Arabic.
- 3 – Japanese.
- 4 – Korean.
- 5 – Hungarian.
- 6 – Finnish.
- 7 – Xhosa.
How many German language levels are there? The German language has 6 CEFR levels – starting with A1 (absolute beginner), and ending with C2 (completely fluent).
How do you introduce yourself in Germany? ›- Mein Name ist Anna. (s) My name is Anna.
- Ich komme aus Deutschland. (s) I'm from Germany.
- Ich lebe in Berlin. (s) I live in Berlin.
- Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch. (s) ...
- Ich lerne Deutsch auf GermanPod101.com. (s) ...
- Hallo, es ist schön, Sie kennenzulernen. (s) ...
- Ich bin 27 Jahre alt. (s) ...
- Ich bin Lehrer. (s)