FROM SEPTEMBER 1st 2014, ESL LANGUAGE SCHOOLS HAS BECOME ALPADIA LANGUAGE SCHOOLS    more...

German courses FAQ

This page will answer your frequently asked questions about our german language courses. If you can’t find the answer to a specific question here, you might find the answer in one of our other FAQ pages or send us an email?

What qualifications do the teachers at Alpadia Berlin have?

All of our teachers are native speakers. They are all university graduates and have extensive experience in adult education. So, for example, you can be taught Chinese by a fully-qualified Chinese teacher or learn English with experienced, academically trained teachers from Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America.

How big are the groups at Alpadia Berlin?

If you are learning German, the groups will have between six and twelve members. For all other languages there are between three and six participants in each group. There are special German classes taught by our trainee teachers which have up to 12 participants.

How long is a teaching session?

45 minutes

How old do I have to be to join a course?

For all of our language courses there is a minimum age requirement of 16 years. We can also offer courses with closed groups for younger students upon request. In our special teacher training classes the minimum age limit is 18.

How do I find the right course for my language level?

On the first day of your course, we ask you to take a written language placement test, followed by a short interview, if necessary. This enables us to make sure that we can place you in a group appropriate to your language ability level. Courses run throughout the year for ten different ability levels, which means you can start a course on any Monday in the year. Beginners with no previous knowledge of German can start courses on the first Monday of every month.

Can I change groups if I feel I've joined the wrong group?

Everyone learning German takes a weekly test every Friday during their course. This enables PROLOG to keep an eye not only on your personal development, but also on the progress made within each group. Should you still have the feeling that the group you have been placed in is not the right group for you, whether too fast, too slow, too easy or too difficult, have a word with your teacher. If you need a second opinion, why not have a word with the departmental head. If the group you've initially been placed in is not the right group for you, we'll find you the right group.

Which textbooks and teaching materials does PROLOG use?

For the elementary levels A1-B1 we use our own editions of “Delfin“ volumes 1-3, and in the intermediate and upper-intermediate levels B2-C1 we use the best available materials.

What is included in the course price?

Books and other teaching material, the culture and activities programme, the Alpadia Berlin school ID, the placement test, the end-of-week tests and your personal end-of-course certificate.

Will I receive a certificate?

All students who have attended more than 80% of the teaching sessions in their course will receive an end-of-course certificate stating their German language level, the number of teaching sessions they attended and a personal comment

Can I take exams like the ZD, ZMP, or DSH in Berlin?

Alpadia Berlin is a fully accredited test centre for the Zertifikat Deutsch, the Zertifikat Deutsch Plus and the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf. You can take each of these exams at the end of the month here at PROLOG. We offer preparation courses for all of these exams, and also for the Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung exam which you have to take at the Goethe Institute.

Do you also offer excursions for your students?

Here at PROLOG there is a rich and varied culture and activities programme which offers excursions on at least three afternoons and evenings per week. Monday is the German Film Club, Tuesdays the student Stammtisch (social evening in a local bar), and on Wednesday there is always a culture trip. On Saturdays there are either half- or full-day excursions.

Am I allowed to work in Berlin while I'm taking one of your courses?

There are students from within the EU who quickly find a job in Berlin. For others, particularly those from outside the EU, the situation is a bit more complicated, especially as it's not always easy to get a work permit. We are not an employment agency, and in general, it is not so easy to find work in Germany at the moment! For more information contact your local German consulate.

What do I need to bear in mind if I'm considering studying at a German university after my course at PROLOG?

Your chances of being offered a place at a German university will be enhanced if you have already completed at least one year of university studies in your home country. It's not a compulsory requirement, but it will certainly help.
The documents you need for your university application are as follows:

• Your high school diploma, A-level certificates or equivalent, translated and witnessed.
• Proof that you fulfil the requirements to study at a university in your home country.
• Proof of your German language ability, normally through the ZMP exam or through the PROLOG Mittelstufe (intermediate) certificate.

You will then be invited by the university to sit the DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang) language entry exam. Should you need a visa, you also need to be aware that the visa you need to study at a German university is different from the visa you need to study at PROLOG. That could mean that, after your language course here at PROLOG, you will need to return home to apply for a new visa.

If I need a visa to travel to Germany, where and how do I get one?

Should you require a visa to travel to Germany, the procedure is normally as follows: Send us your completed course registration form along with the address of your local German consulate and a statement outlining the reason for your visa application, for example, to learn the German language, to attend a German university or to visit as a tourist.

We will send you confirmation of your booking along with our invoice. As soon as we have received your payment, we will send your course confirmation to the relevant consulate. You will also receive a copy of the letter.

You should request your visa one or two weeks later. In some countries the decision can take considerably longer, sometimes as long as eight to twelve weeks. In other countries it is much quicker, around three to five days. If, for whatever reason, your visa application is declined, please fax us the relevant official notification along with your bank details and we will refund your course fees and accommodation costs minus our €150 administration fee.

Should your visa application be successful, please let us know as soon as possible when exactly you will be arriving in Germany.


If you can't find the answer to a specific question here, why not send us an email?

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