Countries
With seven countries claiming German as their official mother tongue, the German speaking world is your oyster. Below are three potential options for big city lovers that want to make sure they have plenty of cultural activities at their disposal outside of the classroom.
Berlin, Germany: Ranked as one of the top student cities worldwide, Berlin is no stranger to international students from all over the world. It attracts students to its top four internationally recognized universities, such as Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin and countless colleges and universities in between. In short, we love this spot for first time German learners because of its affordability and high volume of people learning just like you!
Vienna, Austria: Vienna is a well kept secret for German learners and arts lovers alike. Voted as another best city for students, Vienna is filled with music, literature, arts, and makes it easy to travel to class and arts events with their CityBike Wien bike sharing . Top universities include the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, and the Vienna University of Economics and Business. It’s a perfect city for the classical music fanatic with a desire to dominate the Deutsch.
Zurich, Switzerland: Studying in the most neutral country of the European Union, Zurich puts you (literally) in the middle of the German language learning world and one of the world’s top research cities. Home to the 5th best university in Europe, ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich combines your love for natural science, technology, and German all in one place. If natural science isn’t your style, then perhaps Switzerland’s largest, the University of Zurich, will best meet your academic strengths in German, medicine, or immunology. When you’re not in class, you can check out one of its 70 cultural events, the Zurich Wilderness Park, or their Chinese garden.
Choosing a German Learning Program
Lucky for you, there are now programs upon programs to choose from when studying German abroad. Your age, language level, and pocket depth don’t have to define your program as there’s bound to be one to fit your style and goals. Each one has specific guidelines, cost, available scholarships, and cultural activities to accelerate your learning.
Cultural Immersion/Extracurricular Activities
One of the best ways to master a new language is to have a language partner. Typically, a language partner is interested in learning English and you in learning German. You can grab coffee together, tour local markets, or visit some of the local sites -- all while getting an insider’s view to the culture, city, and country. No matter where you decide to study, many of the countries where they spreche se Deutsch boast popular tourist attractions and cultural sites to keep your calendar and brain occupied. Top sites cater to culture vultures, museum goers, outdoor enthusiasts, and history buffs. Germany alone has 39 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and more pending. Check it out for Switzerland, Austria, and other country sites to gain understanding to the vast history of the language!
Qualifications
In order to get studying German abroad, there are some minimum requirements you must meet. Some include minimal exposure to the language or none at all, while most require good academic standing, strong mental and physical health, and you typically will write a short essay about your goals for the program.
The most common programs are geared toward university aged students, but that does not mean you can’t go abroad if you’re in high school or a professional (and beyond). There are programs for high schoolers, anyone not associated with a school, and endless numbers of university programs (check with your university’s study abroad office first to see if they have existing programs!).
Level of Difficulty
Luckily, German has innumerable English cognates to make the learning process easier. While it doesn’t make the top 10 easiest languages to learn list, German’s grammar and vocabulary are similar to English so you have a strong foundation even if you’ve never studied a foreign language before. You’ve already got some phrases/words mastered, such as the Heimlich maneuver, poodle, hamburger, wanderlust, delicatessen, zeppelin, and streusel to name a few. The more you study, the more you’ll realize how similar German is to English and vice versa!
