Learning the Language!

All BAES staff and accompanying spouses are invited to study German; there are a number of classes in operation sited at both Hallbergmoos and Ottobrunn. Language training rooms are sited within the Ottobrunn and Hallbergmoos locations, containing a mini-library with dictionaries, course books and reference material for all levels of learning. Additional learning media is also available, at the Open Learning Centres with video, audio, and German publications, etc.

All language courses are funded and managed by the BAESG, Open Learning Centres in partnership with a local language Institute (website: http://www.the-team.de All tutors are fully qualified language trainers and naturally native German speakers.

The classes are weekly (2 x 45 minutes), following specific coursebooks to ultimately achieve success in Certified levels of language skills (see qualifications below). Each language group would consist of a minimum of 2/3 participants up to a maximum of 6. In addition, these courses are also reinforced with recommended OLC private coursework for students.

The language classes are taught using the most direct method which focuses on German conversation from the very first moment. It emphasizes the use of all communication skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Our goal is to help you understand and express yourself in German as soon as possible.

You will be able to realize your learning success by being able to communicate after a short time. To achieve this, we will always encourage you to play an active role during the lessons. You will be

Any visitor living or working in Germany will get more out of the experience if reasonably proficient in the language, whether it involves business related activities or merely dealing with the immediate environment. A certificate of proficiency in a language can also be beneficial to a career.

In general for BAES employees on Assignment in Germany, the working project language will be English, depending on the working arena; multi-cultural environments exist mainly with English, German, Italian and Spanish therefore new arrivals to Germany should not have any difficulty in communicating in the working environment. However, to be able to take full advantage of an overseas Assignment, and to be able to immerse yourself in a new cultural environment when living and working in Germany, BAES strongly encourage language learning.

permanently invited to talk in order to train yourself using the vocabulary and the grammar rules of the German language. Preferably, recent and typically German topics are discussed to provide you with interesting and inspiring lessons.
It is usual to give all new students a written proficiency test before beginning a course, to determine the level of instruction necessary. This is sometimes followed up by an oral examination to verify the level determined by the written test.

The "Themen" books form the backbone of many classes. With it's workbook in German and English on the beginner level they offer an excellent media for a beginner course leading to the "Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache". They also offer all the necessary vocabulary to achieve the amount of proficiency you need to "survive" in Germany.

A very useful piece of paper for the language student to acquire is the Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache (ZDaF), originally conceived in 1972 as a standard examination for foreign workers seeking employment in the then 'West Germany'. It was developed by the Goethe Institute in cooperation with the German Volkshochschulverband.

In the view of the developers: "with the ZDaF the participants demonstrate that they have attained a level of proficiency that permits them to deal with all communicative situations during a stay abroad. They should be in a position to understand and to participate in conversations that deal with everyday situations at a normal rate of speech. Furthermore, they should be able to communicate orally and in writing less complicated statements within the parameters of given language material, and to do it in such a way that communication is not impaired."

An important principle of the entire test is that accuracy of content and aptness of language take precedence over grammatical correctness. Those wishing to try to improve their scores can repeat it more than once. Public authorities and employers have increasingly come to accept the certificate as proof of language competence, and German universities even accept it in lieu of an entrance examination as proof of proficiency in German.

Goethe Institut, which was established in the wake of World War II to restore Germany's place in the community of nations. It is a State supported, non-profit organization designed primarily to provide instruction in written and spoken German. It has many centres abroad and 18 within Germany. Website: http://www.goethe.de

Adult Education Centers. Most cities have these Volkshochschulen, and many of them offer language courses for foreigners. Instruction is usually in the evening for a very small fee. Website: http://www.mvhs.de (No English options!)