Language Courses for Incoming Students and Visiting Researchers and Teachers

Please note that since March 16, 2020, no face-to-face classes can be held at the university for pandemic reasons. Nevertheless, our German courses will be maintained with only a few postponements. Until further notice, classes must take place online. Thank you for your understanding!

• We recommend our International University Summer Course, which covers not only intensive courses for learning or brushing-up your German, but also stimulating workshops and trips. For 20 years now, Giessen’s Summer Course has been providing visitors, undergraduates, doctoral students, and research fellows from across the world with individual assistance in meeting their language needs.

• There is also the Spring Intensive Course in German for Academic Purposes in March each year for all target groups. For students taking part in an exchange programme (e.g. Erasmus+ or other University partnerships) the course fee is reduced to € 370! 3 ECTS Credits.

• In cooperation with the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, the German as a Foreign Language section of the International Office offers special intensive courses in the German language for beginners and advanced learners preparing for the DSH and TestDaF examinations. The six-step program takes you gradually from beginners' level to the TestDaF and DSH within one academic year. Each course comprises 20 lessons per week and 6 ECTS Credits.

• For foreign students who have taken the German Language Examination for Foreign Student Applicants (DSH) but have not yet managed to reach the necessary qualifying standard, we also offer a preparatory course for the DSH (20 hours per week).

• In addition to that, we offer evening courses (4 hours per week, each course with 3 ECTS points) on various levels for students on exchange programs (e.g., Erasmus+, ISEP), for foreign students who have already matriculated at JLU, and for visiting researchers and their dependants.
• Since the beginning of 2016, we have been offering German intensive courses for refugees who are interested in attending a degree course at JLU. Generally, the courses take place every Monday to Thursday at Lokal International. In the courses, we also inform about degree courses offered by JLU and about the application process.
• Courses for the enhancement of competency in written German (free of charge) have been offered in the framework of the programme "Einstieg mit Erfolg" since May 2007.

• Regular One-Day Special-Topic Courses (free of charge) complement our choice of German language  courses. These take place on several Fridays and Saturdays and are dedicated to topics usually dealt with less intensively in regular language classes (e.g. pronunciation, learning strategies, literature).

• Our One-on-One Office (Tandem-Büro) assists you in locating a partner for German conversation. Find out more about Individual Practice in the German language on the web pages of the Zentrum für fremdsprachliche und berufsfeldorientierte Kompetenzen.