Study Abroad in Berlin, Germany

Article submitted by: The Sprachenatelier Berlin is an international center for language learning, cultural exchange and art exhibition. Supplementary to giving German courses and more than 20 languages, we organize international film festivals, readings, concerts, exhibitions, workshops and seminars. http://www.sprachenatelier-berlin.de/en

In Germany there are numerous opportunities for adults to receive training and further education. You can receive training in businesses, technical colleges, colleges of higher education and universities.

Adult Education

Adult education centres ("Volkshochschulen") offer a wide range of courses providing general, cultural and vocational education. They are community education centres and are open to everybody.

There are private institutes and commercial educational establishments that can help should you wish to retake your school final exams, become professionally qualified or retrain for another profession. Business and church establishments are also very active in adult education. There is also the possibility of taking part in evening or distance learning courses that provide professional training. Distance learning can be done anywhere, any time. These incorporate the classic apprenticeship certificates ("Lehrbriefe") and increasingly new forms of "e-learning" to accompany the private study.

University studies in Berlin

Those who wish to study in Germany must fulfil both the admission requirements for the universities and the individual study courses.

There is hardly a university subject that cannot be found in our city Berlin. The four large universities in Berlin--Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Humboldt Universität Berlin (HU), Technische Universität Berlin (TU) and the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin)--are amongst the most important traditional education institutes in the capital.

To study at a German university, you need either the DSH or the TestDaF examination.

Why study German?

The German language is spoken by more than 120 million people in an area that encompasses Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg as well as parts of Belgium, Northern Italy and Eastern France.

German is also a key language in the EU for business, government and higher learning. It is an established fact that communication abilities in German improve one's job opportunities in Europe, especially when working with individuals or companies based in the growing economies of EU's new member states in Eastern Europe. According to a recent survey of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), German is the second-most-often taught foreign language in Europe. In Eastern Europe, 13 million students are currently studying German as a second language and even in Japan 68% of students take German!

Yet another reason to learn German is the cultural aspect of the language. German is culturally one of the most important languages in existence. It was the mother tongue of artists such as Goethe, Mozart, Beethoven and Klimt, as well as the philosophers Hegel, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. Scientists from the three major German-speaking countries, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, have earned 34 Nobel Prizes in Physics, 38 in Chemistry and 31 in Medicine alone. Three of Germany's most important writers--Thomas Mann, Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass--received the Nobel Prize in literature. The German language claims, even nowadays, 10 % of the world book market.

Why study German in Berlin?

Berlin is the perfect place to learn German. This vibrant metropolis is full of creative energy and offers a spectrum of cultural activities to be envied by any capital. Berlin allows you to gain a profound insight into German language, culture and history from many different aspects. The atmosphere peculiar to Berlin -- historical and modern, eastern and western European -- guarantees visitors a unique and enriching experience.

An international classroom situation with students from all over the world makes learning German fun and interesting. You will also have the opportunity of getting to know the city and making new friends. Berlin is indeed a cosmopolitan center. That means while you're immersing yourself in the German language, you will more than likely have the opportunity to take a break and hang out with people or in cultural venues from your home country.

Visa information

In case you have to apply for a visa, you should contact the German Embassy or a German Consulate. There you will be informed about the requirements you have to meet.

In some countries, you will be requested to prove that you already have knowledge of German.

Accomodation

Early reservations may be more successfull. Hostels are the best accommodation for a short visit. We recommend, however, renting a room in an apartment or WG (Wohngemeinschaft: sharing an apart with roommates). Fortunately, housing in Berlin is reasonably priced and vacancy is high.

Berlin also has an array of city magazines and daily newspaper which list room and apartment rentals. The current monthly price for a room in a shared apartment ranges from 200 to 400 Euros.

Berlin

Whatever your tastes or inclinations, Berlin offers a very broad range of things to see and do: A pulsating night life in countless cafés, bars and clubs; alternative and internationally renowned theaters; bountiful parks and green areas, a necklace of forests and lakes around the city's perimeter; numerous museums and galleries; concerts featuring music from every genre and style; shops, boutiques and flea markets. Berlin is a growing and dynamic city with something new appearing daily, not to mention its vital and engaging history, which is on display throughout the city.

Monuments

The central districts of Berlin offer numerous symbols and reminders of the 20th century's most important events.
The Brandenburger Gate is a symbol of both the German reunification and the end of the Cold War. The Reichstag is the seat of the German parliament, topped by a glass dome containing an exhibit depicting the building's central role in German history; there's also the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church, which was destroyed during WWII and is preserved as a ruin and reminder of the pointless destruction of war.

Places and Buildings

Places and buildings in Berlin are monuments to a city at the heart of 20th century history. Perhaps the most famous symbol in Germany's capital is the Berlin Wall, sections of which have been left standing as a symbol of the previous division of Germany and of the many dreams and lives ruined during the Cold War. Built to demonstrate Socialism's architectural prowess, the TV Tower (or Space Needle) still soars above the city's skyline and has become the city's adopted symbol, in both the east and west. Older structures, such as the Berlin Cathedral and numerous other buildings have been designated as world heritage sites by UNESCO. With a unique blend of the old and the new, Potsdamer Platz was the central congregation point during Berlin's cultural explosion in the Weimar period, then was virtually forgotten during the Cold War, only to reemerge after the reunification as a cutting edge postmodern structure and a sign of the city's future orientation.

Museums

The diversity of the museums in Berlin is overwhelming. They range from the Pergamon Museum, the Egyptian Museum and the Jewish Museum, to the Gay Museum, and Hemp Museum, to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the Berlin Wall Museum, and the Stasi Museum.

Art museums abound: the Alte Museum, the Alte National Gallery, the Neue National Gallery, the Brücke Museum, the Martin-Gropius Bau, the Kunst-Werke e.V., the Hamburger Bahnhof, etc.

Events, festivals and sporting events

Carnival of Cultures, the Love Parade, Hemp Parade, international film festivals such as the internationally recognized Berlinale as well as countless smaller film festivals, and the FIFA World Cup 2006.

Shopping

The city also offers shopping that caters to the most diverse of tastes. Some shopping venues like the KaDeWe are known to anyone who has been to Berlin, while other alternative and specialized shops pop up every day as the city continually undergoes new construction and renovation.

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