Learn German

The most important thing when learning a language is to keep at it. It is best to practise every day. Continuous practice helps you to make rapid progress. There are numerous ways to learn German. For example, there are a number of apps, websites, podcasts and YouTube channels that help you learn German. Self-study books for the German language are also available to buy.

Below you will find a few options that you can use to learn German free of charge . You can also access the offers on the go via smartphone or tablet:

• Free courses for learning German for all levels as well as job-specific courses can be found in the online learning portal of the adult education centers here.

• The federal Goethe-Institut offers free opportunities to practise the German language on its website. It provides learning materials, videos, podcasts and games as well as social media and community offerings here available here.

• Many professions require a specialist vocabulary . For a number of professions you can here vocabulary collections in various languages.

• The Fachstelle Berufsbezogenes Deutsch offers the One Day of German" app which is aimed specifically at nursing staff to practise German language skills in everyday working life.

• Germany's international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, also offers a free service for learning German here. On the Deutsche Welle website, you can also watch current news prepared at an easy language level. You can find these here.

• On deutsch.info you can learn German free of charge, anytime and anywhere. In addition to online courses, grammar, games and audio-visual materials, you will also find practical information about living and working in Germany.

• The language portal of the Austrian Integration Fund offers a wide range of daily online courses for learning German: free of charge, independent of location and in real time. A wide range of daily live online German courses are available for all levels. You can take part in the courses free of charge and without registering via computer, tablet or cell phone. There are special job-specific online German courses for professionals. There are also German courses tailored to children.

• In order to make it easier for people who cannot (yet) read or write well to access the German healthcare system, the Kiel University of Applied Sciences has developed a free app(DiGeKo app) that uses simple language to help people find their way around the healthcare system, doctors and hospitals independently. This app is also very helpful for people with a migration background who are not yet familiar with the German healthcare system. More information here.

Another way to learn German is to attend a language school. Here, professionals will help you learn the language. You may already be able to attend a school that offers German courses in your home country. In many countries, for example, the Goethe-Institut is represented locally, offering online courses and language exams in addition to classroom courses (more information online here).

There are also a whole range of private and public providers in Central Saxony that offer language courses, both face-to-face and online. The best way to find the language schools closest to you is to search online, e.g. on Google Maps.

If you are already living in Germany, you may be able to take part in an integration course run by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). This is a course which, among other things, teaches the German language up to level B1.

You are entitled to participate if you have a residence permit of at least 1 year and a specific residence title. This also includes a residence permit as a skilled worker. If you have permanent and legal residence in Germany, you can be admitted to an integration course if there are places available.

The integration course is subject to a fee. The personal contribution is €2.29 per teaching unit. The total cost of the general integration course is €1,603. If you successfully complete the course, 50% of the costs will be reimbursed. The course can also be completed part-time if you are working, for example.

You can find detailed information on the integration courses here on the BAMF homepage. You can also apply for participation there.

The best way to find out where integration courses are offered in your area is via the BAMF-NAvI, which can be found here which can be accessed here. It also provides information about available places and contact details.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) also coordinates vocational language courses. They serve to improve German language skills. The focus here is on improving vocabulary relating to the topic of work. There are three basic courses: one is designed to raise the language level from B1 to B2, a second from B2 to C1 and a third from C1 to C2. There are also special courses that impart subject-specific knowledge, e.g. for the professional fields of nursing and medicine.

You can take part if you have a certain level of German for professional recognition or for access to a profession. You can also take part if you are already in work but your German language skills are not sufficient to cope with everyday working life. Another prerequisite is a successfully completed integration course or proof of German language skills at level B1.

Participation is free of charge for non-employed persons. Employed persons pay €2.56 per teaching unit. A course comprises 400 teaching units. Accordingly, the costs amount to €1,024. If you successfully complete the course, you can receive 50% of the costs back.

People who are not gainfully employed are entitled to participate via the employment agency or job center. Employed persons, trainees or persons in the process of professional recognition can contact the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees directly. You can find the application for eligibility to participate on the BAMF website here.

To find a vocational language course in your area, you can visit the website of the Federal Employment Agency under the link here .

Integration courses with literacy:

Second language courses:

Integration courses:

Professional language courses with target language level B2: