The German Gap Year in Berlin is the ideal long-term course solution for Gap Year students, graduates and young adults looking to take a serious career break. These long-term courses allow students to focus on all aspects of German over several months in a campus school environment, across all language levels. In-depth study over an extended period ensures better mastery, subtler understanding and far greater long-term retention of key skills. Students can live on site, off site in apartments with other students, or with local German hosts (for that extra layer of linguistic immersion!).
Levels offered | Beginner to Advanced |
Minimum age | 17 |
Course duration | 8 to 24+ weeks |
Alternative courses | 1 week+ |
Number of lessons | 20 or 30 lessons per week |
Lesson duration | 45 minutes |
Maximum per class | 12 students |
January ’21 | 04, 11, 18, 25 |
February | 01, 08, 15, 22 |
March | 01, 09*, 15, 22, 29 |
April | 06*, 12, 19, 26 |
May | 03, 10, 17, 25*, 31 |
June | 07, 14, 21, 28 |
July | 05, 12, 19, 26 |
August | 02, 09, 16, 23, 30 |
September | 06, 13, 20, 27 |
October | 04, 11, 18, 25 |
November | 01, 08, 15, 22, 29 |
December | 06, 13, 20, 27 |
Dates shown – All dates are open to all language levels including beginners (20 lessons per week) or 1st and 3rd Mondays (30 lessons per week).
Dates with an * = Tuesday start dates, as Monday is a public holiday in Berlin, and the school is closed
These programmes cover all of the key requirements that a long term student needs. Many students prefer to keep to this course format, as it allows them free time to study after class, explore the city, follow a hobby, make new friends etc.
Languages for Life | 20 lessons pr week |
08 wks € 1305.00 | 12 wks € 1825.00 |
16 wks € 2425.00 | 20 wks € 3025.00 |
CESA Fee: € 60.00 per person | |
Summer supplements: Applied from 5 July to 6 August 2021 to all courses: €40.00 per week |
Building on the 20 lessons per week programme, this course offers an additional 10 lessons per week. These additional lessons focus on oral skills to improve spoken expression and comprehension. They are generally formed from smaller groups of students than the morning classes and focus on debates and discussions, over seen by the teacher.
Languages for Life | 30 lessons pr week |
08 wks € 2265.00 | 12 wks € 3145.00 |
16 wks € 4185.00 | 20 wks € 5225.00 |
CESA Fee: € 60.00 per person | |
Summer supplements: Applied from 5 July to 6 August 2021 to all courses: €40.00 per week |
This German language course is an excellent opportunity to learn a new language, immerse yourself in a new culture and make new friends from all around the world. The study plan takes into consideration your current level, your needs and the length of your course.
The German school in Berlin provides a communicative approach where teachers aim to involve and animate the students, getting them to speak as much as possible. This is the best way to learn the German language! The teachers will also continuously correct students and encourage them to repeat, remember and do better next time.
Grammar is never taught for its own sake, instead it is built into a programme of informative and interesting texts, providing a valuable cultural, political and historical background (adding some zest to the joy that is grammar study!). Lessons revolve around free class discussion, role-playing and conversation to help develop verbal expression, vocabulary and good sentence construction. The work of each group is tailored to each class’s ability level in German, so each student can learn at their own pace, for however many weeks or months they have available to study. The German Gap Year courses ensures rapid acquisition and long-term retention of key German language skills and also covers a range of topics on modern day Germany (cultural, social and economic). Oral and written German language skills are developed and enhanced throughout these long term courses. This German language programme is primarily aimed at Beginners to Intermediate abilities, who want to see serious linguistic improvement and are aiming to achieve fluency over a number of months (but the shorter 8 to 16 week courses work equally well for Advanced level students).
Host family
On campus studio
Budget studios
– 35 mins commute to language school
Some people study German for self-enrichment others though, such as university or Gap students, aspiring teachers, translators or others with long term career goals, study the language as part of a formal training programme. For this latter group of students, formally proving competency in the language is a requirement and this is where the German Exams are of great value. There are courses offered throughout the year leading to the TestDaF and Zertifikat Deutsch exams.
If you want to immerse yourself in the culture, you can live with local German Hosts who will give you the chance to experience daily life as lived by German people. This is very beneficial to the language learner – as you will pick up all sorts of cultural cues about Berlin and the way modern Germans live. You can choose host accommodation with half-board (breakfast and evening meal) or book the Shared Apartment with Berliners option and self-cater.
Alternatively, students can live in on site studio apartments.
Full information on the accommodation options: