German Language Gap Year course

Alex Lewington: 20 weeks in Berlin

I was hoping that the course would help improve my German language skills enough to help me through my final A level exam, and I was expecting it to be tough but doable.

An absolutely brilliant course. Not only did my German language Gap Year help improve the quality of my German but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and managed to push up all the way to Level 2.

Obviously, every class suits each student differently. I was lucky enough to be placed in a group where we all enjoyed the lessons together. We joked, had fun, even went out for the occasional teacher/student coffee, but we learnt in abundance.  Most of the staff were very friendly. It was always easy to have a good, amusing conversation.

The best bit was getting know your classmates. I don’t really have much to complain about in this area!  With each class I was in everyone got on, so the overall atmosphere was good.

As for activities and excursions etc, I thought that the German language school was excellent in that department. There was something on every day, and information about things going on in town.

When I needed more lessons I did the intensive course and when I needed free time, I didn’t. That flexibility of approach really suited me.

I totally enjoyed Berlin. I wouldn’t say Berlin was cheap as such, but compared to London I guess it is. There was plenty to do, day and night; locals seemed to enjoy the company of the students, so there were no problems there. I particularly recommend ‘Matrix’ club and ‘Sony Centre’.

My host accommodation worked well for me.  I was given privacy, had my own room, and the food was very nice.

I thought CESA were very helpful with the organisation of my stay. Everything was sorted for when I arrived and I am very grateful because I had a fantastic time. I would just like to thank CESA for the opportunity given to me. It was an excellent experience, and one that has already proved invaluable and I’m sure will prove to be even more so in the future.

Would I go again?  Absolutely.