German courses for Young Students

Suitability

Our German programmes are suitable for kids, teenagers and young adults, under 18 years of age, who would like to improve their German language knowledge in the country where it is spoken! No matter your current language level or school grades, we can provide all young learners of German with a fun and enjoyable course in a welcoming, relaxed and friendly environment.

In no time at all, you will find that you are able to understand all aspects of the language much better, as you become familiar with the sound of the language, the German way of life and culture and as you get to know and meet the people, discover the country's colourful history, the traditions, the beautiful surroundings and the delicious food! All of this will help you to develop your confidence, skills and your understanding, for your future German studies, for personal interest, or for your future career! These courses are hence also absolutely great for examination preparation, before GCSE or A'level qualifications, or equivalent!

Courses

Most of the German programmes combine 20 or 24 general language lessons each week in the mornings, with a full programme of afternoon and evening social events, cultural activities, sightseeing and excursions, in a secure and supervised setting. You will study all aspects of the German language in an interesting and interactive way, as the courses are specifically designed and structured to suit the various age groups of the students.
However, at our Summer College in Berlin (16 - 20 years), for example, you can discover the capital city's nightlife and then benefit from tuition in afternoon sessions, with the chance to enjoy the city and take part in a number of daily activities scheduled in the mornings!

The large majority of our German language programmes for younger learners are offered as residential summer camps, or as summertime courses with accommodation in a homestay, however, we also offer a year-round option in the charming city of Augsburg, in Bavaria! Students with some previous German knowledge, aged between 14 and 17 years, can start any length of programme in the city of Augsburg, on any Monday of the year! In Radolfzell, on the edge of Lake Constance, we even offer a winter course, for 15 - 17 year old students, combining language tuition with skiing lessons in an attractive winter wonderland!

All classes in all of our German schools are organised according to age group and according to your German language level on your arrival at the school, so you will only be in groups with other students around the same age as yourself and with the same level of German. The class sizes are small, ensuring a lot of individual and personal attention, provided by fully-qualified and experienced native German teachers, in all of our locations.

Accommodation

During our language courses for young students in Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are different types of accommodation options available, each one specifically suited to the age group that is catered for by our school and often related to the size of the location and school.

In some of the larger towns and cities there is a choice of various different options, including self-catering accommodation in shared student apartments for the older students, half-board and full-board options in a student resident building, both on-site and off-site, in addition to homestays. Perhaps the most common and the most popular type of accommodation in the majority of our summer camps for children and youngsters in their early teens, is with carefully selected native host families, or on-site in shared rooms in the student residence buildings.

Host family accommodation offers all of our young students the chance to get to know the local people, to benefit from a total immersion experience, in terms of language exposure and language practise and to enjoy all the comforts of living with a family, such as home-cooked food and typical household amenities and luxuries. Students will usually need to make their own way to the school from their host family accommodation, but many of the hosts live within walking distance, or they will ensure that you know the best way to get to school.

Other summer camps typically offer on-site facilities in fantastic private grounds, with full-board accommodation in a student residence, providing the young students with the opportunity to make many new friends in a short time and to have all of facilities in one place. Many schools even have their own sports and leisure facilities. Supervisors and programme coordinators are available on-site during 24 hours in these locations, for student support, security and well-being.

In our schools with off-site residence accommodation, students will need to travel a short distance to reach the school for their language classes, however 24-hour security is still provided in all of the residence buildings.

Most of our students book their language courses independently and our schools prefer to mix nationalities in the accommodation, in order to encourage all students to practise as much German as possible during their stay. However, if you are travelling with a friend or in a group and you wish to stay together, then do not hesitate to contact us in advance and we will be happy to find a suitable programme that meets your requirements.

As most of the accommodation for youngsters is on a full-board basis, then please be sure to inform us at the time of your booking if you have any special dietary requirements or allergies.

Activities

Learning a language abroad also means getting to know another culture and experiencing a new lifestyle. To make the best of this and to really ensure that you have a fantastic and enjoyable holiday at the same time, all of our schools have developed a social and cultural activities programme to complement the language lessons.

The very best of sightseeing, sports, visits and excursions has been selected, bearing in mind the particular age groups at each school and the most suitable activities according to the location. The majority of our German courses for juniors and teenagers offer a wide range of activities every week, with many programmes offering daily activities in the afternoons, after your German classes. Some schools offer specific sports programmes for all students interested in, for example, German with skiing classes, or German with football lessons in Radolfzell. In Berlin we also offer a special summer camp with watersports for students aged 12 to 17 years old.

The activities for the kids and junior programmes are always fully supervised and led by a team of professional and enthusiastic coordinators or members of staff, so the welfare and the safety of the children is of utmost priority. On the courses for students in their late teens, the activities programmes are often a little more flexible, or sometimes even optional, so that the older students can decide what they would like to do most in their free time and choose according to their own interests and hobbies.

All students will very quickly get to know the staff and make many new friends among the other international students, as well as getting to know the town, city and surroundings in the best possible and enjoyable way!

In the larger cities such as in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Vienna and Munich, there are endless opportunities for sightseeing and our schools arrange visits to the most interesting sights, attractions, museums or galleries. There is usually a guided tour around the town, regardless of whether it is a larger or a smaller town and all activities are conducted in German, ensuring as much opportunity as possible for the students to practise their language skills outside of the classroom.

Many of our German schools and summer camps are situated in the most picturesque and beautiful natural surroundings and so you will also find that the activities programmes are filled with excursions and picnics to local lakes, trips to the mountains, to historic castles, or adventure sports opportunities, such as climbing, canoeing, bike-riding and various water sports. Other popular activities include such things as welcome or farewell parties at the schools, film evenings, art and dance classes, cultural workshops and visits to a concert or to the theatre and shopping trips.

The precise programme will be scheduled by each of our schools around 2 weeks in advance so these are simply examples of the types of activities you can expect. On your arrival the school staff will introduce the school and the facilities and inform all students of the schedule. Do not hesitate to contact us if you would like an example activities programme for a particular location, or if you have any other questions or queries at all!

Transfers

Some airport transfers are included in the programme fees, but this varies from one destination to another. In cases where this service is not already included in the course programme, then you are welcome to book an airport transfer on your arrival and/or departure at an additional cost.

Students aged 16 to 18 years

If you are 16-17 years old then you can decide between attending a language course for teenagers or a language course for adults! Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information about your options.