Uni-Tübingen

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions or you will be referred to the page where the relevant information can be found.
If your questions are not answered or not answered completely, please contact our information desk.

General questions

1. Who is the target group for courses offered at the Foreign Language Center?

The course program is addressed to various target groups: participants from all departments, students for whom (foreign) language education is curricularly anchored (e.g., students majoring in “International Business Administration”), students who want to acquire key qualifications, students for whom the acquisition of another language is obligatory, doctoral students, students from partner universities and employees of the University of Tuebingen. The Foreign Language Center offers the opportunity to acquire foreign language skills in the non-philological area or to further develop existing skills in order to gain additional qualifications. The lessons at the Foreign Language Center prepare students for study abroad or for their future career path. Participants in the foreign language training can obtain the UNIcert® foreign language certificate by the Working Group of Language Centers, Language Teaching Institutes and Foreign Language Institutes (AKS) after successful participation in the training program and after passing the corresponding examinations.

2. What language skills can be acquired at the Foreign Language Center?

The Foreign Language Center offers a training system for the following languages: Arabic, Basque, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Catalan, Modern Greek, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, and Spanish. Please refer to our course program to find out which languages are offered at which levels and with what contextual orientation.

 

 

3. Are the courses of the Foreign Language Center subject to fees?

Courses are free of charge for students and enrolled doctoral candidates at the University of Tübingen.

4. Where and when do the courses at the Foreign Language Center take place?

Most courses take place in the House of Languages, Wilhelmstraße 22, some courses in other practice rooms within walking distance. You can find the respective room and time information for your course online in the corresponding course description in our course program.

 

 

5. What is the course concept at the Foreign Language Center?

Course concepts for individual courses can be found under ‘Language/course concepts’. All languages are accredited according to the university-specific certificate system UNIcert®, which ensures a sustainable high quality standard. The UNIcert® concept includes measurement-based placement tests as well as standardized course content and examination procedures. As a result, the courses of the Foreign Language Center are subject to constant quality control. After taking certain courses or passing a level-specific UNIcert® examination, course participants can acquire an important UNIcert® certificates that are multilingual, include a grade, and clearly demonstrate competencies with a description of the language level, thus facilitating mobility. These certificates are recognized throughout Germany, and increasingly abroad. More information on our UNIcert® page.

Questions about registration and placement

6. When can I register for a course?

Registration information can be found on our ‘Dates and deadlines’ page under the section "Online Registration".

7. How can I withdraw from a course on time?

You can find information on how to de-register/withdraw from a course on our ‘Course regulations’ page under the section ‘De-registering/withdrawing before the course starts’.

 

 

8. What if I already have certain skills in a language?

If you have prior knowledge of a language, a placement test (usually a C-test) – see FAQs 9-15 – is used to determine/assess your language level. The course assignment is then made based on the results from the placement test. This means that there is the possibility to start your language training on a higher language level via this lateral entry system.

9. What is a C-test?

You can find information on the C-test on our ‘Placement test’ page under the section ‘C-test’. Style - For information on the C-test, please visit our ‘Placement test’ page and refer to the section titled ‘C-test’.

 

 

10. Do I have to register in order to take a placement test?

No, placement tests can be taken without prior registration. For this purpose, please send us a short request by e-mail. Please be sure to pay attention to the dates and deadlines provided.

 

 

11. Is the placement done through the C-test for all languages?

C-tests are offered for the following languages: English, French, Italian and Spanish. Unfortunately, for all of the other languages we are currently not offering placement tests. Therefore, please critically self-assign according to the ‘Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)’.

 

 

12. How much time do I have to arrange for the placement test (C-test)?

You have 25 minutes per language to complete the test.  Further information about the C-tests can be found on our ‘Placement Test’ page under the section ‘C-Test’. The periods when placement tests are available can be found on our ‘Dates and deadlines’ page.

13. How long is a placement test (C-test) valid and how often can I take it?

You can find information on the validity of placement tests on the ‘Placement tests’ page under the section ‘Validity of results and retaking of C-tests'.

 

 

14. Is it possible to get  written confirmation of the C-test result?

The test result is automatically stored in our database, so there is no need for you to inform us of the result after taking the test. However, please remember to note down your result for your own records, as you will be asked to provide the C-test score during the online registration process. If you require the test result in written form, please ensure you make a personal note of it. Regrettably, the Foreign Language Center cannot provide written confirmation of results.

15. Are placement results from other institutions recognized?

We do not recognize placement results from other institutions at the Foreign Language Center. Instead, we offer a quick and straightforward option to take a C-test. For placement purposes, we recognize UNIcert® certificates (excluding course certificates from UNIcert® courses or those with CEFR requirements) and accept certificates from University of Tuebingen institutions with which we have a corresponding agreement. This includes certificates from Romance Language of Modern Philology propaedeutic I and II, and certificates from Slavic Studies Basic Russian 1 to 4.

16. Can I have my language skills certified without enrolling in a course?

No, the Foreign Language Center only issues certificates after successful completion of a course.

 

 

17. What is a follow-up course? Can I register for this course even if my previous course has not yet been graded?

A follow-up course is, for example, "French II" after you have successfully taken "French I". However, the "French I" certificate is only valid here for three semesters as a preliminary certificate. If the time would be exceeded, the registration would be done via a placement test in "French II" - but then "French II" would not be a follow-up course of "French I". A course can only be booked as a follow-up course if the required course certificate is not older than three semesters. This also applies to certificates. If you want to register for a follow-up course but you do not yet have grades for the previous course, you can do so conditionally. That is, you register for the follow-up course on time and will be notified if you meet the admission requirements once you have been corrected.

You can find more information on our Conditions of Participation page under the heading Course requirements.

18. Can I register for more than one course in a course period?

Yes, you can register for up to two language courses per language and a total of three language courses per course period.

However, during the semester break, you cannot register for multiple intensive courses that overlap in time, even if they are scheduled at different times of the day (e.g., morning and afternoon).

 

19. Can I retake a course that I have already passed?

You can only retake a course you have already passed if there are available spots in the class. Priority will be given to students who need to take the course as part of their program requirements or who are taking it for the first time.

 

 

20. How do I proceed if I receive an email saying "Place available in course"?

If you are still interested in taking the course, you can register online using the password provided in the email. However, if the password no longer works, it means the available spot has already been given to another candidate on the waiting list.

 

Questions about the course regulations

21. Is a course book needed, and if so, do I have to get it myself or is it provided by the teacher?

In the course program for the respective language, you will find information under "Textbook:" indicating whether the teacher provides the course materials or if a course book is needed. It is more likely that a course book will be required for lower-level language courses. If a course book is needed, students should purchase it themselves unless stated otherwise. Ideally, the book should be available on the first day of the course.

 

 

22. Until when can I cancel a course?

You can cancel a course up to 48 hours before it starts. For intensive courses and semester courses that begin on a Monday, cancellation is possible until 12 pm on the Thursday of the week before the course starts.

To cancel, you can either visit the FSZ office (Wilhelmstraße 22) in person or send an email, including your name, matriculation number, date of birth, and the exact course name.

Please note that if you cancel a course after the deadline, you will be blocked from registering for any FSZ courses in the following semester.

semester. 23. What happens if I am unable to attend the first course date?

You can find information on this on our “Conditions of Participation” page under the section “Attendance”.

 

 

24. How often may I be absent during a course (absences)?

Information on absences can be found on our  “Conditions of Participation” page under the section “Attendance”. Absences due to a certified Covid-19/Quarantine infection will not be counted as regular absences.

 

 

25. How can I obtain a certificate of achievement (Schein) after the course ends?

Certificates can be collected during the official opening hours at the FSZ information desk following the end of the course. You will receive an email notification once your certificate is ready for pickup.

 

 

26. How many credit points (ECTS, European Credit Transfer System) do I receive per course?

Details regarding ECTS credits can be found in the course description.

 

 

27. Are the ECTS of FSZ courses also creditable elsewhere?

Are the ECTS credits from FSZ courses recognized elsewhere? Certain FSZ courses, specified in the course description, have agreements with the University of Tübingen allowing their ECTS credits to be transferred. This applies to the "Studium Oecologicum" and "Intercultural Thinking and Acting" certificates.

 

Questions about the UNIcert® examinations

28. When and how can I register for UNIcert® exams?

Information about exam dates and registration can be found on our UNIcert® page under the "Examinations" section.

 

 

29. Can certificates of achievement and UNIcert® certificates be sent by mail?

Certificates of achievement are usually issued after the end of the course during our opening hours. If you would like to receive a certificate of achievement by mail because you are not in Tübingen, we require a written request together with a stamped and addressed envelope. Please note that the Foreign Language Center does not assume any liability for the postal service. Certificates of achievement are original documents.

UNIcert® certificates can be picked up against signature and upon presentation of a (student) ID during opening hours.

30. Can my ticket be picked up by someone else?

Yes, this is possible. A third person with a power of attorney issued by you is welcome to pick up your ticket during official opening hours.

 

 

 

31. I have picked up my certificate; what do I do with it now?

In order to be able to view your ECTS on your Transcript of Records, you must send the certificate (ideally by scan) to your responsible examination office. The FSZ does not automatically transfer certificates/achievements to the examination office.

 

 

32. What happens if I lose a UNIcert® certificate?

If your UNIcert® certificate is lost, a replacement can be issued for a fee of €30. Please provide your current address for posting to our FSZ account.

 

33. How can I prepare for UNIcert® exams?

On the UNIcert® page, under the heading Exams, you will find information on how to prepare for the exams.

 

34. How will I receive my UNIcert® exam results?t?

You will receive a letter from the Foreign Language Center notifying you of your exam results and individual grades.. This official document is typically sufficient for master's applications or similar purposes. Additionally, you will receive an email when your certificates are ready for collection the Foreign Language Center's information desk. Please bring your ID card for pickup.

Other questions

35. How can I find a tandem partner for my foreign language?

Language tandems are organized by the Information Office of the "Department for German as a Foreign Language and Intercultural Programs" (also at our House of Languages).