Learning German and intercultural workshops at the University

The department „German as a foreign language" (ADaF) offers courses that are specially designed for international PhD students and guest scientists where no prior knowledge is necessary. Courses are offered in the early morning and/or evening, so that attendance is possible in addition to your research.

Of course you are also welcome to register for other classes such as grammar, conversation, academic writing, German literature or German cultural studies.

Please keep in mind that these special classes for PhD students and guest scientists usually are booked out very soon – if you are interested in participating, it is better to register sooner rather than later. The registration begins on February 1st for the summer semester and September 1st for the winter semester.

Further information:

• courses especially for PhD students and guest scientists
• complete course program
• registration process

The Akademie für Bildung und Personalentwicklung (academy for continued education and HR development, ABiP) of the University Hospital Tuebingen cooperates with the private language school Vivat Lingua! to offer German courses preparing physicians for the German language tests for medical licensing. These are offered at irregular intervals and can also be booked directly from Vivat Lingua! – as can other German courses for professional groups such as nurses, lawyers and theologians. Inquiries are always welcome, because classes always depend on sufficient participant numbers.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg, the bureau responsible for temporary and regular medical licensing of persons who studied medicine outside of Germany is the Regierungspraesidium Stuttgart. On the website of the Regierungspraesidium you can find further information about the application procedure and language prerequisites. A link is provided below.

Further information: 
Website of the Regierungspraesidium Stuttgart, "Medizinstudium im Ausland" (in German only)
Website of the Akademie für Bildung und Personalentwicklung (ABiP) (in German) 
Online catalog of the ABiP (in German) 
German courses at the private language school Vivat Lingua!

Some of the Welcome Center’s services include a special intercultural workshops for international researchers at the University of Tuebingen.

Discover the DO's & DON'Ts of university work culture in Germany

1. “Denke ich an Deutschland”: Culture or Your favorites and headache makers
2. “Mein Name ist Frau Professor Dr. Dr. Dr. h. c. Märkel!!!”: Etiquette in Academia or Is your Professor a human, too?
3. “Et gschimpft isch globt gnug”: Receiving and giving feedback in the lab and elsewhere
4. “Arbeit ist Arbeit und Schnaps ist Schnaps”: Don't panic? Or Meeting your Boss and co-workers outside of work
5. “Ask Yvonne”: Anything you always wanted to know from a German native but didn't dare to ask your peers

If you are registered with the Welcome Center you will receive invitations to these workshops via email. The workshops are offered several times a year, so don't worry if you can't make it on a certain date!

The Interkulturelle Sprechstunde (intercultural consultation hour) taking place on Mondays, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., in Wilhelmstraße 22, room 306, offers advice if you wonder how your German colleagues, landlords, friends ... behave. Just come by!

The Fachsprachenzentrum (Language Learning Center) offers language courses in eight languages (Catalan, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Swedish and Spanish) from beginner to advanced levels for students of all faculties as well as other groups. Students can join these classes for free, employees and scholarship holders need to pay a small fee.

Would you like to practice what you learned in class in a private and stress-free environment? If you are interested in finding a conversation partner in order to improve your German, the Tandem program will help you find a language partner ("Tandem"). Your language partner will generally be a native speaker of German wishing to learn your mother tongue.

The department also offers intercultural trainings (for example "How do Germans tick?", "Intercultural competence").