GENERAL COURSE INFO:
Our German language courses for adults are offered twice a year, usually in Fall and Spring. (There may be exceptions and we will announce any updates here on our website). These classes are typically intended for beginners or near-beginners who are working towards a functional level of speaking and understanding the German language.
The A1 course is divided into four 10-week sessions: A1a, A1b, A1c & A1d.
The A2 course is divided into four 10-week sessions: A2a, A2b, A2c & A2d.
Each 10-week session includes 25 hours of instruction. At the end of each session, participants will be given a “Certificate of Completion“ and may progress to the next level. These sessions progress in difficulty from A1a to A2d: this means that A1a is a prerequisite for A1b, A1b is a prerequisite for A1c, and so on. You should not enroll in an A1b class unless you have taken the A1a class, or have talked to us first.
The fee for each 10-week session is $200. The fee for instruction materials (which can be used for all four A1 or A2 sessions) is $50. We accept E-Transfer, Cash or Cheque as payments. More details are on the registration form.
COURSE CONTENT & WHICH SESSION SHOULD YOU ENROLL IN?
The course content for A1 & A2 is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). More details on this can be found HERE.
A1:
The four A1 sessions use “Berliner Platz 1 NEU” as instructional material. The chapters focus on topics such as: everyday life, communications, grammar, reading, pronunciation and understanding the German language at a basic conversational level. By the end of all four A1 sessions, participants are able to demonstrate a very basic knowledge of German.
A1a = Chapters 1 – 3:
Hallo! = Introductions, Names, Where are you from, Which languages do you speak, etc.
Wie geht’s? = How are you, what would you like to drink, sharing phone numbers and addresses, Numbers up to 200, etc.
Was kostet das? = Talking about prices, buying and describing items, understanding newspaper ads, Numbers up to 1 Million, etc.
Grammar = Present tense verb conjugation, word order in basic statements and questions
A1b = Chapters 4 – 6:
Wie spaet ist es? = Time, talking about your day, making appointments, etc.
Was darf’s sein? = Understanding shopping conversations, following cooking recipes, writing a shopping list, etc.
Familienleben = Talking about family, dates, birthdays, past events, etc.
Grammar = Separable and non-separable verbs, akkusativ, possessive articles, past tense (present perfect)
A1c = Chapters 7 – 9:
Willkommen in Berlin = Asking for and giving directions, explaining city parts and atractions, starting a new job, etc.
Zimmer, Kueche, Bad = Moving, understanding apartment ads, talking about house hunting, asking for more details, expressing requirements and wishes, etc.
Was ist passiert? = Talking about past events, understanding resumes, talking about yourself, asking for personal information, etc.
Grammar = Prepositions, dativ, imperatives, modal verbs, past tense (present perfect)
A1d = Chapters 10 – 12:
Ich arbeite bei… = Talking about your job and career, what you like about it, understanding professional telephone conversations, understanding job related classifieds, etc.
Gesund und fit = Naming body parts, conversations with a doctor, talking about fitness and health concerns, making appointments, etc.
Schoenes Wochenende = Booking a trip, asking for hotel information, buying tickets, talking about the weather, understanding travel ads, etc.
Grammar = Ordinal numbers, personal pronouns, word order, imperatives, prepositions, modal verbs
A2:
The four A2 sessions use “Berliner Platz 2 NEU” as instructional material. The chapters focus on topics such as: everyday life, communications, complex grammar, reading, writing, pronunciation and understanding the German language at a conversational and written level. By the end of all four sessions, participants are able to demonstrate a good, basic knowledge of German.
A2a = Chapters 13 – 15:
Das steht dir gut! = Talking about and buying clothes, expressing your likes, understanding ads, etc.
Feste, Freunde, Familie = Talking about parties, responding to invitations, discussing presents, talking about family and friends, understanding dynamics, etc.
Miteinander leben = Expressing feelings, asking for and giving advice or further explanations, giving conditions, solving conflicts, etc.
A2b = Chapters 16 – 18:
Schule und danach = Talking about school, learning and continuing education, discussing plans and wishes, expressing opinions, understanding information, etc.
Die neue Wohnung = Describing housing, discussing interior decorations, expressing preferences, understanding home repair tips, etc.
Mobil in der Stadt = Discussing advantages and disadvantages of different modes of transportation, naming conditions, expressing likes and dislikes, etc.
A2c = Chapters 19 – 21:
Das finde ich schoen = Describing people and items, talking about fashion and beauty, expressing likes and dislikes, making compliments, understanding personal ads, etc.
Komm doch mit! = Talking about leisure activities and your preferences, expressing opinions, giving tips, understanding writings about soccer, etc.
Arbeitssuche = Talking about job hunting and work experience, holding a work conversation or interview by phone, understanding professional bios and resumes, etc.
A2d = Chapters 22 – 24:
Alltag und Medien = Talking about media, understanding statistics, TV preferences, holding discussions or having arguments with different opinions, understanding media articles, etc.
Die Politik und ich = Talking about politics, supporting your opinions with reasons, stating preferences, discussing past events, understanding articles about volunteerism, etc.
Bei uns und bei euch = Talking about good and bad behaviour, invitations, manners and etiquette, making intercultural comparisons, etc.