German Courses – Online

You are here: / German Courses – Online

Online German Courses

General Information

German in Austria is standard German as it spoken and written throughout the German-speaking world. As in all other German-speaking regions, Austrian German also has its own special features:

  • the pronunciation is soft and melodic;
  • in addition to the common German vocabulary, there are particular Austrian expressions, for example in the fields of food and drink or of politics and administration;
  • German in Austria reflects the cultural tradition of the Habsburg monarchy as well as the language and culture of the modern Republic of Austria as they appear in texts by Austrian authors and in the mass media.

Our German Online Program is geared to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and prepares learners for:

  • supplementary exams (VAAU);
  • integration tests of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF);
  • language examinations for the Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD).

Our course certificates also serve as proof for the application for admission to study (A2) as well as for admission to full-time studies and university courses (B2 or C1) at the University of Klagenfurt. See overview of all examinations. Further information can also be found in the decree of the Rectorate.

Division into sub-levels "/a“ and "/b“

The language levels of our courses are based on the European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR) – however (this mainly serves to determine the students’ performance), are divided into sub-levels (“/a” = introduction stage and “/b” = consolidation stage). Please note, there is not automatically offered a class for every single sub-level! Only if the maximum number of participants per level is exceeded, students will be assigned to an either “/a” or “/b” class.

10 PARTICIPANTS

The maximum online class size is 10 participants.

FROM THE AGE OF 17.

Our courses are open to anyone interested in languages ​​who is at least 17 years old.

COURSE LENGTH: 8 WEEKS

Schedule

Our online classes consist of 9 teaching units (TU) per week. 1 TU = 45 minutes.

The timetable as indicated below is binding. Make sure to have a minimum attendance of 80 % as this, in addition to active participation and taking the midterm and final tests, is prerequisite for receiving a final certificate at the end of the course.

Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday
18:00 – 19:30 (2 TU) 18:00 – 18:45 (1 TU phonetics) 18:45 – 19:30 (1 TU)

18:00 – 19:30 (2 TU)
15 minutes break 15 minutes break 15 minutes break
19:45 – 20:30 (1 TU) 19:45 – 20:30 (1 TU) 19:45 – 20:30 (1 TU)

Course Contents

In the framework of communicative teaching methodology with individual supervision, learners use current issues and authentic texts to practice the four language skills (speaking, writing, listening and reading). Alongside focused work on vocabulary and grammar, at least one teaching unit per week is dedicated to phonology, which is conducted by our specialized speech trainers. It goes without saying, that learners are continually assessed by their instructors.

A word about the teaching and working language German: multilingualism and linguistic diversity is becoming increasingly important and is of course of great importance to us. Imagine taking a German course in Italy as an Italian: the teacher will explain to you and your colleagues every now and then in your mother tongue and that’s perfectly fine. The participants in our classes, on the other hand, are multinational. It is not uncommon for up to 10 different languages ​​to meet in a class. The use of e.g. English as lingua franca might help some, but wouldn’t be helpful for others who don’t speak Italian. Therefore, the language of instruction is the target language: German! The language spoken, that is, is German, even in courses for beginners. Learners’ mother tongues may be resorted to as a “bridge language”, if at all, only outside the classroom.

Final Certificate

Students who successfully complete one of our online German courses receive a certificate including the following information:

  • Course length (from – to)
  • Total number of teaching units (TU)
  • The language level at which the course was held
  • Separate assessment* for each of the four skills: speaking, writing, reading, listening
  • Global assessment according to the following scale: 1 = very good, 2 = good, 3 = fair, 4 = satisfactory, 5 = insufficient

To receive a certificate, students must attend at least 80 % of lessons, participate regularly in class, and sit the midterm and final exams. In the event too many lesson are missed or for other reasons that prevent the issuance of a certificate, a certification of attendance can be requested.

Attention: To receive a positive overall mark, all four skills (speaking, writing, reading and listening) must be satisfactory. If one of the skills is judged to be insufficient, the global assessment is automatically negative.

Credits following the US educational system: For students from the United States of America, certificates can indicate, in addition to the information given above, the semester credit hours. These are calculated as follows: 15 contact hours (teaching units) = 1 credit. Students who need credit hours indicated on their certificates should inform their teacher at the beginning of the course. Attention: ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) are only awarded for Semester Evening Courses (ULG DaF/DaZ) and for the Preparatory Course Program for Supplementary Examinations (VAAU).

(Technical) Prerequisites

  • PC, Laptop etc.

    To take part in our online courses you need a PC / laptop (tablet unsuitable), camera and microphone (possibly headset). If the camera and microphone are not integrated, please purchase external devices. Very important: Make sure your camera and microphone work before participation! In addition, but not absolutely necessary, you can “expand” our course books with your smartphone via “Augmented Reality”. However, your smartphone cannot replace your PC or laptop.

  • Internet Access + Internetbrowser

    Nothing works without the Internet! Before class, please make sure that you have a stable internet connection. If possible, please use a LAN cable instead of your W-LAN, since a more stable connection can be established via cable. In addition, please make sure that you have installed one of the following internet browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari. If not, please download one of these browsers. As our experience shows, the Internet browsers “Internet Explorer” and “Edge” are not compatible with our online course.

  • Scanner/Camera

    Your teacher will ask you to turn in some handwritten homework from time to time. In order to submit your homework you will either need a scanner, a Scan-App (i. e.  „Adobe Scan“ for Android, Apple) or a camera (i. e. the one of your mobile phone).

  • Email Address

    You can’t attend our course without a private and valid email account.

  • PDF-Reader

    The only software you need is a “PDF Reader” (Portable Document Format), such as Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, which you can download for free.

  • Learning Spot

    Although – thanks to technology – it is possible to take part in our online lessons from anywhere, we recommend a quiet place from where you can attend our lessons undisturbed.

  • Any Questions left?

    For further (technical) assistance please contact us at dia@aau.at.

How to Participate

  • Your Language Level

    Not sure how to rate your German language skills? For orientation you can either refer to the grid created by the Council of Europe or to our course level descriptions.

  • Registration + Payment

    Now that you know your current language level, you can register for one of the courses listed below. Please only register for the course that actually corresponds to your language level. If your personal language level does not match the planned course levels, you are welcome to contact us at dia@aau.at. We are happy to offer the desired level if there are at least 5 other participants.

  • Moodle Access at AAU

    “Moodle” is an online-based learning platform which your teacher will use to provide you with learning documents, tasks, exercise sheets and video conferences in real time. If you are unable to attend a video conference in real time, you can still watch it later. Very practical, the new technology, don’t you think?

    After registering and paying the course fee, you will receive an access link via email. After opening Moodle via the link, please click on “External users” and enter your user name and password. We will send you both together with the access link by email.

Dates, Prices + Registration

In order to register you must present a copy of a valid passport or ID card.

Please note that the final registration deadlines are three days before the beginning of the courses. It is possible, however, that some courses are fully booked before the deadline: We recommend you to register at least two weeks before the beginning of the courses.

If we receive your booking at least 8 weeks before the starting date of the course, we will grant you an early bird discount of 3 % on the regular course price. You can see whether you still benefit from an early bird discount by looking at the prices below.

Do you have any questions about our services?

Contact us now!

Contact

Language Center “German in Austria”

University of Klagenfurt
Universtitätsstraße 65 – 67
9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
A U S T R I A
Tel: (+43) 463 24180
Fax: (+43) 463 24180-3
dia@aau.at

Newsletter

Our newsletter informs you once a month about the latest and most exciting news. With our newsletter, the language center is always nearby. Register here!

Partners