The number of students learning German as a foreign language has increased substantially over the last few years. People in Europe and overseas have become aware of the fact that more than 110 million people speak German as their first language. They also know that German is an important language for business and research, and that German-speaking tourists can be found across the globe.
We in Austria have always had a problem explaining two things: first, that German is spoken in our country, and secondly that it is the same as that spoken in Germany. Fortunately, the days are over when people thought that Austrians conversed in an alpine dialect that nobody could understand, much less learn. With the help of Austrian educational organisations, the number of students coming to Austria to learn German has increased, and with good reason.
This is because a language course in Austria combines two things: Language learning and cultural learning. In Austria, students learn to speak German and at the same time they have the opportunity to be immersed in the rich cultural heritage of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is a heritage that produced artists such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele; great thinkers such as Sigmund Freud and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and a host of great classical composers such as Wolfgang Mozart, Franz Schubert, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg. Students in Vienna can see some of the world’s great masterpieces in the Fine Arts Museum or in the Belvedere. They can also spend the evening in the acclaimed Opera House, Concert House or the Musikverein, home of the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Students will also be sure to spend time in Vienna’s world famous coffee-houses as well as in its equally enjoyable wine taverns, or heurigen.
But there is more to Vienna than just its past. Students will also have the opportunity to l earn about the country’s present and future role, one that will only be heightened when Austria hosts the presidency of the European Union in 1998. The Vienna of today is an international city which can boast of being a headquarters of the United Nations as well as home to a number of international businesses. Vienna is once again what it was under the Habsburgs - a city at the heart of Europe with strong ties connecting the West and East. This is reflected in the type of people attracted to studying German in Vienna. Executives of Vienna-based international companies study along side of those of companies from across the world who have chosen to send their employees to study German in an intensive language program in Vienna, rather than in any city in Germany.
During the summer, the language schools are filled with young people who want to learn German, but more quickly than they can at their school or university at home. A four weeks’ intensive course in Vienna will often bring them much further than an entire school year in their own country. Many are also aware that being able to speak only one foreign language is no longer enough, and that a good command of German will certainly increase their chances on the job market.
Fortunately, the erroneous but long-held belief that German is a difficult language to learn has finally been laid to rest. Modern Teaching methods such as total immersion, confidence building, and making language learning fun are just some of the ways students learn German today. The environment of learning also contributes a lot. Vienna is one of the safest cities of the world, and it is also the home of the famous Viennese "Gemütlichkeit". It is a word that cannot be fully translated into English, but means a "comfortable-ness". This includes enjoying life as well as making foreign guests feel at home and taking the time to learn about their lives. All these things make Austria an ideal place to learn German.
The German courses offered range from short-term immersion courses for students and business people, to longer courses which can last an entire year. The latter prepare a student to study in Austria, and end with an official examination, the "Österreichisches Sprachdiplom," which not only provides an entrance ticket to university, but also an internationally-recognised examination comparable to the Cambridge Proficiency Certificate.
The summer courses are most filled with younger people, and combine intensive language learning with activities for everyone’s taste: music, sport, culture and plenty of social activities where young people from all over the world get a chance to meet and develop friendships. These friendships help promote multicultural awareness and cross-cultural understanding, both of which are imperative for the future.
The quality of the teaching is guaranteed by the language school’s membership in CAMPUS AUSTRIA, an association of private language school teaching German as a foreign language. This association requires a high level of quality, which is ensured by a frequent inspection schedule for every school.
