– In our country, institutes usually refer to higher education institutions. So what is the Goethe Institute?
– Our institute is not an institute in your sense of the word; it has nothing to do with higher education institutions. It is the official cultural representation of the Federal Republic of Germany, which promotes the spread of German language and culture worldwide. There are about 128 branches of the Goethe Institute in more than 76 countries. They are funded by the state – the Federal Republic of Germany.
– Is the Goethe Institute a government organization?
– Both yes and no. Yes, because Goethe Institutes abroad are funded by the German government, but no, because we are a fairly strong independent unit.
– What are the tasks of the Goethe Institute?
– In German, it's "to care for" the German language and culture abroad. We disseminate information about Germany, provide further training for German language teachers, develop curricula with schools and universities, teach and administer German language exams, and organize cultural events in music, visual arts, film, and social sciences.
– What departments does the Kyiv Goethe Institute consist of?
– There is an information center, a culture department, and a language department. The Institute's information center is a public library open to everyone. Visitors can use books, periodicals, CDs, audio and video cassettes free of charge in the reading room or borrow them for home use.
The Goethe Institute libraries – German Reading Rooms – are located not only in Kyiv but also in Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Donetsk. In these cities, German Language Learning Centers and Educational Literature Centers are already operating or will soon be established together with our local Ukrainian partners. Our institute supplies literature not only to German libraries. We provide literature and conduct further training courses in libraries throughout Ukraine.
The language department offers German language courses (936 students are enrolled in our courses, taught by 22 instructors). The courses are divided into 3 levels, the first two levels are further divided into three stages, and the last into two. Each stage lasts one semester (133 hours of 45 minutes each). Each level ends with an exam (though taking it is optional): for the first level – the "German Language" certificate – Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD), for the second level – the "Central Intermediate Exam" – Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung (ZMP), for the third – the central advanced level certificate – Zertifikat Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP). Additionally, at the second level, those interested can take exams for the "German for the Profession" certificate – Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf (ZDfB) and the exam for German as the language of business – Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International (PWD). The Goethe Institute also administers exams to those who studied German independently, but discounts are available for our course participants.
– How much do tuition and exams cost at the Goethe Institute?
– One semester of courses costs between 180 and 250 German marks (in hryvnia equivalent), including textbooks, and exam fees range from 35 to 65 marks. A few years ago, to enter a university in Germany, it was enough to pass the intermediate exam – ZMP. Now many universities require applicants to have a ZOP certificate (which exempts from entrance exams in German – ed.). This may be due to the large number of people wanting to study in Germany.
– It is said that to enroll in the Goethe Institute, you need to spend more than a year on a "waiting list". How long can that take?
– It depends on many factors: how many people completing one course move to the next, how many want to change the class time. It also depends on the individual – how important a specific class time is (the first class at the Goethe Institute starts at 8:30 AM, and the last at 7:30 PM). If a person does not mind what time to study, they can get a spot faster. It should be noted that direct enrollment into groups happens only twice a year, i.e., just before the start of the semester.
– What cultural events does the Goethe Institute organize?
– Exhibitions, theater performances, concerts, film screenings, conferences, seminars, competitions – too many to list. Currently we are holding two competitions – a literary one ("Germany – Ukraine: What was? What is? What will be?") and a photo competition ("Change of Eras – Change of Images"). We decided to dedicate them to two epochal events: German reunification (October 3, 1990) and the declaration of independence of Ukraine (August 24, 1991).
– What are the participation conditions?
– The titles speak for themselves. For the literary competition, you need to write an essay on the development and future of German-Ukrainian relations: from the private sphere to big politics (in Ukrainian or German, no more than two printed pages, 1.5 line spacing, font size 12). There are no special requirements for the photos. Find and capture the transition from old to new in a photo, because over ten years many changes have taken place in the life of our states not only in economy, culture, and politics, but also in the external appearance of our countries. First prize (for both competitions) is DM500, second prize DM300, third prize DM200. Send works to our address by March 31 of this year (date determined by postmark), and the results will be announced in September.
– Who can receive scholarships from the Goethe Institute?
– The majority of all scholarships are provided to teachers of German language at higher or secondary educational institutions – for participation in seminars (in general education schools alone, 10,000 people work as German teachers!). Journalists and embassy employees are offered scholarships to study German in Germany. There are also scholarships for studying at our courses in Kyiv, but there are few of them. Last year, 963 people took part in seminars from the Goethe-Institut.
We send brochures with detailed information about scholarships and an application form to educational institutions where German is taught.). Interested people fill out the forms and send them to us – to the Department of Educational Relations. (If your educational institution has not received the brochures, we can send them individually. To do this, you simply need to write us – to the Department of Educational Relations – a letter of request in any form). We send all applications to Munich – there the lucky ones are selected, whose flight, accommodation, meals, and of course participation in the seminar itself are paid for, plus they receive pocket money. Seminars last from one to four weeks, language seminars – either 4 or 8 weeks.
– From what date and until when can one start submitting applications for the competition?
– There are no strict time limits; applications can be submitted at any time. The deadline for applications for the next academic year is December 15. Until December 15, 2000, we accepted applications for the 2002-2003 academic year, in 2001 – for 2003-2004, etc.
– What requirements are imposed on candidates?
– Participation in seminars requires good language skills. Language courses, of course, do not require such fundamental preparation, but a minimal knowledge of German is assumed.
– I heard you will soon be able to be congratulated on a housewarming?
– That's right. Our current premises are a bit cramped, and we have to rent separate space for courses. In the project, we intend to "live" in the same building as the British Council – on Podil.
FACT SHEET: "ABROAD"
The Goethe-Institut employs about 3,300 staff worldwide. About 85,000 people per year study at the Institute's courses (of which 23,000 in Germany alone).
Every year the Institute holds over 12,000 cultural events worldwide. Libraries and media libraries lend out 1.7 million items per year.
The Goethe-Institut in Kyiv was founded in 1993. It currently has 44 employees.