We are accustomed to special language schools inviting us to brush up our language every summer. However, for students there is another option - summer schools at universities. As Gazeta.Ru notes, they sometimes prove more advantageous. And they teach, by the way, not only language.
This review of summer offers from German universities does not claim to be complete; its task is to point out the very existence of opportunities not known to everyone. Not every student would agree to trade a summer vacation for sitting over textbooks. And that is a pity. After all, during holidays you can not only visit another country, but also learn a foreign language. As a rule, summer educational programs are offered by language schools. But gradually universities have also joined the process.
German higher education institutions cordially welcome foreign students. For example, the European Summer Academy operates at the Bauhaus University in Weimar. This summer classes will run from August 2 to 27. The main task of the course is to help students improve their German. The only condition for those wishing to study at the academy is a language proficiency level not lower than intermediate. The course costs 250 euros, and accommodation in a student dormitory will cost 220 euros.
Weimar itself deserves a separate mention. This city with a population of sixty thousand is located in the Thuringian Forest. Its central part is simply an open-air museum. The city's history is inextricably linked with the names of great scientists, musicians, philosophers, and writers. Cranach, Herder, Wieland, Bach, Liszt, Goethe, and Schiller lived and worked here.
In general, many universities pay attention to learning German during summer vacations. Aachen Technical University organizes the 'Aachen Language Summer' from August 3 to 25 (tuition - 420 euros, accommodation - 200 euros, excursions to Cologne, Bonn, Paris, and Amsterdam). Even those who have just begun to learn German can come here.
From August 2 to 31, Ansbach Technical University offers an intensive course for preparing for the DSH/TestDaF exams (tuition - 450 euros, accommodation - 250 euros, excursions to Rothenburg and Nuremberg). From August 4 to 25, one can study German at the University of Augsburg. A special feature of this program is that students are divided into three groups depending on their knowledge of the language. Tuition costs 310 euros, accommodation costs 240 euros.
The Summer School of the University of Bayreuth from July 31 to August 27 offers a whole range of programs: language and society of modern Germany, language and music of Germany, social development of modern Germany (average cost - 450 euros, accommodation - 195 euros). However, the university does not forget about the study of the language itself. For example, from August 28 to September 17, a course for preparing for the DSH test will be held here (it costs 440 euros).
From June 5 to July 16 and from July 17 to August 13, the International Summer University at the Free University of Berlin will be in operation. Multi-level language courses cost 1,500 euros, and the minimum accommodation fee is 450 euros.
Summer courses at German universities are not limited to language learning. Those who would like to become professional translators will find programs at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz interesting. German translator courses, including training in the highest skill - simultaneous interpretation, are held here from August 1 to 27 and cost 590 euros. Accommodation will require from 160 to 220 euros. Excursions to Heidelberg and Strasbourg are provided.
Political scientists and future specialists in public relations can study at the University of Bayreuth. The summer school's themes are 'European Studies: Germany in the Political, Scientific, and Cultural Structural Scheme' and 'Communication Models'. The latter topic includes such aspects as communication models, body language, behavioral stereotypes, and conflict management.
However, training at summer courses at German universities is also possible in English. The same Free University of Berlin offers quite a few programs in English - European politics and external relations of EU countries, global politics and related changes and risks, great German philosophers, and the economic future of Europe.
The largest block of lectures on engineering and natural science disciplines in English is given at the University of Dortmund: biological and chemical engineering, mathematics, statistics, electrical engineering, logistics, and enterprise management. This course runs from July 14 to 30.
What makes modern students spend their free time on such courses? First of all, practical considerations. Summer courses at any German university not only provide knowledge. Mention of completing such courses will embellish any resume, and acquaintances made with students from different countries may later turn into strong business connections maintained for years. And even many years later, you can open a phone book, dial a number and say: «Hallo, Peter, wie geht’s?»
Andrey SHUYSKY.
Based on materials from TsMK «PARTA».