Our resident inquisitor René Blixer asks kind of dumb questions about smart Berlin businesses, and we do our best to answer them.
OK, what business are we talking about today?
The German language school, sprachart BERLIN.
Oh, I never really learned German. What’s a Spra chart? Is that like a German Venn diagram?
Christ. How long have you lived here again?
Almost twenty three years.
Yeah, you should really learn some German.
I already know “Genau”. Isn’t that enough?
Nope. But lucky for you, sprachart BERLIN has classes for every level, from A 1.1 all the way to C2. They’re also a certified exam centre, which means that they can authorise your level of German for your job or visa. You do have a job, right?
My job is basically just interviewing you about businesses, actually. But I do know some German – mostly ordering a beer and paying mit Karte. How do I know what level to start at?
Easy, you can take a free trial lesson before you start, and they’ll make sure you end up in the right level. There’s also a quiz on their website you can take to help you determine your level ahead of time.
That’s super helpful. But isn’t learning German basically a full-time job? As I mentioned, I am currently a professional question-asker.
Yes, learning German is a big undertaking. But sprachart BERLIN has a bunch of options: there are intensive courses, where you meet every day, or night classes, which you can go to a couple nights a week after work. They also have online-only courses, classes for conversation and vocabulary, even one-on-one lessons if that’s what you prefer. There’s a schedule that works for everyone.
Okay, that’s nice. But I don’t know…most language classes have basically the opposite effect of a yoga class. Trying to tell my ders from my dies gives me a headache.
Listen, nobody’s going to pretend that learning German is easy. But it’s also nice to learn the vocab you need to get around, and you’ll be able to use loads of fun German phrases. The teachers at sprachart BERLIN work extra hard to make it fun and relevant to you – there will be games, and you can talk about the things you like to do.
I mostly like to ask dumb questions.
They’ll let you ask as many questions as you want! It’s actually encouraged. They’ll even teach you to ask your questions in German – the classes are all taught entirely in German, so everyone can get a feel for the language and hear as much German as possible, which can be weirdly hard in Berlin.
Wow, that’s great to hear. You don’t think people will make fun of me?
Definitely not. German classes are a great way to meet people who are also tackling the German language, and lots of them are new to Berlin. Class sizes are capped at 14 students, so you’re guaranteed to get to know everyone well. Plus, sprachart BERLIN also does day trips and excursions where you can hang out, visit Berlin landmarks, practise your German in the wild and just relax with your classmates.
That sounds like fun – but I already have friends, you know.
Good lord, nobody said you didn’t. But there’s good news on that front, too: sprachart BERLIN will give you a €20 discount if you and a friend both book one of their intensive courses – you don’t even have to be in the same class.
Okay, fine, this sounds like it would be worth it. After 23 years I guess it’s time I finally learned German properly. How do I sign up?
- Just go to sprachartberlin.de, find the course you want and enrol. Viel Erfolg!
