Dear international academics,
There are many ways to learn German. We have curated a list of options where you can start or continue your learning journey. You can also choose between them based on your way of learning.
Goethe Institute
The Goethe Institute offers a variety of courses. To determine how you would like to learn German—whether in-person, online, or by taking exams—and to find the best course for you, please see here.
If you want to practice German for free, there is an online platform where you can improve your skills at no cost.
VHS (Volkshochschule) Passau
Situated in the city centre, VHS offers many courses ranging from beginner to advanced. The courses are offered in different time slots to fit your weekly schedule. For more information on the prices and the type of course you'd like to sign up for, see here.
VHB (Bavarian Virtual University)
VHB offers many different types of courses that are easily accessible:
OPEN: Free courses available to everyone, with no ECTS credits awarded. For more information, see here.
CLASSIC: Free for students (including registered doctoral students), with ECTS credits awarded for these courses. Others can register as external users and attend the courses at very reasonable prices. For more information, see here.
Register here: VHB Portal Registration.
ESG Passau
If you're a beginner and unsure where to start, we have the perfect course for you in Passau! ESG Passau offers beginner classes ranging from A1.1 to A2.2 in the upcoming summer semester. For more information and to register, see here.
DAAD Academy: German for international (early career) researchers
This course is designed for international academics and researchers at German universities who wish to improve their German language skills to levels B1/B2 and enhance their knowledge through practical exercises. The focus is on teaching relevant specialised vocabulary related to academic careers and labour market integration.
For more information on the course and to register, see here.
Sprachcafés
To practice conversing in German in an informal setting away from language courses, there are two regular language cafés in Passau.
Café Deutsch takes place every second Thursday from 17:00 to 19:00 in the common room of the Gemeinsam Leben und Lernen in Europa Association (Lederergasse 1). The exact dates are always published one month in advance in the flyer on the website.
There is also a language café every Thursday from 20:00 at RIO (Lederergasse 50). Various tables are opened there for several languages.
Feel free to try out the offers, alone or with friends and family. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their language level!
For enrolled doctoral students
For enrolled doctoral students, the Language Centre at the University of Passau also offers free language courses in many different languages every semester.
