Learning German

Question: Where I can sign up for a class to learn German, either online or face-to-face?

Answer: There are many "face-to-face" providers of German classes in Austria. At the end of this article we also list several online resources/courses that have been recommended by our members.

One consideration is whether or not you need to take an exam in order to obtain a residence permit. If this is the case, check that your course provider can prepare you for an accredited exam. We have a separate article which covers this topic.

Taster lessons

A key point to remember is that the quality of the teaching depends on the teacher and not on the institution. Therefore I highly recommend getting in contact with an institution and asking for a taster lesson ("Schnuppernstunde") to see if you like the teacher and their approach.

Language levels

The first thing to understand is the European language level system - i.e. the level of your German. Three main levels (A: basic; B: independent; C: proficient) are further broken down:

• A1: Beginner

• A2: Elementary

• B1: Intermediate

• B2: Upper intermediate

• C1: Advanced

• C2: Proficiency

This self-assessment table can be used to find your level for any language. Armed with this information you are ready to search for a course.

Face-to-Face course providers throughout Austria

In alphabetical order the providers include:

• Berlitz: https://www.berlitz.com/en-at/language-centers

• BFI: https://www.bfi.at/english/home

• Inlingua: https://www.inlingua.com/centers/?centersearch=austria#pn-center-data-results

• WIFI: https://www.wifi.at/kursbuch/sprachen/deutsch-als-fremdsprache/deutsch-lernen-kurse

Free German courses throughout Austria

ÖIF (the Austrian Integration Fund) provides free German courses for certain people throughout Austria: "the ÖIF is responsible for the processing of German courses up to level B1 for persons entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection as well as third-country nationals who have a right of residence for displaced persons in accordance with § 62 Asylum Act 2005 (AsylG 2005)." See https://www.integrationsfonds.at/sprache/foerderung-sprachkursprojekte/ and https://sprachportal.integrationsfonds.at/deutschkurse/oesterreichische-kursinstitute.

There is also a scheme in Vienna which issues vouchers worth up to €150 to immigrants who meet certain criteria. See: https://start.wien.gv.at/deutsch-lernen-en

Providers by province

If you are able to add to this list with information from your province then please contact us. We would be very grateful!

Vienna (Wien)

• Stadt Wien webpage: https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/integration/deutsch-lernen/

• Vienna tourist board list: https://www.wien.info/en/all-of-vienna/learn-german

• DeutschAkademie: https://www.deutschakademie.com

• Dialog Wien: https://www.dialog-wien.at/deutschkurse/

• Internationales Kulturinstitut: https://ikivienna.at

• Lernpoint: https://www.lernpoint.at/de/deutschkurse

• Sprachenzentrum Uni Wien: https://sprachenzentrum.univie.ac.at/de/deutschkurse

• Volkshochschule Wien: https://www.vhs.at/de/k/sprachen/deutschkurse-daz

Free German courses in Vienna:

Many of these courses are aimed at women and/or refugees.

• Vereinigung für Frauenintegration: https://www.frauenintegration.at/deutschkurse

• Peregrina: https://www.peregrina.at/peregrina-en/

• Station Wien: https://www.stationwien.org

• Orient Express: https://www.orientexpress-wien.com/lernzentrum

• Interface Frauen College: https://interface-wien.at/3-eltern-kinder/37-mama-lernt-deutsch

• Ute Bock: https://www.fraubock.at/de/so-helfen-wir/bildung

• Lefö: https://lefoe.at/lernzentrum/

• Verein Piramidops - Frauentreff: https://piramidops.com

• Miteinander Lernen: https://miteinlernen.at/bildung/

• Integrationshaus: https://www.integrationshaus.at/en/education

• Nachbarschaftszentren: Deutsch A1: https://nachbarschaftszentren.at

"Sprachcafés" and conversation groups

• Bücherei Wien: https://buechereien.wien.gv.at/Büchereien-Wien/Angebote/Interkulturelles/Deutsch-lernen

• Sprachencafé von Station Wien: https://www.stationwien.org/projekte/sprachencaf.html

• Nachbarschaftszentren: Deutsch Dialog: https://nachbarschaftszentren.at

Salzburg

• FREE: Miteinander reden: https://www.stadt-salzburg.at/miteinander-reden

• FREE: ÖH Salzburg: https://more.oeh-salzburg.at/2022/10/03/sprachcafe-wintersemester-2022-23

• FREE: Deutsch lernen im Museum: https://www.plus.ac.at/news/deutsch-lernen-im-salzburg-museum-neuer-kurs-ab-oktober-2022/?pg=97786

• VIELE: https://www.viele.at/ (We are told that they offer FREE courses)

• Deutschstudio Salzburg: https://deutschstudio.at

• LernCENTER Procedere: https://www.progredere.at

• University of Salzburg: https://deutschlernen-salzburg.at/course.php

• Volkshochschule Salzburg: https://www.volkshochschule.at/sprachen/deutsch-als-zweitsprache/

Burgenland

• Volkshochschule Burgenland: https://www.vhs-burgenland.at/deutsch-als-fremdsprache/

Carinthia (Kärnten)

• PIVA: http://www.piva.or.at/index.php/deutschkurse?showall=1&limitstart=

• Platform Integration: http://www.plattform-migration.at/index.php?id=366

• University of Klagenfurt | German in Austria: https://dia.aau.at/de/deutsch-intensiv/

• Volkshochschule Kärnten: https://www.vhsktn.at/themen/detail/C20/deutsch-als-fremdsprache

• Welcome2Villach: https://www.welcome2villach.at/blog/deutsch-lernen-in-villach

• 
  

Styria (Steiermark)

Graz: Our team member, Rachel Fox has a list of providers on her blog: https://ilovegraz.com/2022/12/16/learning-german-in-graz-2/

Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)

• https://www.sprachinstitut-aha.at/

• https://www.noe.wifi.at/kategorie/c-sprachen/cc-deutsch

• https://www.hebebuehne.at/deutsch-und-integrationskurse/

• https://www.sprachschule-aktiv.at/deutsch-lernen-in-krems-an-der-donau/

• https://www.ibisacam.at/kurse/sprachkurs-deutsch-als-fremdsprache/

• https://www.vhs-krems.at/

• https://www.zib-training.at/kurse/

• https://dieberater.com/trainings/oeif/projekte/#08

• https://www.vhs-noe.at/Kurse/

Subsidies

You might be lucky enough to get a subsidy for your course, either from the AMS if you are registered unemployed (ask your advisor there) or via Bildungsscheck:

Vienna (Wien)

• waff (Wiener Arbeitnehmer*innen Förderungsfonds): The waff Training Account provides grants for people working in Vienna who are undertaking vocational education and training. These grants are provided by the city of Vienna and eligible people can get up to 50% off the cost of a training course, including German as a Foreign Language courses: https://www.waff.at/en/grants/training-account/

• There is a scheme in Vienna called Vienna Language Vouchers which issues vouchers worth up to €300 to immigrants who meet certain criteria. The vouchers are part of the benefits given to people who participate in Vienna's "Start" coaching program, which offers individual counselling appointments for new immigrants. See this article in The Local: https://www.thelocal.at/20220822/explained-how-to-get-free-vouchers-to-learn-german-in-vienna

• Arbeiterkammer: https://wien.arbeiterkammer.at/bildungsgutschein

• Volkshochschule: https://www.vhs.at/de/projekte/bbeausbildungscheck

• WIFI: https://www.wifiwien.at/artikel/197-foerder-und-steuer-tipps

Burgenland

• Arbeiterkammer: https://bgld.arbeiterkammer.at/bildung

• WIFI: https://www.bgld.wifi.at/artikel/622-bildungsscheck

Carinthia (Kärnten)

• Land Kärnten: https://www.ktn.gv.at/Service/Formulare-und-Leistungen/PV-L6

• BMBWF: https://erwachsenenbildung.at/bildungsinfo/kursfoerderung/10888-kaernten-bildungsfoerderung-des-landes.php

• Arbeiterkammer: https://kaernten.arbeiterkammer.at/beratung/bildung/bildungsgutschein/AK-Bildungsgutschein_2022.html

• WIFI: https://www.wifikaernten.at/artikel/208-servicegutscheine

Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)

• Lower Austria local government: https://www.noe.gv.at/noe/Arbeitsmarkt/Foerderung_Weiterbildungscheck.html

• WIFI: https://www.wko.at/service/foerderungen/bildungsscheck-der-wirtschaftskammer-niederoesterreich.html

Styria (Steiermark)

• https://stmk.arbeiterkammer.at/beratung/bildung/bildunsgfoerderungen/Bildungscheck.html

Salzburg

• Land Salzburg: https://www.salzburg.gv.at/wirtschaft_/Seiten/bildungsscheck.aspx

• WIFI: https://www.wifisalzburg.at/artikel/1825-bildungsscheck

Tirol

• https://tirol.arbeiterkammer.at/beratung/bildung/BildungundFoerderungen/index.html

Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)

• Land Upper Austria: https://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/bildungskonto.htm

Vorarlberg

• https://vorarlberg.at/-/bildungszuschuss-in-vorarlberg

If you have experience of other German course providers, please comment below. Thanks.

Online courses

• EU Academy: The EU have invested huge sums in the EU Academy which is a learning platform. It offers free online language courses in all main EU languages including German. Use the site's search function to find resources under any language. Start with a placement test and then take the courses that interest you. The hardest part can be registering for an EU login: https://academy.europa.eu/local/euacademy/pages/course/assessment-overview.php?title=german-placement-test

Other online courses recommended by our members

• ÖIF Mein Sprachportal: https://sprachportal.integrationsfonds.at/onlinekurse

• Free German lessons which are about 2 hours every day depending on level you want to achieve: https://sprachportal.integrationsfonds.at/kursraum-a1

• Learn German YouTube channel at different levels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-NiFYOgPwQ

• Another YouTube channel at different levels: https://youtu.be/4-eDoThe6qo

Apps for learning German

• Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com

• Babbel: https://www.babbel.com/course-description/learn-german-online

• Memrise: https://www.memrise.com

• Mondly: https://www.mondly.com

• Rosetta Stone: https://www.rosettastone.com

• Busuu: https://www.busuu.com

• Stadt Wien: Wiener Sprachen App: https://sprachen.wien.gv.at

Books for learning German

• Iunia Martin is a German teacher and author who lives in Vienna. She has been a member of English Speakers in Austria since April 2022 and has written a German grammar workbook for English speakers. It's available in a few bookshops in Vienna as well as via Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/Chills-Drills-Speakers-Beginner-Workbook/dp/B0BZBTBFPZ (not an affiliate link)

Again, if you can recommend any other online resources or apps, please get in contact with us.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Nais Kaurrai for sending me photos from a document listing a large number of free German courses for Vienna. If I find out which document this is, I will gladly reference it.