Consistently ranked as one of the world's top ten most liveable cities, Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is a great place to visit, study, work and ... live. We're here today to talk about the study part, specifically the study of the language and culture of Germany.
As with other regions in Australia, Adelaide has a strong German heritage, with immigrants arriving to settle in and around the city from 1838, in places like the River Torrens, Barossa Valley and Hahndorf. Indeed, Germans who settled in the Barossa are credited with producing some of the best wine in Australia and if you travel to Hahndorf, a tiny village in the Adelaide Hills, it feels like you've walked into a village in Germany.
If you are learning German, there is nothing better than in-country experience, whether it be international travel, a study tour or a homestay. Being immersed in the culture and surrounded by the language will help your brain make those essential connections, improving your understanding and fluency.
In current times, however, where international travel is much more difficult, a trip to Hahndorf is an absolute must — you won't be immersed in the language so much but you will definitely get a feel for the culture and history. Then again, why not go with your German tutor, or a group of fellow students, and practise your conversation and speaking skills while you're there?
Perhaps you've recently visited Hahndorf or the Barossa Valley and were inspired enough to want to take German classes?
Maybe you've even been lucky enough to travel to Germany or one of the other five countries — Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland — where German is an official language and found yourself wishing you'd been able to say and understand more than guten tag and danke schon.
It's never too late to learn another language and why not? It's fun, enables you to meet and speak with a wider range of people and increases your skills for employability.
Keep reading to discover where to find German classes in Adelaide to suit every level and every learning style.
Adelaide's Best German Classes
If you want to take German classes in Adelaide you are certainly spoilt for choice. There are classes and courses that cater for beginners through to advanced language students, students who prefer to learn online or in a small group, students who want to engage in formal university study and those who simply want fun, informal lessons or conversation classes.
Here are a few to help you get started in your search.
The University of Adelaide
If you're looking to study German language as a means to boost your career opportunities, communicate with friends and family or even just for fun, the Professional and Continuing Education Courses (PACE) on offer through the University of Adelaide could be perfect for you. PACE offers two courses, available both in hybrid and fully online formats:
- Introduction to German — basic and practical, students learn essential vocabulary and grammar and develop their communication and conversation skills along with their socio-cultural understanding
- German First Year Intensive — designed for beginners, this course quickly moves from instruction in English to a fully immersive experience.
Of course, you can also enrol in one of the degree courses offered by the university, such as a Diploma of Languages or Bachelor of Languages.
School of Languages
This languages school is quite a unique concept. It is a government-run 'school', which operates after school hours across a range of school sites throughout Adelaide, teaching languages to students from kindergarten to Year 12. Students who attend the School of Languages program are keen to study a particular language that is not available at their own school.
The School of Languages runs two programs — Languages Alive (for primary school students) and Let's Talk for secondary school students, as well as a Vacation Program. They offer 24 languages, many of which are community languages and some not listed in the Australian Curriculum. German is offered only for Year 8 through to Year 12 students.
German Academy
This language institute was opened in 2016 to fill the need for specialised German language instruction for adult learners at every level. The class sizes are small and lessons are conducted in a face-to-face environment. All teachers are native speakers of German or have attained native speaker proficiency.
Classes on offer include:
- German for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced students
- Christmas Workshop
- Grammar Workshop
- German Heritage Bus Tour
- Literature Workshop
- German Immersion Weekend.
School for German Language
Operating since 1959, the School for German Language is a Saturday school, teaching German language and culture and catering for students from preschool to Year 12. In addition to their school-age classes, the School for German Language also conducts German classes for adults, as well as the Zwergenland Playgroup, which targets German-speaking parents and their children from birth to four years of age.
Finding a German Tutor in Adelaide
If you prefer more personalised lessons, or you're looking for supplementary lessons or support in addition to your course or program, then a private German tutor may be perfect for you.
These days, tutoring is not limited to maths, English and science — there are tutors available to teach students in almost any subject area you can think of. A tutor can teach online or face-to-face (often in your home or theirs, or sometimes in a cafe, library or park). Lessons are usually private, just the student and their tutor, but can also be conducted with a small group of two to three students.
There are a few things to take into consideration when you decide to engage a tutor, including:
- location of the lessons
- your goals
- the experience and qualifications of the tutor
- do you want a native speaking tutor?
- your schedule and availability
- the type of lessons you want (e.g. conversation, grammar focus, writing and reading and so on).
Once you are clear on your goals and what you want in a tutor, you can begin your search. Try the traditional avenues if you want someone who is definitely local to your area — newspapers, school noticeboards, libraries etc. Otherwise, an online internet search will give you a seemingly endless list of options for tutoring schools and tutoring platforms.
It can be overwhelming but take a breath — here are a few to get you started.
Vocational Language Learning Centre (VLLC)
The VLLC offers language tuition for adults in a wide range of languages, which include French, Thai, Russian, English and, of course, German.
Lessons are delivered both online and in-person and are a mix of tailored activities with tutors and technology-assisted recordings, where you can listen to native speakers and then practise and record yourself as you speak.
Apart from a branch in Adelaide, this language learning centre also has branches throughout Australia, including in Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Adelaide German Tutor
Andrew is a native speaker of German who can teach private students of any level from absolute beginner to advanced or near fluently. Students can access free video tutorials on different grammar aspects (verbs, prepositions etc.) and can enrol for a weekly session, or however long you need.
Lessons can be tailored to suit the student and can focus on specific grammar points, general revision, recapping information (or re-explaining for comprehension) or preparation for SACE or proficiency exams.
Superprof
Were you aware that there are over 4,000 tutors on the Superprof platform ready to help you out with your German study?
Each tutor has a clear list of their qualifications, experience, the level they teach, specific areas of expertise and so on. And, what's more, almost all Superprof tutors offer their first lesson for free, allowing both tutor and student to ascertain if the other is a good fit.
If you are particularly keen to have in-person lessons, you can include this as a filter in your search on the Superprof platform so you are only shown tutors in your local area.
Alternatively, consider online tutoring. This form is just as good as in-person lessons and, as long as you have a good quality computer, webcam and microphone, online tutoring is often cheaper than in-person tuition because there is no need to factor in travel and time expenses. Not only this but engaging an online tutor opens up your options significantly. Who knows, the best tutor for you may well reside in Sydney or at the Gold Coast — indeed, they could hail from anywhere in Australia, or throughout the world.
Get started today and remember:
Übung macht den Meister.
(Practice makes perfect.)
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
