The Language Centre is one of the central facilities of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. We offer language courses to students and employees of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the Franz Liszt College of Music, as well as to students from other universities and guests.
Happy New Year
The Language Centre's team wishes everybody a happy and healthy new year.
We are afraid that, due to the current restrictions, there will be no face-to-face teaching at the Language Centre until at least 15 January, 2021.
The Language Centre's staff members are currently working from home, but can be contacted by email for all matters.
Information about the Winter Semester 2020/21
Welcome to the Winter Semester 2020/21. Unfortunately, the corona pandemic will continue to affect teaching in the winter semester 2020/21. We all had been looking forward to returning to classroom teaching. But unfortunately this will not be possible in the rooms of the Language Centre. The current distancing rules would only allow a very small learning group in any room.
In order to offer you the greatest possible degree of flexibility, we have therefore decided to continue using a digital format for the winter semester 2020/21, using the Moodle learning platform. However, this does not completely rule out classroom teaching. Classroom teaching is offered in small groups and for specific languages and courses.
We wish you a successful winter semester in your courses and hopefully a healthy lecture period.
The international and national situation regarding the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) is still changing continuously and very dynamically. Please check the information provided by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar regularly to keep yourself updated.
Please take care of yourselves and others and reduce your number of personal contacts to an absolute minimum.
Learning a language by remote teaching - how does that work?
Language learning is a very special process that requires a lot of practice and interaction with other people. How can this work if face-to-face teaching in the Language Centre is limited or even impossible due to the Corona pandemic?
A very important tool is the learning platform Moodle. There is a separate virtual classroom for each language course and sometimes also for individual groups. In these course rooms, materials and tasks are set week after week, which can be worked on independently or in exchange with other course participants. In addition, there are weekly video conferences in which teachers and course participants can get to know each other, exchange information and talk to each other in order to apply and consolidate what has been learnt. Individual consultations, corrections of submitted tasks, etc. complete the course.
Experience from the summer semester has shown that even under these special circumstances it is possible to learn a language and improve existing language skills. However, the learning process requires a greater degree of self-discipline. Deadlines have to be met and tasks have to be processed and handed in. But independent learning also allows you to choose your own pace, to learn no matter when and where, and to identify and work on your own strengths and weaknesses.
We will support you as much as we can and wish you a lot of success and fun in our courses.
German as a Foreign Language
At the Language Centre you can learn German at all levels (A 1 - C 1). Many courses take place during the lecture period .
--> click here for information regarding the online placement test, course descriptions and levels
-Three-week intensive courses for exchange and fulltime students are offered in March and September.
--> click here for the intensive courses in March or September
For student applicants who would like to study in Weimar or at another German universiy, we offer preparatory intensive courses (prep courses) leading to the Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH).
--> click here for prep courses
English
Most of our English courses are taught at the intermediate and advanced level (B1-C1). Students may choose General English courses, or can opt for a Specialist Language Skills course.
Due to the Corona Pandemic, in the winter semester 2020/21 all English courses will be offered online via the learning platform Moodle.
--> click here for the current programme
French
We offer French courses at all levels (A1-C1). We also offer a C1 advanced course for students in the European Media Culture degree programme.
Click here for course descriptions and current course schedule
Italian
Our Italian courses are taught at the beginning and intermediate level. If there is sufficient demand, we can also offer advanced courses and skill-based courses.
Click here for course descriptions and current course schedule.
Swedish
We are the only language centre in Thuringia with a full-time Swedish language instructor. This allows us to offer beginning and lower-intermediate level Swedish courses each semester.
Click here for course descriptions and current course schedule.
Spanish
Our Spanish courses provide beginning and lower-intermediate language training. If there is sufficient demand, we can offer advanced and skill-based courses as well.
Click here for course descriptions and current course schedule.
Other languages
Bulgarian and Polish
In the winter semester 2020/21, online language courses for Bulgarian and Polish are offered at the Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, in which students from other Thuringian universities can also participate.
Further information can be found here.
In case we cannot offer the language you would like to learn, you can use the facilities of the Language Centres at the universities of Erfurt and Jena.
Language Coaching Sessions
If you need foreign language help with university assignments (term papers, presentations, CVs, motivation letters etc.), then come to one of our Language Consultation Sessions. There you will find staff members from the Language Centre who will be happy to help you.
We offer drop-in language coaching for all students with study-related texts at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Sign in for a personal slot on our Doodle list [ENGLISH] or Doodle List [German].
Dates for English Coaching: Tuesdays 11:00 - 12:30
On 2 May, 9 May, 16 May, 23 May, 30 May, 6 June
Location: Room 318 Language Centre, Coudraystraße 13a (4th floor) with Dr. Elizabeth Watts
For more information, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Watts for English.
Dates for German Coaching: Thursdays 2:00 - 3:30 pm
On 4 May, 11 May, 18 May, 1 June, 8 June, 15 June
Location: Room 319 Language Centre, Coudraystraße 13a (4th floor) with Dr. Daphne Seemann
For more information, please contact Dr. Daphne Seemann for German.
Tandem Programme
Learning a language “in tandem” means practicing a foreign language one-on-one with a native speaker.
As a tandem partner, not only do you gain inside information about your partner’s culture and home country, but you have the chance to experiment and practice your language skills in authentic communication situations.
For more information and registration details, visit the Tandem Programme website. If you have any questions, suggestions or problems, please contact tandem[at]uni-weimar.de
Bauhaus Summer School
The Bauhaus Summer School takes place every August and offers intensive two- or four-week language courses for German and English. For more information, visit the website of the Bauhaus Summer School.
StudIP: The Language Centre’s registration system
Before you can sign up for a placement test or a language course, it is necessary to register once in StudIP. After that, you can sign up for placement tests or language courses, check the exam results at the end of a semester, and print a certificate.
Instructions and advice as to how to use StudIP can be found here as a printable pdf-file.
Please make sure that you enter all your data correctly, i.e. the correct order of you name (first name/last name), your correct date of birth and your correct matriculation number. Please use capital letters only for the first letter of your name.
Before you register for a placement test or language course, we kindly ask you to consult the Language Centre’s website at www.uni-weimar.de/sz to find out about the current course programme, entry requirements, dates, etc. This is where you can find the most current information.
If there are any problems, please do not hesitate to contact us via sprachenzentrum[at]uni-weimar.de
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up for a language course and when are the registration dates?
If you want to sign up for a language course for the first time, you need to register via StudIP first. StudIP is the Language Centre's registration system. Once you have done that, you will have access to the registration procedures for all language courses, placement tests, etc. On StudIP you can also find all the courses you have attended sucessfully, the grades, and the levels you have achieved. Instructions as to how to use StudIP can be found here.
Please note that your place in a course can only be guaranteed by having paid the course fee in time.
If you already have some knowledge of the language(s) you would like to continue learning, you will need to do a placement test before attending one of our courses for the first time. Make sure to register for the placement test(s) via StudIP.
What happens if I miss the registration deadline?
If you miss the registration deadline, you still have a chance to sign up for your desired language course during the fee payment period – provided there are free spaces still available.
If the course is full, then you can inquire again on the second day of the payment period between 4 and 4.30 pm. Registered participants who didn't show up to pay the course fee forfeit their places in the courses. These are then offered to others starting at 4.15 pm.
What happens if I miss the first lesson of the course?
If for some reason you cannot attend the first lesson of the course, please inform us in advance (either when you pay the course fee or by e-mail, phone, etc.). Otherwise, you will automatically lose your place in the course.
Where do I find the current course schedule?
You can access the current course schedule on our website under Language Courses. The course schedules are also posted in the corridor of the Language Centre.
How can I receive credit for language courses?
Final grades are not automatically forwarded to the examination office of each faculty. To receive credit for your course, you have to submit the course certificate to your examination office.
I need language help, but have no time to take a language course. Can you help me?
Yes, we can.
During the semester, Dr. Seemann (German) and Dr. Watts (English) provide assistance through individual consultation sessions. You can go there with any specific questions or concrete assignments, for which you require language support, e.g. term papers, in-class presentations, etc. Please make arrangements by contacting the respective partner by mail.
Where and when can I speak with the instructors at the Language Centre?
The permanent employees of the Language Centre have their own offices where you can meet with them during office hours or call to arrange a special appointment.
You can contact our guest lecturers by e-mail and only during the lecture period. You may also leave messages for them at the Secretary's Office.
For an overview of the instructors at the Language Centre, please click on Contact.