German Language & Volunteering

Housing and location . More than excellent.
Teaching bad experience . Main teacher doesn’t know how to do lessons . It feels like I’m in an English or Spanish school as the teacher speak those languages more than German. I feel like we waste lot of time in the class without explications .
I extended 4 more weeks to see if we would have had another teacher but we have the same . I didnt go to school today as I’m not motivated.
The experience teachers are not in level A1 .. a shame as it’s the most important level to grab the basics .

My teacher was very efficient at explaining terminology or instructions in German but through his acting out it was easily comprehendible for me. He was really nice and support and so were my peers. Even though they were all much older than me they were kind, considerate people and were always open to have a conversation with me. I learnt lots of interesting topics in my lessons which helped develop my grammar and well as my vocabulary. The location was perfect as it was near the centre of Freiburg and I would go explore the city after my lessons.

The beginning was not so good.
After the preliminary test it's been decided to put Irina and myself in a B1 group.
However, on the first day the administration put us in the group on the B2.2 level and this didn't work at all.
I asked to move us to the level B1.1, but it was done only two days later.
In general, teaches were very professional and friendly.
We enjoyed lessons and the networking. Classes however were not equipped with tables, and this was inconvenient.
Location was perfect. We rented apartments for two weeks within a walking distance from the school.
This worked very well.
During the weekends we were exploring the city and were hiking in Schwarzwald - beautiful.

I found the course structure and teachers excellent. Also my host family were fantastic. They were helpful and generous and very obliging. My only criticism was in relation to the equipment and facilities at the school, and the wi-fi These were less than appropriate, as on more than one occasion we had to abandon a proposed activity which required technology as the appropriate equipment was inadequate. All in all a fantastic worthwhile experience.

I have enrolled to a standard course of four hour a week and on the first week I was in quarantine and I only had a one hour a day a course.

The arrival was well organized and everything i needed to know has been explained. Then the classes were good and the teachers were nice and implicated in their job. The school is well-located near the city center but sadly due to covid 19, there were not much activities organized. The housing in the student residence is comfortable but sadly there was a lot of noise until late the night almost everyday which is not always great.

I was in the beginner course. And it was really worth it for me. I recommend this school.

I want to spend more time in this school cause i think students mâle progress quickly.

The teacher was very good and the classmates were kind!

I have attended the school for a month in the summer time with expectation to improve my oral and writing skills. Initially, I have been placed at the B1 level according to the placement test, which was a little disappointing, considering that I have completed B1 prior in another language school. However, I have soon found out that my grammar required additional work, so it was useful to revise what I have already forgotten.

The real benefit for me was being able to constantly speak German with everyone in the school and outside. It is not possible to be able to practice German constantly in my home town, so by being immersed in the day to day activities I felt that my oral skills have progressed a few levels.

I have attended both intensive course and the standard course. Standard course is composed of 3 hours class to learn grammar and new vocabulary. In my opinion, this is the best part of the course. Intensive course has two more classes in addition to standard course. First is the speaking class, which is concentrated on practicing oral skills. However, with constant exposure to German in and out of school, I didn't feel this added much benefit to my experience. Second class is the writing class. It is good for further improving the grammar, as the teacher will give written assignment and will correct grammar mistakes. For me it was a good was to get better at grammar.

It is worthwhile pointing out that in the summer there are a lot of young students at the school, and in that time Alpadia will recruit additional teachers to assist with large number of pupils. In my experience, not all the temp teachers were suited for teaching at the language school. Our main teacher was an amazing educator and could get the class interested in the subject. The same could not be said for some of the substitute teachers we had. Some would be simply doing exercises from the book in order, not engaging with the class, some would be playing a game all morning.

The student accommodation I lived in was quite comfortable, there were 14 individual rooms to the floor with a shared kitchen. The experience really depends on the neighbors. I got mostly lucky by having considerate neighbors that were quiet at night, however experience can vary in the summer time, as sometimes loud parties can happen and the kitchen may not be left dirty on occasions.

Overall, considering all the benefits and advantages, I have really enjoyed my time at the school and would definitely consider attending in the future, given the opportunity. At the end of my stay I have extended the course by two more weeks, and would have done more, if my vacation would have allowed it.

I loved my experience at Alpadia. I enjoyed my classes and having different teachers, though something came up so that my second week we only had one teacher the whole time. The school's location is practically perfect, as it's close to a lot of tram lines and the old part of the city. I did find it hard to really converse with a lot of students during our breaks, because many people just spoke French or Italian. But I found that my German really improved within the short amount of time I was there (2 weeks), and I hope I can go back at some point.
The housing was good, I stayed at a guest family my first week and then did something separate from the school for the second week. My guest family was super nice and helpful! I would have preferred to stay in a dorm-style building with other students, just so I could get to know other students better, but since I was under 18, everything else still worked out fine.
I also took some private lessons my second week at Alpadia, which went well. However, there was some issue where my instructor had to cancel two days of classes to fill in for another teacher on those days, which meant that we made up the time on the other 3 days of that week. I found it to be a bit much all at once, and wish that maybe that could have been avoided.

I liked how small the classes were because it allowed one on one teachings and it also helped on focusing on my weaknesses and helping me to find a solution. Although this was beneficial for me, I was surprised that I reached only the level of B1 in 6 months. This was because I was unaware that each level was separated into 2 sections ( eg A1.1 and A1.2) and because of this I will have to do further courses online at home as I did not account for more than 6 months in Germany. Nevertheless, the friends that I made were unforgettable and I am truly thankful for my teachers and their ability to see my potential.
Freiburg was by far the best city I’ve ever been to and I really hope that I study at the University of Freiburg in October. The weather was lovely, the food was delicious and the city itself was the perfect size for me...not too big yet not too small. The people there were as accommodating as they could be. The one thing that was distasteful for me was apartment hunting. Due to the increasing population, it was understandable that it would have been difficult to search for an apartment. Nevertheless it was still a pain.
All in all, I definitely do not regret this experience and I give huge thanks to Language International and Alpadia Language Schools for giving me the opportunity to find my future home in this world.

The experience at ALPADIA has served me a lot. I could make friends in other languages, communicate with other people in German, I could test myself with anyone in order to understand my mistakes and difficulties. The school has a perfect location, close to everything and perfectly in the center. Schooling is what has helped me improve, the teachers have always been compassionate and always ready to help. The only small defect of all the experience is the location of the home a bit far, but it was not a big deal.

I am very happy with my course at ALPADIA and I will continue to do so again!

The housing was outstanding with Mrs Flamm, the classes were a high quality that increased in two levels. The life experience provided brought back much more mature kids, without jeopardizing there sense of responsibility. This year was my second experience at Alpadia Freiburg, accomplished to raise the bar despite being a little overbooked.

I didn’t really like the chairs and the little tables. I wish we had a real table, so we could work correctly and not have any backaches. I found the teachers quite good, but sometimes a bit boring. We spent a lot of time on little aspects of grammar, although there was no need to.

I found the method quite strange. I was once told that if I didn't speak more, I would go down to the A2 level, although I had already done it. I still don't understand the link between speaking more and the level.

About the location – I found it was good. We were near the city center and the streetcar, and the school was located in a beautiful house.

I didn't try any activities because I preferred doing them on my own, so I can't say anything about them.

On the first Monday we were welcomed kindly and started with a good presentation by the Director. The message was clear: you are here to learn German, let's do everything we can together (ie: teachers and pupils). I have absolutely nothing negative, just positive highlights:
- well-prepared teachers
- helpful administration team
- good environment
- useful "Alpadia student card" (being able to go to Mensa to have lunch for a quite beneficial value for money - in Saturday as well)

Common activities (trips) were organised for the pupils, which were said to be full of good experience.

I was 100% satisfied; it was really a useful 2 weeks in Freiburg.

I participated only for one week and wished I could have done more. It was great that the school allowed people different time schedules and they made you feel very comfortable so you could learn German, which is a second language. The teachers were very friendly and helpful and taught the classes well. The students were also very nice. I would definitely recommend this school if you are in Freiburg as it is close to the train station and you can easily walk anywhere in the city.

My family was really nice. The people were nice too. I didn't like the lessons.

1. Classes
The level assigned was based solely on the Internet test. This was my 3rd experience with a language school abroad and the only one that did not carry on with an interview to adjust the entry level. The classes were overall good, but perhaps the pace was slightly slower than expected. For me, it was not a big issue, as I was not pursuing a level or an examination. A big issue is the dominance of one nationality, which inhibits a truly international multi-cultural experience.

2. Teachers
All were qualified teachers.

3. Location
The location was very central, and very conveniently located.

4. Facilities
It was a small school. It had good WiFi. The desks were too small. Normally, language schools have their desks and chairs arranged separately, which is much more convenient.

5. Activities
Even though social activities were regular, it is strangely not very popular among the students. Normally, just a few would show up for them.

6. Housing
I was very satisfied with the host family. It was a comfortable house and was excellently located. The host family was very nice as well.

In the second week, I was in A1 and it was very boring.

My experience has been very good at ESL. The teachers who I had were the best and taught me a lot. My German skills have greatly improved. Additionally, the activities at the institute have been very good to me, allowing me to get to know a new place every week around Freiburg.
The city location is quite good; very connected with trams and trains. Additional services, such as being able to eat in the university cafeteria, has been great for me.
In short: everything was very good. The only thing I would change is to be more careful with what people participate in the courses, because more than once someone came to my class who had no need to be there and hindered the education level.

The ESL school in Freiburg was well managed and the teachers were excellent. I have no complaints.

Although I only joined a class for a week, the experience was great.
The teacher was relaxed and fun to learn with, and the other students we're friendly.

The school was easy to get to, and there seemed to be a lot of fun activities constantly being arranged and offered to the students.

I can't think of anything I didn't like about the school. I would definitely come again to further refine my German.

I commuted to the school from Basel SBB every day and I did not mind it. If I could go back I may have stayed with a family just to be able to practice German more so than in my English speaking home in Basel. The classes were great, all in German and yet I somehow knew what Lena (the teacher) was talking about or explaining. Lena was awesome!!!! I would love for her to be my teacher again, I never felt dumb and she was very patient!! She also was exceptional at teaching, I always felt like I was learning. The classroom itself was a little stuffy and sometimes we would have to close the windows to be able to hear the recordings for our exercises which was not great. Perhaps more fans for the rooms may be beneficial for the summer months? The location was good, not too far from the train. Overall a really great experience and I would have liked to do more classes than just the 2 weeks I was there.