Language Preparation

Learning a foreign language is a process; it takes time and requires regular study, continued effort, and constant practice. Your hard work will pay off and generate a strong sense of achievement and elation when you can, for example, read German newspaper articles, watch German-speaking TV, write a business letter to a company in Germany, follow instructions at the workplace in Germany, or successfully communicate with your landlord or roommates.

Quick Tips

  • Check your e-mail frequently
  • Participate in the EUROBIZ Facebook group
  • Aim for at least a “B” in the language classes
  • Take advantage of the German Club
  • Attend activities organized by the German Studies Section
  • Attend German coffee hours
  • Watch German films or TV such as ZDF or ARD
  • Take “Deutsch als Fremdsprache” (German as a Second Language)

At UConn

The instructors in the EUROBIZ program will offer you pedagogically top notch and technology-enhanced classes, but it is really up to you to take full advantage of the learning environment inside and outside the classroom. Coordinate with the faculty and program director via email or phone.

EUROBIZ students should aim for at least a “B” in their German Studies classes. Take advantage of the German Club, coffee hours, German films, and all other activities organized by the German Studies Section so you have more opportunities to use your German and increase your speaking skills.

German as a Second Language

While the study abroad programs we work with only require minimal language preparation to become eligible, they have in place courses on location that will bring you up to speed so you can function in the other culture.

For the internship abroad, however, we recommend that you work hard to bring up your language skills before starting your internship. If you haven’t had this preparation in the U.S., we strongly recommend that you take “Deutsch als Fremdsprache” (German as a Second Language) courses on location offered either by the local university or a language learning institute like the Goethe Institutes located in all major German cities. Students going abroad with the Baden-Württemberg exchange program will have preparatory "German as a Foreign Language" classes built in prior to their semester, so there's no need for extra course work! The better you are in the language the more you will get out of your work experience. As it turns out, these courses are also often the best way to make friends in the new environment.