German language course

Overview

There are a bunch of reasons why one would want to study the German Language—college admissions, vacations, work trips, visiting friends and family, or just simply to try something new. Whatever the reason, there are a bunch of places in Nepal where you can brush up on your German language.

However, if the reason you want to learn German is an official one, i.e. you need a certification to validate that you know the language to a certain degree of proficiency, you would have to take an exam.

Here’s all you have to know about the German Language courses in Nepal.
 

About German Language Course in Nepal

We, as Nepalese, would be non-native users of the German Language even if we learned it. For a non-native user of the German Language, there are several levels of proficiencies that can be certified based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and they range from A1 to C2.

Let’s first start by understanding what Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR for short, means.

CEFR is a metric designed by the European Union to standardize the competence, skills, and ability of a non-native user of a language in terms of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending the language in general. Because it is a standardized format, it also helps educators formulate the curriculum, textbooks, and degree of qualifications that a non-native speaker can be awarded in the use of the language in question. Since the continent of Europe, although one of the smallest, has a huge variety of languages used whilst still having fairly open borders between regions of the continent, having a standard like CEFR helps them maintain and foster relations between interlinguals.

Although the German Academic Exchange Service encourages students to learn as much German as they can in their home country before coming to Germany, you can get by with a certain level of fluency depending on your purpose of visit or study. That being said, there are a variety of classes available to students at each level of the CEFR scale.
 

Different Levels of German Language Proficiencies

A model such as CEFR helps learners assess their own command over a language like German and gives them an idea on how they can improve their proficiency should they want to.

On that note, Goethe-Zenthrum Kathmandu, the official partner of the Goethe-Institure e.V., provides five degrees of certification to Nepalese students of the German language. They are,

A1: Beginner
This is the lowest proficiency level. To be an A1-level practitioner, you have to know the basic, everyday expressions in the German language. For example, you would know how to greet someone and ask for some personal details about them and be able to answer someone if they ask you the same. You would even communicate with a Native person if they were willing to be patient with you in trying to get their point across. This certification is especially useful for people who want to get a visa to be with their husband or wife who is already in Germany. You might even get a few simple jobs in Germany with this level of proficiency.

A-2: Elementary
In terms of utility, this certification is a little bit more useful than the A1 class. However, you would still not be able to have a proper conversation with a native in this level. You would, however, be more comfortable in everyday routine situations. You would be able to talk about yourself in a bit more detail and understand when someone else does the same.

B1: Intermediate
At this level you should have enough mastery over the language to deal with most situations. You should also be able to express yourself in simple terms in a coherent manner. You should be able to describe events and opinions with a brief explanations or reasons. With this certificate you would qualify to apply for a student visa in Germany for a preparatory course, vocational education, internships and a few other cases. You would be able to live and work in Germany.

B2: Upper-Intermediate
If you have a B2 certificate, you should be able to read and perhaps comprehend more complex and abstract ideas on a specific subject. It is at this level that you would be able to have a free-flowing casual conversation with a person who natively speaks German. You level of fluency would be such that you could converse and communicate with people with clarity. If you have a B2 certificate, you can apply for a lot more courses and jobs in Germany including university education and jobs in the medical field.

C1: Advanced

If you hold a C1 certificate, you can probably understand complex subjects and literature and even read between the lines to understand the implicit interpretations of the given test. You would be able to navigate almost any social and professional situation. Academically, you would be very comfortable with the German language. With this certificate, you could study in universities and qualify for employment for many sectors.

Although there is also a C2 level, as per the Goethe-Institure e.V. website, which is supposed to be a near native level of proficiency, the Goethe-Zenthrum Kathmandu only offers certifications up to the C1 level.

Who Needs to Study a German Language Course

Any individual traveling to Germany for more than a couple of days should learn the language to whatever degree of fluency they can manage. However, it is not mandatory for tourists to learn whole new language to just visit Germany for a few days.

The most common reasons for taking a German Language Course are traveling to Germany for studying, working, or getting to your spouse (dependent visa).

Right off the bat, you would likely need at least a B2 certification to get into Germany as a student unless you’re studying a course offered in English. In that case, you would likely have to get a respectable IELTS score. For some courses, a B1 certificate might also work. However, B2 is generally the standard.

A similar level of fluency would also be required of you if you are planning to work in Germany. However, it really depends on the nature of work and the employer.

Finally, for a dependent visa, the applicant must have at least an A1 certificate.
 

Studying a German Language Course & Getting Certified

You could study German language either through online resources or by taking a dedicated German Language course in Nepal as per your convenience. The amount of time you will have to study the language would be directly proportional to the level of certification that you want to get and your ability to grasp the nuances of the language.

However, when it comes to the certification part, you will have to show up in person for the test. As of this writing, there is no online test model for the German proficiency test. While the awarding institutions do not have an expiry date on your level of certification, the purpose of your visit and the institutions asking for the certifications might put in a cut off date with a clause like “certification awarded in the last 5 years” or something akin to that.

You can register for the exam online and will have to pay a certain sum to appear in the exam. Again, depending on the level, the amount of money you will be charged will be different. The exams are held almost every month for A1, A2 & B1 levels. For the B2 & C1 levels, there are limited dates. You can check the availability of the dates online as well. The test could cost you anywhere from 35 euros to 75 euros. However, you can pay for the tests with a bank voucher in NPR in accordance with the exchange rate of the day. You will also need 2 passport sized photos and a copy of your citizenship or passport to register for the test.