German courses in Rostock

Question

I have recently (six months ago) moved to Rostock and I am working full time as a consultant of a German company. My contract has been reconfirmed for another full year, with good chances to keep going on for a bit even after that.

I do not speak German at all (I work in IT and in the office I can work effectively with English) but I think it would be better to start learning it.

This will be my own private initiative (i.e. I pay out of my own pocket) and will have to do that outside office hours.

Here in Rostock I have seen Inlingua, Berlitz and a place called s-cool, there are probably more, but these three are also very close to my apartment so I'd start with these to simplify the logistic.

I think a regular class (or even better, one-on-one lessons) would work better for me (I don't trust myself to stay focused with self-studying, at least for languages).

I am also aware that ultimately it's the teacher and how well you get along with his/her style and personality, but I'd like to get at least some idea about which of these to try first.

Finally, in case it matters, my native language is Italian.

(I am also aware that there might be state sponsored or university courses that might be way cheaper, but I'd like to try the "commercial" courses first)

Question: any suggestions/ideas about which one to try first? Any idea of the costs?

Answer 1

Interlingua Rostock has a website that is only in German. They have some contact information, but calling them (0381 24 292 24) or e-mailing them ([email protected]) is probably better than filling out their contact form. They don't list any prices on their website. They do have a placement test you can take online. This might be less than useful if you really don't speak a single word of German.

Berlitz Rostock offers much more on their website in English. They have a "happy hour" course that offers private lessons. The also offer private lessons any time. Calling them (+49 381-4900780) would be a great idea to schedule a trial course.

s-cool, "Your friendly language school in Rostock" offers small group lessons. They seem to be much smaller, but that is not necessarily a disadvantage. Their number is 0381-510 89 48.

As for suggestions of which to try, I highly recommend that you visit each of the language schools and try to see which schools feel like a good fit. Everyone responds to something a little differently, and you may not like the way one teacher teaches, but I may think that teacher is amazing. It really comes down to personal preference. If you can also speak to students who are studying at each of the schools, it will help you to get a feel for the teaching style.

Ultimately, foreign language acquisition depends on how hard you are willing to work, how much you are willing to speak, and how much time you spend in the language. Since you speak English and Italian, however, I'm sure you know.

Answer 2

The University of Rostock has a so called Sprachenzentrum.

It offers it service to guest auditors as well if places are left in any course at reasonable prices.