News of the F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg

„Give me an F! Give me a U! Languages are cool!“
As announced earlier, Heidelberg's 5th Dragon Boat Cup took place on Saturday, July 24th. The F+U team “Languages Make Waves” was one of the 52 competing groups.
As early as 8 am, the first drivers arrived at the Theodor-Heuss bridge. Then team briefings took place, and at 10:30 am our squad started its first race against three other boats. Two more runs followed, with the last one starting at 3pm. Despite great support and cheering slogans like “Give me an F! Give me a U! Languages are cool!”, our team had to settle with rank 4 in each of the runs.
Not only on the race track, but also next to it, people had a lot of fun. For instance, the F+U employees and students played ping-pong, or even rode a mechanic rodeo bull. Also plenty of visitors didn't want to miss out on this spectacle, and enjoyed a great day at the Neckar.

July 29th 2010

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“Languages Make Waves“– Also on the Neckar
On Saturday, July 24, 2010 the water sports club Heidelberg-Neuenheim e.V. will host Heidelberg’s 5th dragon boat cup. The starting line-up also includes the team “Languages Make Waves“, which consists of 18 employees and students of the F+U Academy of Languages. If you want to see how they perform throughout several runs on the 300 m long race track, you are invited to watch the spectacle near the Theodor-Heuss bridge. Besides the fun of the race, there will also be food and drinks, as well as a following dragon party for the teams and the audience. Good luck and success to our team, and a lot of fun to everybody!

July 23rd 2010

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An alternative way to learn prepositions

The lesson topic for today was the explanation of a route „Geradeaus bis zur Kirche, dann links bis zur Wapel, dort rechts in die Bahnhofsstraße.“ - quite complicated for students with elementary knowledge of German!

Teacher Thomas Hübner divided the course in three small groups. Each one got a city map with a route through Heidelberg-Neuenheim. At the school building started the socalled "Schnitzeljagd" (paper chase).

The first group had to lead the others towards Neuenheim, the second then through Neuenheim, the third back to school. All of them had to deal with the prepositions and were very successfully in it!

They had a lot of fun and learned the lesson of the day in a different, exciting way!

Back in school, teacher Thomas ended the short trip with the words „Wir sind zurück. Jetzt durch die Eingangstür, dann rechts den Gang entlang und dann

noch einmal links bis zum Klassenzimmer.“

March 18th 2010

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New course Foreign Language Correspondendents and European Secretaries has started

On Monday, March 8, the new training course for Foreign Language Correspondents and European Secretaries started with 25 students participating. After completion the graduates will find a variety of possibilities in industry and administration in Germany as well as abroad. Former graduates meanwhile organize international trade fairs, translate business letters, have challenging positions as management assistants or do internships in international companies in Argentina or the USA.

March 12th 2010

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Mexican students at F+U Academy of Languages

Since February 1 a group of 16 students and two teachers from Mexico has been attending German classes at the Academy of Languages. The group, that is accommodated in German guest families and will stay until May 29, has been referred by ITESM (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey). The students, aged 16 to 19, come from various Mexican cities like Monterrey, Mexiko City, San Luis Potosi and Chihuahua. They attend German classes in the morning, from 9:00 to 12:15, and after lunch break their regular classes like mathematics and Spanish literature taught by their Mexican teachers.
The Academy of Languages has conducted this international program in cooperation with the ITESM since 2007 on a yearly basis.
In the frame of the extracurricular program a number of trips have been organized for the Mexican students, e.g.: Dachau, München, Neuschwanstein, Schwarzwald, Freiburg, Straßburg, Köln, Worms, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and to the Europa Park.

February 10th 2010

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DSH-Exams on January 23
On January 23 the DSH-Exam was conducted for the third time at the Academy of Languages with 159 candidates participating. 83 participants passed the exam as follows: One candidate reached DSH 3, the best result, 27 participants reached DSH 2 and 55 DSH 1.

February 13th 2010
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New Year's Eve's breakfast 2009 - Three German students on december 31st at language teacher Thomas Hübner's place

"Four of the B1 German course between Christmas and New Year's Day learned until the very last day of the year. As a thank you, their teacher Thomas Hübner invited them at his place for a breakfast together.
One of the students got the task to buy bread at the bakery - which he thought it was very easy. The baker confirmed that he ordered the bread in a very nice German! After the breakfast the students had to take the test that immigrants have to take in order to get the permit to stay in Germany. Even if these students did not need such a test, they proved to know very good about German politics, culture and history. At the end the students got some firecracker, in order to welcome the New Year properly.

January 10th 2010

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Excursion to the Heiligenberg

"On a Thursday morning in November the next German lesson in the book was called "Nature and environment". My students and I jumped at a chance and drove all the way up to the Heiligenberg ("mountain of the saints"), where we intended to learn our lesson. We met at the school's entrance and drove with two cars up to the mountain, enjoying the good mood and the sunny weather. We walked up the tower, where the students saw for the first time Heidelberg from a different point of view and were amazed. They started to take pictures. We walked then to the convent's ruins, a part of the natural park. Anyone of us brought something to eat, we made a very international picnic, with home made arabian cake and sushi."

Heidelberg, November 19th 2009
Thomas Hübner - German teacher

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The ICEF (International Consultants for Education and Fairs) organized Berlin Workshop, which is the annual „must-attend“ event for leading educational institutions worldwide, took place from November 1-3 in Berlin. During the workshop international educators have the possibility to talk to selected agencies, find new cooperation partners, deepen existing business relations and make contacts within the branch. Every year more than 1.600 participants from more than 80 countries and six continents attend the popular Berlin Workshop – this year there were even representatives from 92 countries. Within two days 22.744 business meetings took place – the organizers say that this has been the biggest Berlin Workshop so far. Of course, also the F+U Academy of Languages is a regular participant. The representatives, among them the Academy’s director, Mr. Rippel, the delegate for Eastern Europe, Ms. Vihharev and the delegate for Spain and Latin America, Ms. Bleickert, were able to conduct conversations with 80 agencies from 34 countries during the workshop.

November 4th 2009

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In July and August almost 800 students took part at the summer language courses at F+u Academy of Languages.

With over 5000 language students in 2008, F+U Academy of Languages is one of the biggest language schools in Germany. Many students book courses for one year, in order to prepare for the DSH exam and then study at a German university.
The F+U junior courses for children and teens from 7 to 15 years of age have become very popular.
September 11th 2009

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As translators graduates have many job possibilities: They work as employees and in an increasing measure as freelancers in industry, insurance companies and banks, in the administrative sector, in the area of media, with international organisations or in translation offices.

With the title „officially recognized translator“ that is protected by law, graduates can also be certified at the courts of their federal state and become a member at the German Association of Translators and Interpreters (BDÜ).

 

July 17th 2009

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Foreign language correspondence clerk

The first final examination in the special languages Japanese, Chinese and Polish was completed successfully! As Chinese has been the coming world and business language and many Japanese companies are in business relations with German enterprises and as even Polish is asked for as a business language, the graduates will find lots of possibilities on the job market. And they will have good chances with an application at a German subsidiary in the corresponding countries.

July 10th 2009

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Very soon we will welcome a mexican student at F+U Heidelberg. He will spend one year at our language school. His family is looking for an exchange student who would like to spend one year in Mexico.

June 30th 2009

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New deadline set for the next DSH-exam in Heidelberg (June 19th): Applications possible until June 8th!

May 31st 2009

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From now on an internet connection Wi-Fi is available at the apartments "Am Rathaus"

May 29th 2009

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Aika Matsuda - responsible for the japanese market at F+U Academy of Languages - just came back from her business trip to Japan.

May 18th 2009

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New German course: Learn German in the teacher's house - from now on! Read more about the home tuition.

May 14th 2009

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The next orientation course for the integration courses starts on June 22nd and lasts 2 weeks. At the end of the course a B1-exam will take place (applications until May 29th).

May 10th 2009

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There is no case of swine flu in Heidelberg and in Rhine-Neckar zone until now. Read more in this article (in German), appeared in the local newspaper Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.

May 2nd 2009

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The language school F+U Heidelberg has been awarded with the "2009 Excellence Award" from Languagecourse.net, in recognition of language schools that consistently provide outstanding service and certifying an excellent overall service rating based on the evaluations of former students.

March 25th 2009

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Swedish students can apply for Study Grants for our language school in Heidelberg, since it is recognized by

CSN Sweden (Swedish National Board of Student Aid): Swedish students can study with State funded loans.

March 21st 2009

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4 hours in the lesson „German as foreign language“ or: How fast masculine, feminine, neuter can be turned into masculine, feminine, nature! - A report by Karina Schönfeld, trainee at F+U Academy of Languages

How do foreign pupils, who come to the Heidelberger language school F+U, learn my native language? This question I recently asked myself as a native German, currently trainee of the F+U. After 4 amusing hours within the class of Mr. Thomas Hübner I can answer this question as follows: With completely much fun, nice anecdotes from the life of the teacher and a prize seriousness.

Unsuspecting, what would happen to me in the following, I was marvelling, when in the first hour class members from at least 7 different countries in the world were presented to me.
Few minutes later I was in the role of a “grammatical experimental subject", at which the pupils should practice indirect questions. Between texts in the schoolbook and example sentences on the blackboard I learned, that the words “I am 23, physician and my Porsche is standing in front of the door” can be an important survival strategy for the one or other man.
With my second visit in the class definite and indefinite articles within the German language were the topic. Good thing that I was present, because an important question, which I had already often asked myself as a student of German studies, was answered: Yes, there is a difference between the expressions “dasselbe Buch” und “das gleiche Buch”.
All in all I enjoyed it very much to get an insight in these lessons. I find it great how the pupils help themselves mutually and how Mr. Hübner arranges his lessons.
In the end I have to mention one special thing: I am convinced of the fact that Mr. Hübner is the only one, who can explain the word “to react” by using the words “bee” and “florets in the green countryside”.

March 4th 2009

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Event on Thursday, March 5th - Excursions with SK-Studienreisen

Description: Mr. Allmendinger of SK-Studienreisen will introduce the excursions planned for the students of the F+U Academy of Languages.
Meeting point: room 12, 3 PM, free entrance.

March 3rd 2009

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Snow in Heidelberg

Sne, neige, yuki, neve, kar, nieve, snö . . . - there are probably about 1000 different expressions for the word „snow“. With average temperatures of 2°C and lots of snow some of these expressions should be currently a topic of conversation of the Heidelberger language students!

February 17th 2009

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Mexican pupils visiting Heidelberg for 4 months

In this year a group of young mexicans is already for the fourth time guest of the F&U language school Heidelberg. The 17 til 18 year old pupils, coming with 2 of their teachers to Germany, are learning the german language in the morning and having their regular school subjects in the afternoon. In order to learn the german culture and language much better, the pupils are well looked after in host families. A very interesting item on the programm of their stay is the viewing of important companies like Mercedes and Porsche, whereby they can gain an insight in the company culture of german concerns. A further highlight is a guided tour through the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

February 10th 2009

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Enrolments still possible for training as Foreign Language Correspondent and European Secretary!

On 02. March of 2009 a new training syllabus as Foreign Language Correspondent and European Executive Secretary will start again. The training can be completed in 3 ways: monolingual, bilingual or trilingual. In March you have the choice between the languages English, Spain and French. Further languages like German as foreign language, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and Russian you can attend in the autumn semester. In parallel with your training you have the opportunity to attend a special course of study, which will take you to the graduation „Higher National Diploma“ (HND). This is a very important graduation for working in a English-speaking world. After getting the HND it is possible to attain the academic degreee „Bachelor in Business and Management“, which is equated with a german university degree.
Enrolments are welcome!

February 9th 2009