Alpadia Language Schools

I took into consideration both Berlin and Freiburg destinations that Alpadia offers, however, I at the end I wanted to be in a small city, closer to nature (and less chance to meet other Koreans) I chose Freiburg. To compare it to my home country, everything was very different: clean, fresh air here, many bikes, not so many cars and natural surroundings. When I came to Alpadia I could barely talk, and thanks to the amazing teachers, staff and my host family, I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. I now speak German and have my German family. The host family experience is one that I recommend to everyone. They taught me German culture and I showed them Korean. The German courses are where you learn the language rules, but I think the activities afterwards that were organised and lead by Alpadia is where you best hear German in daily life practice. I came twice to Friburg as I loved it very much and I can not be more grateful for Alpadia giving me the best experience.

After working for 9 years, I decided to take a break and improve my German with an intensive German course in Freiburg (also in order to be able to work in German-speaking Switzerland). I chose Freiburg because the city is close to the Canton of Tessin (Italian-speaking Switzerland), which made it easy for me to go back home whenever I wanted. Besides, I had spent a holiday there and had really enjoyed it. During the first weeks of the course, I met many people from Switzerland and the whole world and I had friendly, experienced and dedicated teachers. I liked it so much that I decided to extend my stay for another 10 weeks, for a total duration of 22 weeks. At the end of those 22 weeks, I took the TELC exam for level B2. During my stay, I tested different accommodation options: apartment, residence and host family. Freiburg is a beautiful town, not too big, which is home to lots of welcoming restaurants and bars where you can have lunch at a reasonable price. It has plenty for sports fans: I could practise squash and beach-volleyball. Besides, the public transportation network is excellent and well organised. During these 22 weeks at the school, I improved my German language skills, had a great time and made new friends. In short, I recommend the Alpadia school and the town of Freiburg im Breisgau to everyone wishing to experience a language study stay combining learning and leisure. I also thank the staff of the school.

I didn’t speak a single word of German when I arrived in Freiburg and left with a C1 level diploma! When I decided to dedicate 9 months of my life to learn a new language I was looking into all possible options there were on the market. I found Alpadia and booked a 9-month Standard German course and host family accommodation with them. It was the best decision that I have ever made. I was a little anxious before coming as I had never been to Germany and didn’t know what to expect of the school, the family and the people there. However, all my doubts went away on the very first day there. The teachers are very attentive, dedicated and knowledgeable. They adapted the classes to each student individually, depending on your goals. It is their learning method that allowed me to make rapid progress and achieve my goal at the end. In addition to the courses, the school offers various activities and excursions in order to give us an opportunity to learn more about German culture. The other students came from all over the world and made my stay in Freiburg an unforgettable experience. I met people from Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, Spain, France, Russia, Japan, Uruguay and Australia. The host family was great and we talked in German everyday. It was a great opportunity to discover German culture in an authentic setting. Definitely one of the best experiences in my life.