FAQ

All inlingua training materials are lined up with the language levels that are given uniform definition in the Common European Framework. But this is not the only reason to choose inlingua for language examinations. Various inlingua centers offer preparation courses for a number of internationally recognized examinations, and many of them also conduct the examination.

• Cambridge Certificates
• European language certificates
• TOEIC
• TOEFL
• German as a Foreign Language

Everyone who attends a course at inlingua gets a certificate of attendance. Of course inlingua also offers language examinations, and successful candidates at these examinations are given certificates with details of results.

No, inlingua training materials are dependent on the active guidance and support of the trainer, whose job is to introduce and practice the new vocabulary, structures and situational language with you. The material presents in written form the language that has already been learnt, plus exercises and activities for further practice. Thus you can use it, after the training session, to sustain and reinforce the learning process.

Our courses correspond to the levels defined in the Common European Framework. When each of those levels has been completed, a "Certificate of Achievement" is issued. If there is no examination at the end of a level, the inlingua center issues a certificate of attendance.

inlingua language training can be done at an inlingua center, in your company or at a place of your choice, such as a hotel.

The efficiency of all training, whether done here at inlingua or in a country where the language is spoken, depends on the quality and quantity of controlled practice. Which means that courses done abroad have a massive advantage: uninterrupted exposure to an environment in which only the target language is spoken. The combination of systematic training with practice in authentic, everyday situations requiring spontaneous verbal reaction is an unbeatable way of reinforcing and activating language skills. Here too, however, it is essential to consolidate the training, however intensive it is, by means of follow-up programs. You will want to bear in mind, when you arrange training abroad, that the time you invest must be in proportion to the effect you want to achieve. It is the job of our staff to help you work out the program that meets your individual needs best: possibly a blend of training here in Germany with training abroad.

The inlingua method is successful and effective because the training is done by native speakers. They create a special atmosphere of learning where learners have the possibility to fully immerse into the language.

If you already have some knowledge of the language you can join a course at any time. New courses, for beginners, are offered on a regular basis.

The decision depends on a number of different factors, and our consultants at your nearest inlingua center will be glad to give you detailed advice. Here are a few general points:

One-on-one

• You decide the pace, the starting date and the place and time of the training.
• Your starting level and your objectives establish the framework for the training.
• Ideal as preparation for specific situations such as meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations and presentations.

Group courses

• You learn with and from your fellow-students. Efficient and inexpensive.
• Simulated dialogs and role plays are more realistic.
• Recommended when you need the foreign language for personal reasons

All the pros and cons of one-on-one training are present and in fact heightened in crash programs. But there are other aspects too: factors resulting from our general patterns of learning. Any efficient course of language training is based on the assumption that the learner has enough time to absorb and consolidate what he has learned. In a sense this is an argument in favor of a long-term course. However, experience shows that a crash intensity program is more effective - provided it is certain that the learner will, more or less immediately after the training, be able to apply his skills in practice. If this is not certain, it can happen that skills which have been acquired with enormous effort will dissipate within a short time. That is why crash programs are strongly recommended as preparation for a specific job or mission. In any case the planning of a crash program should allow for a follow-up course as a form of consolidation – at a lower frequency and over a lengthier period. In highly intensive courses the aim is to ensure that the training is done by a team and not just one trainer, so that the learner becomes accustomed – and responsive - to a variety of accent, intonation and timbre (e.g. male as well as female voices).

The trainer can focus exclusively on the problems of the individual student. Practice activities can be directed at highly specific needs and requirements: most of the training time is devoted to controlled practice and the use of newly acquired or reactivated skills in various situations. Consequently the rate of progress is higher than in group training, where the training time available has to be divided up among the participants. However, you do not learn only from your own mistakes but also from the mistakes of others, especially when the trainer involves you in the process of correction. Group training has the advantage of a greater range of methods and techniques. There is also the positive effect of group dynamics and the opportunity for a wide variety of small-group activities, whereas private training tends to stay inside the one-on-one situation. On the other hand, group training has the disadvantage of inflexible times, as all participants must agree on the same time. By contrast, private lessons can to a large extent be timed to fit in with the schedule of the student, who also has a free choice of frequency, i.e. intensity.

One-on-one Training

Free choice of times, individualized content, all languages, all levels.

You're a doctor and you want to take part in international conferences confidently and effectively? Or hold your own as a sales manager at international level? You arrange training at the times that suit you. The contents are precisely tailored to your individual requirements. For instance: refresher activities, or practice in using specialized professional language in specific, work-related situations.

Crash Intensity Program (CIP©)

Highly intensive: private training, several hours per day, a program attuned to your individual requirements. Designed for those who want to achieve a specific language goal in the shortest possible time. You work with a team of trainers at pre-arranged times. Their task is to give you maximum practice and maximum talking time. Anything between 4 and 10 hours per day - and, if you wish, lunch with a trainer.

inlingua trainers are, without exception, native speakers. Most of them work under employment contracts exclusively for inlingua. They have academic qualifications and are trained teachers. They are also given ongoing training in teaching methodology and techniques.

Some inlingua centers offer training courses culminating in state examinations or Chamber of Commerce examinations, e.g. the examination for the profession of Foreign Language Correspondence Clerk.

inlingua offers training in all living languages.

All inlingua centers offer a wide range of courses in English, German as a Foreign Language, French, Spanish and Italian.

One-on-one training is invariably the best solution for the other languages. However, many inlingua centers have small groups learning Russian, Portuguese, Croatian, Turkish, Japanese, Arabic ...

inlingua offers German courses at all levels.

For instance: daily morning classes with up to 25 hours per week, evening classes once, twice or more often per week.

One-on-one training tailored to your needs, at times that suit you.

In addition to these general courses, inlingua centers offer both courses in business German and specialized seminars. Such courses are designed for those who use German at work. The courses are kept small, so the training is intensive, focusing on communication skills and sound command of the language.

Examinations in German as a Foreign Language inlingua German courses serve as preparation for examinations at elementary level (Grundstufe), lower intermediate (Zertifikat Deutsch), upper intermediate (Mittelstufe) and the examination necessary for university entrance (DHS).

Open-end Group Courses

You learn step by step how to express yourself confidently and skillfully in the foreign language. The training is focused on understanding and speaking. These courses are aimed at all who enjoy group learning and have their own personal reasons for doing the course.

Intensive "clubs"

Intensive and compact training in the animated environment of a small group. Ideal for those who want to learn the basics, fast, from scratch, and for those who want a refresher course. Daytime, evenings or Saturdays in the major languages. "Business clubs" offer job-orientated, practical English in a small group, using inlingua's Accelerated Professional Program. Once you've done the basic modules you can move on to specialized areas, such as Banking English, Marketing and Sales, Meetings, etc.

Compact Seminars in Business English

Here you get intensive training in standard business situations. Usually Fridays and Saturdays. Subject matter: Telephoning, Business Correspondence, Socializing Across Cultures, Meetings, Presentations, Negotiating.

Junior Clubs

Small groups, and the emphasis is on fun. The children go on a voyage of discovery and make friends with the world's most important languages. Singing, painting, writing, laughing – the kids discover that other languages are almost as easy to learn as their own.

Vacation Courses

Problems at school with English, German or French? Our vacation courses aim at consolidation and reinforcement of the language skills required at school. So work is done on grammar and vocabulary, but the main focus is on speaking - and enjoying the use of a foreign language.

First do a placement test and tell us exactly what your objectives are and how much time you have available. When we have that information we can work out a personal program for you that will show you the number of hours and the frequency and form of training that we recommend.

You will need about 1000 training hours to get from beginner level to the proficiency of a native speaker. There are many levels of competence before that. It is possible to acquire perfectly serviceable skills in as little as 120 hours.