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So you want to start learning German, but where do you start? Which German language courses are the right ones? This is a question I had been asking myself for more than a year until I finally decided to jump in.
Everyone has their own opinions and learning methods, so by no means do I have the right to have a top 10 list of the best German language courses in Düsseldorf. However, I can definitely break them down for you so that you get a better idea of what might suit you best and what fits your price range.
Haven’t moved to Germany yet? Don’t have enough time for a German course?
If you haven’t yet moved here or you find it hard to make time for a face-to-face course, there are a number of online options to choose from.
BABBEL
- Cost: Starting at 4,95 per month* (20-day money-back guarantee)
- Website Link
- BABBEL is an easy online website and app that allows you to go through interactive games and courses
Ling App
- Cost: FREE*
- Website Link
- LingApp is a fun and easy program that allows you to learn the language through interactive games and matching tasks
SmarterGerman
- Cost: Starting at 429$
- Website Link
- If you have determination and motivation, SmarterGerman is a great intensive course to use
Rocket Languages
- Cost: Starting at $149 (often with great discounts on top – free trial here)
- Website Link
- If speaking in front of a teacher or other students makes you queasy, Rocket Languages interactive AI integration will help you practice speaking without feeling nervous.
Lingoda
- Cost: Zoom classes starting at $8/class (free 7-day trial)
- Website Link
- If your schedule is busy and you find every excuse in the book not to learn the language, Lingoda is the best online language school to give you the kick in the butt that you’ll need. They occasionally offer their Lingoda Sprint classes which is a program that actually gets you 100% of your course cost back IF you attend all your classes. Talk about motivation, right?
Duolingo
- Cost: FREE*
- Website Link
- Duolingo is kind of like a game, spend 5 minutes a day learning German and playing language games on an app
Busuu
- Cost: FREE (for the basic membership)
- Website Link
- Busuu is a language learning web platform and app that allows you to interact with native-speaking teachers from all over the world in many different languages. Here you can practice your pronunciation, learn about the culture, and interact with a global community of other students.
TIP: You can also find some awesome e-courses online on Groupon (known for their one-time sale offers)
So you moved to Germany, you found an apartment, you signed up for health insurance, and you’ve got a bank account and a phone plan… what’s next? It’s time to learn German!
Here’s the official list of German language courses in Düsseldorf
L.A.N.E.S. Germany Düsseldorf ($)
- Location: Friedrichstadt, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 379 Euros for an 8-week intensive course + 80 Euro registration fee*
- Website: www.lanes-germany.com
- L.A.N.E.S. offers TELC certification, private tutoring, and crash courses in addition to their intensive courses
ASG Bildungsforum ($)
- Location: Friedrichstraße 26, 40217 Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 390 Euro for the 4-week intensive course*
- Website: www.asg-bildungsforum.de
- ASG Bildungsforum also works with the foreigner department (BAMF), so if you are required to take an integrations course where the government pays 50% of your course fee, ASG is a good choice
Sprach Forum ($)
- Location: Bilk, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 420 Euro for the 4-week intensive course*
- Website: www.sprachforum.de
- Sprach Forum offers 4-week intensive courses each month and accommodations if required
Sprachschule Kauderwelsch
- Location: Online (due to COVID)
- Cost: 450€ per level (part-time courses available)
- Website: www.sprachschule-kauderwelsch.de
- Sprachschule Kauderwelsch is a privately owned and independently run school which can often lead to a more personalized experience
AWO Düsseldorf ($)
- Location: Derendorf, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 1 Euro per lesson (45 minutes)
- Website: www.awo-duesseldorf.de
- AWO offers the course of full integration including B2 courses, options for children are also available
Limba Sprachen ($$)
- Location: Unterbilk, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 10 Classes x 60 minutes = 95 Euro*
- Website: www.limba-sprachen.de
- Limba Sprachen also offers online materials, personal classes, skype classes, and a new blog coming soon
Studienkolleg Düsseldorf
- Location: Flingern, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 480€ per intensive course level (4 weeks long)
- Website: www.studienkolleg-duesseldorf.de
- Studienkolleg also offers online one-on-one classes, business courses, and exam preparation. They are also a telc examination center.
Skei Center
- Location: Unterbilk, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 315 Euro for 42 classes (45 mins)*
- Website: www.skei-center.de
- Skei accepts funding from the job center and offers a number of out-of-class activities and events to meet new friends
Yasmin Germanlingolady Bolz ($$)
- Location: Altstadt, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 10 classes x 90 minutes = 169 Euro*
- Website: Germanlingolady
- Contact Yasmin for more information at GermanLingoLady@web.de
LCD Training ($$)
- Location: Heerdt/Lorick
- Cost: Starting at 20 Euro per class
- Website: www.lcdtraining.net
- LCD offers programs for professionals and children and offers specified courses in business, engineering, and finance. You can attend a trial class for free until you find a teacher that suits your needs.
Sprachenschiff ($$)
- Location: Kaiserswerth
- Cost: Starting at 10 classes x 250 Euros for private lessons (classes are cheaper in larger groups)
- Website: www.sprachenschiff.de
- Sprachenschiff is well known for its flexible options as you can reschedule your course learning up until 24 hours before the appointment time. They teach levels from A1 to C1.
IIK Deutschland ($$)
- Cost: 575 Euro for the 1-month intensive course*
- Website: www.iik-duesseldorf.de
- IIK Deutschland offers job-related German courses (e.g. for doctors and nurses), integration and professional language courses (in accordance with Section 45a of the Residence Act), and further education courses
Study on Düsseldorf ($$)
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 620 Euro for 5 lessons/day (each level)*
- Website: www.studyon.de
- Study on offers DSH preparation and TestDaF preparation courses as well as intensive courses
Berlitz Sprachschule ($$$)
- Location: Carlstadt, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 1,000 Euro for a 4-week intensive course*
- Website: www.berlitz.de
- Berlitz offers individual courses, courses for kids and teens, and virtual learning opportunities
Inlingua Düsseldorf ($$$)
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 164 Euro for 20 hours*
- Website: www.inlingua-duesseldorf.de
- Inlingua allows you to purchase classes per hour so you don’t have to commit to a long program
GoAcademy! Sprachcaffe Düsseldorf ($$$)
- Location: Flingern, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 140 Euro per week for standard courses (20 hours/week) and 190 Euro per week for intensive courses (30 hours/week)* + 60 Euro registration fee for new students
- Website: www.goacademy.de
- Sprachcaffe offers workshops, study tours, and last-minute deals on upcoming courses
Goethe-Institut Düsseldorf ($$$$)
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Starting at 625 Euro for the 2-week intensive course*
- Website: www.goethe.de/duesseldorf
- Goethe offers accommodations if required, virtual tours, and company courses for businesses
Volkshochschule Düsseldorf
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Prices not available online
- Website: www.duesseldorf.de/vhs/
- Volkshochschule is a city-run language school, contact them for prices as the websites are not easy to navigate
Linguarama Sprachschule Düsseldorf
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Prices not available online
- Website: www.linguarama.com
- Linguarama offers half-day and full-day intensive courses in Düsseldorf
Düseckert
- Location: Stadtmitte, Düsseldorf & Heerdt, Düsseldorf
- Cost: Prices not available online
- Website: www.dues-eckert.de
- Düseckert is a licensed provider certified by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, exemption forms are available
*Please be advised that prices are always subject to change. I researched these prices in June 2016 for your convenience.
Have you been to one of these German language courses before? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section below so that others can take your advice! Are there any other German language courses to add to the list? Let us know!
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Hi Jenna:
We are always interested in new sites that promote learning German.
Und warum nicht in Düsseldorf? Unsere gamesforlanguage site hat auch zwei Deutschkurse: “Michael in Deutschland” und “Blüten in Berlin?”. Maybe we should place our German 3 travel-story in the Köln-Düsseldorf area.
Peter
Hey there Peter,
Great website! You should definitely get your German 3 travel-story in the Köln-Düsseldorf area. If you need any help, let me know and if you would like to work together on some promotion, we can do that too! >> hello@lifeinduesseldorf.com
Cheers,
Jenna
Here is a suggestion found on the Facebook page from Lauren Volk:
“I did my german courses about 5-6 years ago. They are located behind the main station. If you drop by and pick up a book/catalogue all of their courses which they have on offer for that semester, the prices, the teacher, where the course will take place, how often the course takes place etc. are all noted in the catalogue. You do need to do a test in the beginning to be sorted into an appropriate class. As an AuPair back then, i couldn’t afford any of the private schools. This is where everyone went. I also met heaps of people which was much better to start a friend base, as I didn’t know anyone here before then.”
Hello, Jenna!
In the end, which one did you choose? How’s your experience??
Hi, Fernanda!
I have experience with Sprach Forum and Limba Sprache and I have actually just registered for B level with ASG Bildungsforum.
I enjoyed Sprach Forum, the teachers were great and I did intensive A level German there. I also like Limba Sprache because if you have a job and/or not enough time in the day to learn, Limba Sprache is cheap and they work around your schedule (most of them are in the evenings after work). They’re a family-run business so they are also very understanding to your needs. I’ve joined ASG to test it out because it’s only 390 Euro a month (which is one of the cheaper ones), so I’ll have to let you know how that goes later in the year. ???? Hope this all helps!
Best,
Jenna
Hi, Jenna!
In the end, how did it go, did you like ASG?
Regards! =)
Hey there Fernanda!
I’m just finishing up the “Leben in Deutschland” / Integration Course at the end of the month, but so far it’s been wonderful! If you get a letter from the Ausländerbehörde supporting you to learn the language, they will pay for half of the course fees which is wonderful!
I can definitely recommend ASG! ????
Best of luck!
– Jenna
Hi Jenna,
Does ASG also have evening courses? How did you get the letter for the integration course? Is it available in the weekends? I’m actually confused in the difference between integration course and language course.
Thanks!
Hi there Maryann,
At the moment, ASG doesn’t do evening courses. They specialize in intensive courses which means many of them run Monday – Thursday during the day.
I received my letter for the integration course from the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde), I went in and asked for the support to take the course so I could find a job easier. I think many also receive this letter from the job center.
The difference between an integrations course and a normal language course is simply that the integrations course is a mandatory course required to be completed in order to stay in the country (the Ausländerbehörde makes this a requirement for many newcomers who don’t know the language well). The integrations course contains one additional course “Leben in Deutschland” which is a course that focuses on the government, politics, and everyday life in Germany. An integrations course can be completed as an intensive course, or part-time after work/school. A standard German course can also be completed as an intensive course, or part-time, but is not a mandatory requirement, this is simply voluntary.
I hope that makes a bit of sense! Let me know if I just made you even more confused haha, and I can try and explain it a bit better!
All the best,
Jenna
Hi,
Just thought i can add up the prices for VHS because i am took courses from there. Their intesive courses are really helpful IF you are wiht the right teacher 🙂 They charge 310 for a 20 hours per week course and you get concessions if you are as tudents, have Düsseldorf card and other things. Michael and Lisa Prange are very good Teachers! Lisa Prange is a very hard working teacher. Hasmik Hakobjan is really bad and talks on her mobile during the class. Information desk is also rude and refuses to speak english but the quality control is very helpful and so is Dr. Czelia who heads the deutsch learning course.
Hi there Aleesha!
Thank you so much for this helpful information regarding prices and teachers. This is exactly the type of information that the community needs to know about from others firsthand experience. ????✊
All the best on your German courses!
– Jenna
Hi Jenna,
Thank you for explaining! I had read that the foreign office would suggest to attend the integration course when they send the resident permit. But my husband and I didn’t get any letter. So I was wondering why. Anyway, we have registered in Limba Sprachen and are excited to learn German.
Thanks again.
I never received anything in the mail either ????????♀️, but I was able to go back into the immigration office to ask for approval!
Best of luck in the German classes! I’m sure you will enjoy it! ????
Hello Jenna
As you specified in pervious discussions to get the letter for integration course
is there any pre-requisite ? can a person who already has english speaking job also can get this letter and join classes for learning ?
Hi there Harish,
It always depends on the situation, though as far as I know, if you already have a job in Germany it’s not possible to join the integration course at a cheaper rate. It’s definitely worth going to the Foreigners Department to ask though as if they do allow it, it’ll save you some good money!
Best,
Jenna
Hi,
We at inlingua also offer eveing courses with 1 or 2 appointments per week for 90 minutes.
These can be booked on a monthly basis, and only cost €72/€142 per month.
It’s possible to take a free trial lesson to see if the course is the right one for you.
Regards,
Colin
HI Jenna,
Loved your blogs! Do you have a recommendation for a good German learning institute in Düsseldorf?
I am looking for something after work for B1 level.
Thanks,
Hey there Praaksh,
Thanks so much! And yes, I have experience with ASG and Sprachforum Heinrich Heine – both great experiences. I can also highly recommend Goethe Institut as well. Otherwise, a one-on-one after work program might be possible with a school like Limba Sprachen. 🙂
Best,
Jenna