Bremen: Language courses for every background – learning made easy!

Bremen: Language courses for every background – learning made easy!

In times of globalization and the constant internationalization of universities, the language skills of students are becoming increasingly important. On Language Center of the Universities in the State of Bremen (SZHB) A variety of courses are available to meet the need for multicultural communication.

The SZHB offers over 20 different languages, and many of the courses are also accessible to external participants. Students can choose from a variety of course formats, including semester courses, compact and intensive courses, and hybrid formats. This flexibility allows learners to effectively expand their language skills while meeting academic requirements.

Course offerings and certificates

A particularly attractive offer is the opportunity to acquire a UNIcert® university certificate in many of the languages ​​offered. The CILS exam is also regularly offered for Italian learners. Subject-specific English courses are aimed at students of natural sciences, engineering, law and economics. In this context, participants have the chance to receive B2 or C1 certificates.

The concept of multilingual course formats, such as the double pack of Croatian and Polish, is innovative. In addition, preparatory courses for academic stays abroad are offered in many languages. It is also interesting that free courses for heritage languages ​​(Kurdish, Polish, Russian and Turkish) are offered in order to promote academic multilingualism.

Additional support offers

The SZHB attaches great importance to individual support for students. This includes a tutoring program that helps you achieve learning goals. The “Writer’s Help Desk” also offers individual advice on writing texts in English. There are numerous offers for independent learning, such as language cafés, mini strategy workshops and an online platform for language tandems.

The language center plays an essential role in the education of students and is operated as a joint facility by four public universities - University of Bremen, Bremen University of Applied Sciences, University of the Arts and Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. The core tasks include, among other things, professionally integrated language training as well as the development of language curricula and the administration of language tests.

Integration into the university structure

The urgency of an institution-specific language policy is highlighted by the University Rectors' Conference (HRK) underlined. This recommends promoting multilingualism in science in order to ensure the preservation of German as a scientific language and to support the acquisition of other languages. The HRK has also signed the “Helsinki Initiative on Multilingualism”, which strengthens multilingualism in scientific communication.

The discussion about language policy at universities also includes the relationship between German and English as well as other academic and heritage languages. Attention is drawn to the need to expand staff, language research, language centers and translation services in order to meet the requirements of an international study world. Continuous exchange and workshops on the challenges and successes in implementing these political recommendations are of central importance.