What to expect in the classroom
At the “did deutsch-institut” (Deutsch in Deutschland Institute) in Munich, instructors conduct the intermediate and advanced classes exclusively in German. The professional instructors themselves have an excellent command of English, but in the classroom you should expect to hear little, or more likely, no English. A typical course will be twenty to thirty hours of classroom instruction per week. For example, a twenty-five hour class may start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m. How many weeks of instruction is up to you, but two weeks is generally the recommended minimum. I found that after two weeks I was ready for more, and could definitely imagine staying another two weeks!
Tip: If your school offers the option of either twenty-five or thirty hours per week, consider taking the thirty hour option. You will likely find that the additional five hours of instruction are taught in a smaller group setting, with more time for individual attention and more opportunities to hone your conversational skills.
Most schools pride themselves on small class sizes with a maximum of twelve to fifteen students. In addition to an interactive classroom environment, you can also expect to have homework assignments each day. Yes, homework. But don't worry; you will still have plenty of time after classes to see the sights.
Classroom diversity. Most students tend to be in their twenties, and come from around the world. During my two week course, I met students from no less than ten different countries including Italy, France, Poland, Slovakia, Georgia, Vietnam, Taiwan and China. Many were staying for three months (or more) to study German. Although they were a bit younger than me, I found it easy to make friends and fit in, although I admit I did not have the same passion for the disco that many did!
Continuous or fixed curriculum? Unless you have never studied your target language, you may have the flexibility of starting your course on any Monday. This is possible because many schools teach a 'continuous curriculum'. In other words, there is no one starting point in the curriculum, you simply join a course that is already in progress. Your experience level and arrival date will determine the material that you study. Despite this bit of serendipity, there is no experience that can compare to learning a language in its native country!
Excursions, activities, social events. Most schools offer one or two excursions per week, either in the afternoon or on the weekends. There is usually a nominal charge for transportation or entrance fees to museums and attractions. The more adventurous students (you know who you are) will want to strike out on their own.
