The Language Centre
The Language Centre provides support and guidance to students who wish to learn a foreign language or improve their language skills during their studies. There are several options available:
Language Courses:
We offer language courses for students of all disciplines, at various levels. You can view the full course programme in the Course Programme section and book directly online. Courses are divided into Semester Courses (during the semester) and Intensive Courses (during the lecture-free period). During the registration period, the booking window lights up green and you can book your favorite course. For further questions and advice regarding the selection of suitable courses, please contact us.
Language Certificates:
- UNIcert®:
UNIcert is a university-specific system for the training, assessment and certification of foreign language skills. It was established around 20 years ago by AKS. More than 50 universities in Germany and other European countries are now accredited UNIcert institutions. UNIcert is a seal of quality for the training, testing and certification of foreign language skills that are relevant for future academics. The UNIcert certificate is issued in English, German and the target language of the exam. This will save you translation costs! Four language competences are assessed: Listening comprehension, reading comprehension, communication and text production.
- DAAD:
Students at Goethe University can obtain a DAAD language certificate for internships abroad. The DAAD language certificate provides an approximate assessment of your language level for the purpose of applying for a degree programme or internship at a foreign university. Three language skills are assessed: Reading comprehension, communication and text production.
Further offers:
Campus Language Training (CLT):
The Goethe University Language Centre offers all students and staff the opportunity to take online language courses free of charge; as e-learning for self-study or as a flexible supplement to conventional language courses. Beginners and advanced learners can study on a PC or any mobile device at the university, at home or on the move.
Multimedia Language Lab:
In the Language Centre's multimedia language lab on the Westend campus, all students and employees of Goethe University can use language materials individually and free of charge to learn foreign languages - for study, travel or work.
Sprachcafé: Meet and speak!
The Language Café takes place regularly during the semester and is designed to develop multilingual skills and improve oral language skills, especially fluency, as well as intercultural skills.
Tandem: European University Tandem
EUniTa stands for European University Tandem and is Goethe University's platform for virtual language exchange with students from our partner universities in Exeter, Liverpool, Paris, Poitiers, Florence and Barcelona, and now beyond Europe to Fortaleza, Brazil.
Heritage languages: Herkunftssprachen
Heritage Language Courses are designed for bi- or multilingual lingual speakers who understand and speak a language well, but want to be able to express themselves confidently and fluently in academic or professional situations. These courses have a strong focus on both standard and academic language to maximise potential!
Also good to know:
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) was created by experts on behalf of the Council of Europe in order to make the level of knowledge of language learners throughout Europe comparable. The six levels (A1-C2) describe the competences in the four skills of listening, reading comprehension, communication and text production. It can be used both to assess your own level of knowledge and as a system of learning objectives to monitor your learning progress.
