Official German Integration Course Books

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Disclaimer: The information that I am going to share to you in this article is based on my experience as a student taking up the German Integration Course (Deutsch Integrationskurs) in BFZ located in Karlsplatz, Munich.

These are the official German Language Course books. I was thinking of selling my books but I decided to keep it for reference. Maybe I will sell my books in the future.

During the first day of class, we (me and my classmates) were told to buy specific books for the German Language Course. Which means don't buy German language books ahead (especially if you are not really sure), wait for your instructor or teacher's advice on which books to buy. Some of my classmates bought books but unfortunately the teacher said that we were not going to use that book. So they ended up wasting money. These people don't have any information on which books we were going to use. I don't know why they bought those books without knowing which one to buy, perhaps they are excited? I really don't know.

Below are the official books that we used in the German Language Course (Deutsch Integrationskurs) :

Dont worry about the BOOK LINKS above, they are not scams.hehe These are BOOK/PRODUCT LINKS from AMAZON GERMANY (Deutschland).

Why are you giving us Amazon Germany links? We could not understand German.

Well, the reason why I put Amazon Germany links is because first of all, these are German Books. These books are also available at Amazon UK and Amazon US BUT if you order at these locations, you have to pay extra cost for the shipping. In addition, the waiting time for your books to arrive will be longer compared to ordering here in Germany. So, why not just order these books at AMAZON GERMANY?

Prices: What does "Bester Preis EUR 6,99" and "oder neu EUR 13,95" mean?
In english, that means that you can buy the book for the best price of 6.99 Euros or buy a new book for 13.95 Euros. The "best price" book is not new which means its used and therefore it is cheaper. The comma "," is not a typo. That's how money or prices are written in German, instead of a period ".".

How long is the German Integration Course? For how many days/weeks/months were you using these books?

The German Integration Course lasted for about 6-7 months. From June 2008 until December 2008. As far as I can remember, below are the durations on how long we were using these books.

• Tangram Aktuell 1 Lektion 1-4 : July 2008
  
• Tangram Aktuell 1 Lektion 5-8 : August 2008
  
• Tangram Aktuell 2 Lektion 1-4 : September 2008
• Tangram Aktuell 2 Lektion 5-8 : October 2008
• Tangram Aktuell 3 Lektion 1-4 : November 2008
  
• Tangram Aktuell 3 Lektion 5-8 : mid November 2008 to first week of December 2008
• (Second of week of December was the German Orientation Course)

I also suggest that when you buy at Amazon.de, ask help from your German spouse or ask help from your friends who understand German.

Learn the German Language for Free

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Yes, my post title is right. There are free online German courses/tutorials from the Internet. And up until now, I visited these sites from time to time. I visited these sites because it is completely FREE and educational.

If you try to look or search for web sites that offer free German tutorial, you can probably choose from thousands of these sites. Try searching for the keywords below:

• Free German Language Tutorial
• Free Online German Course
• Free German Lessons in English
• Free German Language for Beginners
• Free German to English or English to German Dictionary
• Free German Grammar Lessons
  

I have played, visited and learned a lot of things from these sites. But I only saved/bookmarked sites that I like the most simply because it is FREE, clean and fun. Here are the sites that I always visit from time to time:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/
• http://www.deutsch-lernen.com/
• http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~joyce1/abinitio/index.html
• http://www.germanlanguageguide.com/

Of course there are still many better sites out there that offer German Course for free and I will update the list whenever I encounter one.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• If it's not FREE then you just close your browser immediately.hehe
• The information shared in this article does not guarantee you to pass the German Language Certification Exam.

If you some sites bookmarked or sites that you know are also a good source for learning German, please don't hesitate to drop a message (comment). ^_^

German Language Certificate B1

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Guess what? Last week I have just received a letter from BFZ, the school where I attended my German classes. Here is a snippet from the mail:
"anbei schicke ich Ihnen das Prüfungergebnis des Zertifikats Deutsch. Sie Haben die Prüfung bestanden. Herzlichen Glückwunsch!"

Do you know what that means? Here is the English Translation:
I am sending you the test result of the German Language Certificate Exam, enclosed with this mail. You have passed the exam! Congratulations!

I am very happy that I have passed the test. And now I already have the Official German Language Certificate B1 in my hands. What does this German Language Certificate look like? Here is what the Official German Language Certificate B1 looks:


Surprisingly, I have never thought that the grade/test result of my exam is above 80%! ^_^

So, what does that mean if you already have a German Language Certificate B1 (these text came from the certificate itself)?

Zertifikat Deutsch/telc Deutsch B1 demonstrates the candidate's ability to:

• understand a variety of standards everyday spoken and written texts
• react to the content of such texts
• deal with important language tasks that may occur both in everyday life and at the workplace,
• follow and take an active part in everyday conversations, both in private and working contexts.

telc (The European Language Certificates) examinations are set centrally and carried out and marked throughout the world according to standardized criteria.

This certificate is only valid if it carries the telc seal.

How did you pass the exam?
Well, I just went to school everyday (like I was a high school student), participated in the class, asked so many questions to my teacher, and worked on my home work.

Don't be scared with the German Language Course, I am 100% sure that you will pass the exam. Why? I may sound cocky but the truth is that B1 certification is easy. It is just the basics of the German Language. Did you pass the exam? I believe you did pass. ^_^

Basic German Language Visa Requirement, Required or Not?

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Are you planning to move to Germany with your spouse?
Do you really need a basic knowledge of German before you can enter Germany?
Is Basic German Language required in getting a German Visa or not?

Many people are asking me these questions. As I have searched the web, many people really don't know whether German Language is required and necessary in getting a German Visa or not. This is because most people don't know that the rules in getting a German Visa have changed.

Before, there is no requirement for a Basic German Language. As I processed my German Visa, I was so relaxed because I had all the necessary papers and was just waiting for my spouse to arrive and get married in the Philippines. Last October 2007, I was browsing the embassy's site and found out that there was a change on their Visa Requirements. I was surprised to see that a "Proof of basic knowledge of German language (Certificate of language examination “Start Deutsch 1” of the Goethe Institute)" is required.

I was so worried about this requirement because it requires money and time (I was still working from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Mondays to Fridays that time!). Payment for enrolling a German Language Course. Payment for taking the German Language Certification Exam. But most of all, I don't have the Time.

As, I have browsed more in the embassy's site, I found a phrase that caught my eye:
"Are there exceptions?" Yes. You do not have to prove any knowledge of German, as a rule, if one of the following statements applies:
- You or your spouse are citizens of a member state of the European Union (excluding Germany).
- You are incapable of demonstrating basic knowledge of the German language due to a physical or mental illness or handicap.
- You have a university degree and probably be able to find work in Germany on the basis of your language skills (recognisably minor integration requirement).
- You do not wish to reside permanently in Germany. - Your spouse has a residence permit as

• - highly-skilled worker (§ 19 AufenthG).
• - researcher (§ 20 AufenthG).
• - company founder (§ 21 AufenthG).
• - person entitled to asylum (§ 25 (1) or § 26 (3) AufenthG).
• - recognised refugee (§ 25 (2) or § 26 (3) AufenthG).

- holder of a permanent right of residence from other EU countries (§ 38 a AufenthG). - Your spouse is a citizen of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand or the United States of America.

I have a University Degree and I thought that I don't need this requirement. But still I called the German embassy to make things clear and hear exactly from them that "You are not required...". Fortunately, the German embassy told me that I was not required to submit this requirement because I have a University Degree.

When I arrived here in Germany, I was still required to take the German Integration Course. But I was not mad, angry or surprised about it this because I needed it. Do you think that because you are exempted, have a university degree and have a professional experience in your field means you will not have difficulties living in Germany? You are absolutely Wrong! Why? Germany is not your country, have a different culture, a different law, a different place and most of all a different language.

Have you attended a German Integration Course? How much did you pay? Have you already passed the German Integration Course? How do you find the German language? Is the German Language difficult? (for me its difficult, Grammatik! Grammatik! ^_^)

What were your experiences? What are your thoughts? ^_^

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• German Spouse Visa Requirements
• German Visa Appointment at the German Embassy in Manila
• Interview at the German Embassy in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
• Approval of My German Spouse Visa
• My Flight FOR and My Arrival IN Germany
• After Arrival - Registration as a Resident at your local Town Hall/City Hall in Germany