Volkshochschule evening classes - Autumn 2004

Hi all,

the Munich high school for adults starts its new term soon, and you have to register in person on 11th September to guarantee a place. Or alternatively you can pick up remaining places on-line on the 12th.

Here is the website link to look up courses, or you can buy the brochure for € 3 form any library and then you get your money back when you book.

NOTE: Any "further training" courses (like german, languages, IT.. stuff you can claim is necessary for your job) can be claimed against your income tax bill, so are effectively free! Also some health courses can be claimed against your health insurance.

Website: Münchener Volkshochschule

And here is a list of the various sub-heading for German as a foreign language (stupidly, it is all in German!)

Beratung und Anmeldung in der Landwehrstraße 46nur für die Grundstufenkurse des Kurstyps 1 und Alphabetisierungskurse
Beratung und Anmeldung im Gasteig für alle Kurse(mit Ausnahme der Grundstufenkurse vom Kurstyp 1)
Unser Kursangebot im Fachgebiet Deutsch alsFremdsprache, Deutsch als Zweitsprache
Niveaustufen A1 bis C2
Prüfungen der Grund- und Mittelstufe
Prüfungen der Oberstufe
Lesen und Schreiben
Grundstufe - Kurstyp 1
Kurse für Frauen
Intensivkurse Deutsch als Zweitsprache für ausländische Frauen
Sprachprogramm für Jugendliche bis 21 Jahre
Grundstufe – Kurstyp 2 und 3
Mittelstufe
Oberstufe
Spezialkurse für Deutsch als Zweitsprache
Deutsch für den Beruf
Zusatzprogramm für alle Stufen
Grundstufe — Zusatzprogramm
Mittelstufe — Zusatzprogramm
Oberstufe — Zusatzprogramm

I will be on holiday... is anyone going who could register for me?

A lot of my mates do these: Cookery and arts and crafts kind of stuff. I do their Czech classes, lectures on travel and society and I REALLY recommend their historical and cultural walking tours.

They also have some seminars on British cuisine which provides no end of entertainment for my sausage munching colleagues.

Yep, there are some good photography, yoga, indian cooking, language and all sorts of other courses, it's mind-blowing and (I think) very resonably priced.

But if you go to register get a friend who lives nearby to pick up a ticket for you at the Gasteig at 7am or ASAP, as then you get given a time to come back (they do it by numbers, so the later you pick up a ticket, the later you're allowed to come back to register, by which time your course may be full). Or I often go with a firend, grab tickets, then go for brunch before registering.

l can recommend them too - their German classes were very good.
Dirt cheap although classes can be quite large. After a while some people stop turning up and so the staff/student ratio gets much better

(Also if you say Volkshoch too quickly it sounds insulting)

If there's an evening german course which isn't too intensive time-wise I might be interested in signing up..

Tench,
For 2 years I've been going out to Aubing(wthfisthat?) for German courses. The teacher there teaches her courses 2x week for 1.5 hours each - instead of the normal 6-9 pm 2x per week. However, I got a little tired of driving 25 minutes one-way twice a week and I'm going to get my butt outta bed early on the 11th and sign up for one that's in Schwabing or downtown.
If you need help figuring out what's what, send me an email. I'm almost up to Mittelstuffe(pathetic - after 3 years!) so I can now read German!

Anyone else going to get up early and go register with me?

Sounds like a good idea to me. I wanna start german-for dummies, so going along with someone is a good idea as i cant understand the website!

thanks JoolyBooly for posting this! i looked into a course a few months ago and they said i couldn't sign up until september. of course, i totally forgot about it until i saw ur post! u've prompted me into action..

arwen and I will try to get the book tonight so hopefully there will be a bunch of people wanting to register (who can register for me too!)

anyone know if they have classes (of any sort) in English? (except learning english of course)

JoolyBooly
Do you know what time this registration starts? When is a good time to go pick up your number? Or when do they start handing out the numbers? I can't remember what time I went the first year but it wasn't early enough!

7am or earlier is about the best time to start queing. That's the time I did it two years ago and there were about 150 people in front of me!!

7am!!?? Ugh. On a Saturday, no less. Why do they make this so difficult? Maybe I'll just have to pull an all-nighter, and show up all smelly-like for registration - that'll clear the place out quick!

yep, 7am. but you can also go later, it just means that
- your number is way back, so if you come at 10 you may have to come back at 3pm, very annoying break-up of the day
- there are higher chances that your course is full. Depends on the course, i think English and German courses book up fast.

@ egg sure they do, but not many and you'll have to search the website, I don't have time. It came up with 20 pages of hits when I put in "English" in the search, but a lot will obviously be english languages courses.

But one example:
EG 1032 » Music & English
Combine your knowledge of English with your love of music. This course will allow you to practise all your language skills centred around the common theme of music. The course will include different musical styles and cultures. Student contributions are especially welcome

not my cup of tea, but shows they have them. I'm sure there are cookery courses in english too, and (for example) Yoga with Astrid Jung, I know she speaks english

in fact there are laods, for example search results page 19:

Kurse » Fremdsprachen » Englisch » Sprache, Land und Leute » South Africa - the Rainbow Country » KG 2616 E» Kursdetails
South Africa - the Rainbow Country
South Africa has a lot to offer. It is a magnificent and challenging country for travellers, adventurers and visitors alike. Come along and learn more about South Africa's history, its wildlife, cultural diversity and people. This evening gives you an outline of interesting things to know when visiting the county; facts and tips, pictures, legends and stories are included. You need: time to relax and a good command of English (intermediate level).
KG 2616 E · Innenstadt
Annette Born · Volkshochschule · Gasteig · Rosenheimer Str. 5 · fr 19.30 bis 21.00 Uhr · 12.11.2004 · € 6.50 · 12 Plätze · ·

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurse » Fremdsprachen » Englisch » Sprache, Land und Leute » Australia — Dreamtime on the Other Side of the World » KG 2618 E» Kursdetails
Australia — Dreamtime on the Other Side of the World
Come along and join us on a trip to this wonderful continent. We will discover more about interesting places and travel routes, find our way from the Dreamtime People to the Top End with its hot climate and dangerous fauna, and back along the Great Barrier Reef to the very south of the world. This evening gives you a chance to use your English while acquiring background information for a visit, as well as pictures and interesting stories about the land down under.

You need: Time to relax and a good command of English (intermediate level).
KG 2618 E · Freitagsseminar · Innenstadt
Annette Born · Volkshochschule · Gasteig · Rosenheimer Str. 5 · fr 19.30 bis 21.00 Uhr · 26.11.2004 · € 7.– · 12 Plätze · ·

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurse » Fremdsprachen » Englisch » Sprache, Land und Leute » Indisch kochen und essen — Englisch reden » KS 2624 » Kursdetails
Indisch kochen und essen — Englisch reden (Indian cooking, in english)
Carrots with mustard seeds? Find out how to transform everyday food and vegetables into delicious exotic delicacies — and the English for "Nelken" or "Schublade". Bring a dish cloth and don't forget your favourite drink to go with the food!
KS 2624 · Samstagsseminar · Sendling
Aparajita Koch · Volkshochschule · Harras · Albert-Roßhaupter-Str. 8 · sa 15.00 bis 21.00 Uhr · 29.1.2005 · € 35.– · Materialgeld wird nach Ausgaben berechnet · 12 Plätze · ·

Can anyone give me a suggestion of which German-lang course I should take?? I am an absolute beginner in German! Another stupid question, do they teach in English for the german-beginner course?

thanks a lot!

Ronch - no they never teach in English at the beginning - how can they? Once you get into the class, you'll probably find that the other students are from all over the world and most don't speak English either. Even when I started German in the States, we started immediately in German.

Take the first beginning course you can find. I think that would be Grundstufe - but, you can call and ask them(they do speak English there).

Okay so I'm trying to get a recap since I'm a bit slow

I want to sign up for "German for idiots" (aka the most basic class)... Show up at the school before 7am on the 10th (for German classes) or maybe the 11th. Be mentally prepared to wait in queues and general hassles for a few hours.

When I get my turn I assume I can say "Basic German" and they'll know what I'm talking about? Also do I pay when I sign up (if so how much should I bring, and do they take cash? In California the community colleges don't take cash).

If there is a group taking the class (or other classes) meeting there (or coffee before) I appreciate tagging along. It'd be nice to follow someone who knows the ropes.

Thanks all, this board has been really helpful!

VHS takes cash or you can pay with your German bank card.

***************************************
And what about a meet up for TT drinkies / brunch etc next Saturday while we're all waiting AGES to get called?
***************************************

I can recommend a good personal tutor for German from beginners to advanced. This very nice lady takes classed in her home. She is fully qualified from the Goethe institute and very patient.

Her website is here. http://www.deutschkurse-beck.de/

Myself and my partner went to see her in tandem to help my wife get over her fear of speaking German.

Thanks for the link... I'd imagine the quality is far better, but I'm also sure the price is far higher (though it seems like the "best" way to go). Speaking of which does anyone know what they charge (with all the extra fees they may have)?

The other reason it'd be nice to go to a school/class is simply for the social aspect. Since coming to Munich over a month ago I really haven’t met very many people (and I keep missing the Tuesday TT events).

Anabi,

I will be there bright and early proabably with my friend Christine who is also a Munich newbie and maybe her golden retriever(that's how you can find us). She is also going to be in the beginner class too. When you first walk into the building, there are people telling you where to go(and they speak English, so don't worry), they'll give you a number and I think it says what time on the ticket to come back to wait in line. Then you wait in line, you walk up to the window and tell them you want the beginners German class. Really, there are very few people who don't speak at least a little English and there, most of them do - so don't worry - just ask - I mean, you're there to learn German, you have to start somewhere, right? So don't be afraid!!! You're not alone!

KitKat64

Thanks! I'll be the totally confused looking one with a gallon of coffee in one hand and a NY Yankees baseball cap (even though I'm from San Francisco and a Giants fan).

Any ideas as to how much cash I should bring (I don't want to bring like 1,000 Euros, not because I think I'm going to get robbed, just that I'll know after I sign up I'll spend the rest shopping and drinking!).

it shouldn't cost you more than 200€ absolute tops.
and you don't have to wait until tuesdays for tt meet-ups, there is one going on tonight if you fancy coming along :-)

Just checking in... anyone out there still planning on being there at or before 7am and interested in a informal meetup so we can all know we're not suffering alone (Heck I may be still drunk from tonight!)

Hi Anabi - I'm going to be there bright and early(I hope) with my friend, Christine. I think she will bring her golden retriever(so we're easy to spot - two Americans with a dog). If not, here's my cell # 089 217 09831 - if I don't answer, I'm probably in the S-bahn.

Anyone doing the beginers german on Tuesdays and Thurdays from 6-9?