Language and Society

In 2007 the residency laws in Germany were altered to require basic German language skills for foreign spouses who wanted to join their partners here. How does this affect people trying to reunite with their loved ones? Let’s take a look...

Language skills as a condition for long-term entry to a country have become a trend in Europe. Five EU nations have already introduced new legislation, in particular for spouses, who now have to prove a certain level of competence. Holland was the first in 2006, followed by Great Britain, France and Austria. Germany implemented its own law in August of 2007, and since then spouses from non-EU countries are only allowed to move to Germany once they have proved “basic knowledge of German”.

In 2008, roughly 60,000 people passed their Start Deutsch 1 test (SD-1) at one of the worldwide Goethe-Institut (GI) locations. Around half of them came from the top five countries of origin: Turkey, Kosovo, Macedonia, Thailand and Russia. In 2008 about 73 percent of all the people who took part in a preparatory course passed the test, compared to only 54 percent among people who did not take a course at GI. In 2009 those figures rose to 76 and 59, respectively.

Interest in German language courses on the rise

The Goethe-Institut receives additional funding from the European Integration Fund for two projects in the area of “Pre-integrative language training”. As a result, countries like Turkey and regions such as North Africa, the Near East and Southeast Asia offer in-depth consulting services, courses for people with reading or writing difficulties, and advanced training for teachers. Turkey now has six additional testing centers. “These measures have inspired increased interest in German courses in foreign countries,” says Heinrich Stricker, who is responsible for language courses and tests within the immigrant spouses program at the Goethe-Institut.

Inside Germany, new course options are being offered in an effort to simplify the process. Information about these opportunities is now available from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (FOMR), via both the telephone hotline and a web site. The Deutsche Welle (DW) offers courses in 30 languages for beginners and advanced students. The Radio D audio language course, developed in conjunction with GI, is available on DW radio as well as via Internet podcast. The crime thriller Mission Berlin can also help those who are taking their first steps toward learning German.

Goethe-Institut is also forging new paths in this arena. Its integration package, for example, offers selected course materials for a descriptive and playful lesson plan that includes things like crossword puzzle / dice games and picture stories. Beyond that, there is a photo box with posters and postcards on the subjects of shopping, health, mobility, school and living

Minimal problems with the German test

What are people saying? Most of them had no problem with the German test. Emina Nuhanovic (20) from Bosnia, for example, managed to prepare herself for the basic competence test in just three months using books and the Internet. She had to pay the 100 Euro fee two times, however, because she failed the oral exam the first time around. Humera Minhas from Pakistan took a seven-week intensive course at the GI in Karachi and passed the test easily, though she would have admittedly liked to hear the questions from the audio portion of the test repeated at least once. It was also a test of patience for the 30-year-old since her husband had already moved to Germany while she was back home studying. For Arijan Hosoj (26) from Kosovo, the four-week intensive course with a private school was a financial challenge. “100 Euro for 10 classes is a lot of money for us,” he says. The 15 Euro for the test was “comparatively cheap”. Artem Zykov (39) from Moscow had already learned German in school so he only needed the four-week intensive course on the Internet to get through the exam.

The number of foreigners who are able to acquire the necessary vocabulary seems to be rising. Pedro Salazar (34) from Venezuela, for example, studied Living Language – A German Course Book, which explains German through English, for three to four hours a day over six months while taking an online course called Curso-de-Aleman. He practiced speaking with his German wife via Skype and was able to occasionally test his progress using the SD-1 simulator on the Goethe.de web site.

Overcoming initial contact

Most people found it helpful that they could learn German at home first because for many it was the first contact with a country about which they had little or no knowledge. In the language course they were able to get answers from classmates, and in many situations the teachers were versed in both cultures. German skills learned in this way were rated as overwhelmingly positive and helped most people to much more easily overcome the fears of initial contact and everyday life situations.

Elif Topcu (24), on the other hand, a German-Turk from Oberhausen, had a different experience. “The months during our separation were awful. When I had to come back to Germany after our wedding in July of 2008, my husband had failed the test for the first time and wasn’t going to be able to come until December. I worked to make money for his course. On the third try he passed. Admittedly, though, he was still only able to introduce himself and didn’t understand much at all.”