The Latest at Goethe

Young people in the south of Europe often have hardly any job opportunities. Germany on the other hand urgently needs skilled workers. The Goethe-Institut has therefore launched a new initiative called Mit Deutsch in den Beruf (On the Job With German) designed to help smooth the pathway to the German labour market. We visited Lisbon to find out more. By Christoph Mücher

The auditorium is full to bursting. For a change, the Goethe-Institut in Lisbon is celebrating itself: it just turned fifty. So, it’s a compelling reason to invite the institute’s friends – and it has very many in Portugal – to a festive party. But it’s no reason to interrupt the work and so, while guests in the building are sharing anecdotes from the past five decades, a special course for nurses is beginning in the newly furnished classroom in the former caretaker’s flat. Over the course of almost four months, 14 young women and 2 unabashed men will be brought up to B1 level so that they can begin their new jobs at hospitals in Frankfurt and Munich. The new employer is not only paying the course fees, but also Portugal’s minimum wage of about 500 euros, so that the course participants can concentrate fully on their acquirement of the accusative case and of the relevant repertoire of technical terminology.

The group’s élan and optimism is impressive as they fire questions at their guest in German after only one day of lessons. None of them had previously learned German in school. English is the first and for most the only foreign language. Carolina is particularly good at it. Sure, she could also have gone to the United Kingdom, says the young woman with a slightly American accent. Yet even if that would have been easier for her, she is intrigued about the new experience. She took a lot on, too; after all, she came all the way from Madeira. Now she lives in Lisbon together with two friends who are also taking part in the Goethe course.


It was hard to say goodbye to her family, but they all agreed that this step was worth taking as it promises a way out of the widespread unemployment that affects young people in particular. Carolina heard about the course from a colleague who already completed the first model course and is now earning his living in Frankfurt. The good outlook is visibly motivating and those who seem to have less of a gift for languages than Carolina are also highly dedicated. On the second day of class they are already bravely battling with numbers, listening to twelve-digit phone numbers, comparing birthdays, addresses and lucky numbers.

Homework in the shady garden of the Goethe-Institut

Thirty minutes before the end of class, Lina packs her things. The young woman bids a friendly farewell, not because the afternoon sun is tempting her outdoors, but because the evening shift awaits her at the hospital, combined with an advanced training course for nurses. “It is a bit much,” Lina admits with a smile, but the surplus workload will end soon enough. She relaxes by playing the clarinet in a jazz band, a hobby that demands its tribute late at night. Her classmates are no less energetic. As soon as the lesson is over, half of the class gathers around one of the shady tables under the trees in the garden to chat about their experiences and do their homework.

It is not surprising that the clinic in Frankfurt is very satisfied with the first troupe of its Portuguese helpers, as Anne Nicklich, who coordinates the language courses in Lisbon, reports. The high professional ethic and the sheer unshakeable conviviality of the young nurses seem to justify the investment by the German employer. Naturally, the move from the Tejo to the Main was at first a demanding intercultural experience for many, the more so as nurses in Portugal have further-reaching competencies. But as yet they are all still cheerful and on board.

In the meantime Anne Stöhr has also come to sit in the garden. The young teacher takes a rest from six hours of teaching over a cup of coffee. She is obviously enjoying the intensive programme. The close contact with the group generates a special feeling community, a little like a family, and this group is motivated and enjoys learning. Supervising the special course is a unique challenge. “We make an effort to use technical terminology early on and also work with authentic materials that the hospitals provide to us,” she explains. It is a tailored programme that is supplemented by a web-based offering. It provides more materials for in-depth study and a platform for sharing.

Pilot schools for German

Dorothea Klenke-Gerdes, director of language work in Portugal for four years, welcomes the new momentum that the increased demand for German has brought. Nonetheless, the institute is all the more at the extent of its limits. Although the renovation has resulted in new classrooms, they are already occupied almost round the clock. “It is possible for us to find new spaces outside of the institutes,” Klenke-Gerdes admits, “but then we would need new teachers.” Well-trained German teachers are working fully to capacity due to the boom and it is not easy to find new teachers – for instance from Germany – particularly since they cannot offer them permanent employment.

For Klenke-Gerdes, though, expanding their own language programme is not as crucial as strengthening the choice of German as a foreign language within the Portuguese educational system. “The state curricula offer too little space and continuity for the second foreign language,” she complains, “even though politicians express their will to support it.” She also wishes that parents would become more involved by influencing the educational options of their children early on.

All the same, there have been initial successes. For example, just recently a high school introduced its first German course in 20 years and more are expected to follow. The Goethe-Institut attempts to support this trend by supporting important beacon schools. A network of Pilot Schools for German has been set up where the language is taught with enthusiasm and success. It helps to have the example of people who have taken advantage of their German skills to conquer new career frontiers – like our young nurses.

This article – slightly abridged – was taken from the magazine of the Goethe-Institut. You can find even more exciting reportages, background information and interviews on the subject in the issue German!