Nationale Deutscholympiade 2025
What is the NDO?
The National German Olympiad (NDO) is the Canadian preliminary round of the Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) and took place in two phases:
1) Online phase from September 20 to October 12, 2025. Participants completed exciting tasks on the learning platform and had the chance to qualify for an unforgettable weekend in Montreal.
2) From November 21 to 23, 2025, the winners of the online phase met in Montreal, where two language Olympians were selected to represent Canada at the International German Olympiad (IDO) in Germany in 2026.
German learners from across Canada at levels A2, B1, and B2 who are between 14 and 19 years old were eligible to participate.
The next step is the IDO, which is organized every two years by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the International Association of German Teachers (IDV). It is the largest German language competition in the world!
Young people aged 14-17 have the chance to prove their German language skills and win the title of best German language learner worldwide. The IDO is also a meeting place for young people from around the world, enabling them to participate in Germany's cultural and educational scene, engage in cross-border exchanges with their peers, and make friends. They also get to know Germany as a place of education and work.
The venue for the IDO finals changes every two years and is always a Goethe-Institut location in Germany. The IDO 2026 will take place in Mannheim in July 2026.
Highlights of the NDO in Montreal
The NDO weekend from November 21 to 23, 2025, has come and gone. Here, we offer a brief review. We had a wonderful time with lots of fun and varied activities, as well as a fantastic evening program. A special highlight was the concert by singer Luna Simao and guitarist Diazno, who traveled from Germany for the event. They created a fantastic atmosphere at the Goethe-Institut Montreal.
This year's program also included creative group tasks related to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The students prepared exciting presentations and impressive group results—a real highlight of the weekend.
It was especially nice to see how many new friendships were formed. We hope these connections continue, especially between young German learners from different provinces.
A big round of applause and heartfelt congratulations go to our winners:
Mark Afanasiev (Montreal) and Dracen Lim (Saskatoon). We are very happy that you will represent Canada at the International German Olympiad next year and wish you the best of luck!
Bildergalerie:
The proud winners: Mark Afanasiev (Montreal) and Dracen Lim (Saskatoon)! | © Goethe-Institut Montreal / Monik Richter
Luna Simao and Diazno gave an exclusive concert for the participants. | © Goethe-Institut Montreal / Monik Richter
Testimonials
Looking back on the IDO 2024
Contact
We look forward to hearing from you: vera.degtyarenko@goethe.de
