Intensive German Courses
in Germany
Frequently asked questionsWould you like to know more about...... the school
... the classes
... the accommodation
... the city of Bamberg
... the entire stay in Germany
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How do I know that TREFF PUNKT is a good language school? Do you have references?As a potential German language student, this question is obviously of great importance to you. You will naturally wish to receive a definite answer so that you can be sure of getting the most out of your stay in Bamberg. On the other hand, it is difficult for us at TREFF PUNKT to answer this question with credible objectivity. It could all too easily sound like self-praise or as if we were blowing our own trumpet. Therefore we'll say just this: A great deal of care is taken in finding
the appropriate course level for you (according to the Common
European Framework of the European Council for the Study of Foreign
Languages That our methods are successful can be seen not only in the unusually high level of satisfaction shown by our students - as demonstrated by the analysis of our weekly student opinion questionnaires - but also in the outstanding results attained by students at TREFF PUNKT in Goethe-Institut exams and the TestDaF. So that you can build up a more precise picture of which companies
and institutions have already worked with TREFF PUNKT, we have
drawn up a reference list. Please also refer to www.german-language-school-review.com Last but not least, most of the TREFF PUNKT team have attended one or more language courses in various different countries - enabling us to observe how other language schools organise their courses and to determine what could be improved and what is particularly effective. Therefore we not only understand your expectations as a language student, but we have also been able to use our experiences to optimize the organisation of our own language institute.  |
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What qualifications do teachers at TREFF PUNKT have?We are particularly lucky that "German as a foreign language" is
taught at the Department of Language and Literary Studies at the University
of Bamberg Overall, you can expect a lively committed teaching team, who seek
to offer varied and wide-ranging lessons in a stimulating atmosphere. >>> Our
teaching team
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How does TREFF PUNKT ensure the quality of its language lessons?When looking for proof of the quality of a language course or language
school, on is often confronted by "striking" statements
or reports. However, our claim to quality is based entirely on the
success that every course participant at TREFF PUNKT
can experience for themselves: that of concrete progress towards
your own personal language goal. This success can of course also
be demonstrated by Goethe Institute or TestDaF
To ensure that courses are of high quality, the TREFF PUNKT team works at the highest pedagogic level, paying particular attention to the educational needs of adults. Both our teaching methods and our pastoral care are continually revised and improved. The fact that around 20% of our participants come back to TREFF PUNKT a second, third or even a fourth time is an excellent indication of the success of our methods. Individual elements that ensure the quality of the TREFF PUNKT programme can be found under "frequently asked questions". Please refer to "Why do the courses only begin every two weeks?", for example. Other elements of TREFF PUNKT'S quality assurance:
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What does the school look like? Where is it located and what sort of infrastructure is there?Location: How to get around Bamberg: Teaching rooms, design and layout: We have made a conscious decision to do without our own cafeteria as there are so many typical coffee houses and bakeries surrounding the school. They are very popular with TREFF PUNKT students and we can thoroughly recommend them for a coffee or a snack during the morning break. This is, of course, also another opportunity to immerse yourself in day to day town life and is an excellent chance to apply the German you have learnt to a real situation. Language schools are often situated on the outskirts of towns, at a distance from the inhabitants' daily life. This relatively isolated environment can result in a rather artificial atmosphere. We, however, are in the fortunate position of being able to offer a location at the heart of Bamberg's life and culture. |
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Which services are included in the course price and which cost extra?The course price includes:
All the material you need for the course is covered by the course
fee. There are no hidden additional costs. If you have chosen TopicClub-Seminar
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Minumum and maximum lengths of stayThe minimum stay for those choosing group instruction is one week.
However, we wouldn't usually recommend such a short time as most
people need 2-3 days to acclimatize and to get into a "learning
rhythm". (You should also take possible jet lag into account.)
Therefore, we generally recommend that you stay at least two weeks.
After 3 to 4 weeks the enormous progress you will We don't set a maximum duration - you may stay as long as you wish
and progress through the different course levels according to the standard
you have reached. We have had a number of course participants at TREFF PUNKT
who started as complete beginners but who wished to prepare for a course
of study at a German university. They stayed at TREFF PUNKT
for eleven months. Please see the student interviews under www.german-language-school-review.com If you decide in favour of private tuition, you can effectively stay as long or as short a time as you wish. The individual programme is particularly popular with business people who often have very little time available - an example of a popular course is a "crash course" from Friday to Monday with 6-8 hours of one-to-one teaching a day. Then it's off to the customer again... If you have made a longer course booking, you may wish to interrupt your studies - for example to travel around Germany. We would be happy to work around such plans, provided you give us prior notice. After the break you can continue your studies with renewed energy.
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Who takes part in language courses at Bamberg?As you may have read previously, TREFF PUNKT is a language institute for adults (18 years and over). When referring to our students, we prefer to use the term "participants" in order to make it clear that the adults who come to us come from many different countries and often for very different reasons. A few statistics: around 40% of our participants are studying at university and 40% are professionals or are currently undergoing a change of career. Most of our participants in the general courses are between the ages of 23 and 35 and in the business German courses between 28 and 45. Altogether the ages range from 18 to about 60. It can truly be said that we are a thoroughly international language institute: there are never more than 15% of participants from one single country. The advantage of this is that the common language for everybody is German and that you will therefore be less likely to speak your own language. Most of our participants come to TREFF PUNKT alone, rather than in small groups. They often come on the recommendation of friends or acquaintances, or the course may have been arranged for them by their company or university. The school has a maximum capacity of 60 participants who will then be divided into up to 8 different course levels. As a result, TREFF PUNKT specializes in courses for those who wish to get away from the anonymity of the mass business.
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What instruction materials are used in class?For the early levels we use either Themen aktuell For intermediate levels we use the textbooks em
Hauptkurs neu At advanced levels we mainly use authentic material, sometimes in
conjunction with em Abschlusskurs
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Tests and certificatesWhen you register for a course at TREFF PUNKT,
you will receive a placement test (>> see also description
of the course levels In Bamberg there will be a test/final exam every two weeks. This takes place every second Wednesday between 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.. After a 30 minute break, lessons will then continue as usual. On the last day of the course you will be presented with a TREFF PUNKT
certificate of participation. This will detail the number of teaching
hours you have received and the course level you have achieved according
to the European framework If you wish to take the TestDaF (for example in order
to study at a German
university If you would like to take a Goethe
Institut exam The ZD "Zertifikat Deutsch",
ZMP "Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung" and
ZOP
"Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung" exams
take place every month. The exams are conducted by the Goethe Institut We are also happy to offer exam preparation for the KDS "Kleines Deutsche Sprachdiplom" and the DSH "Deutsch für den Hochschulzugang". Please refer to our exam preparation courses.
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Why do group courses only begin every 2 weeks?Again and again we are asked why it it not possible to begin a group course every Monday at TREFFPUNKT - although most other language schools offer this option. Experience has shown us that newly formed groups usually require 2-3 days to get to know each other, to adjust to the different personalities and to find a learning pace that suits everyone. This is also the case when their level of German is very similar. After this initial period participants are usually highly motivated and have lots of fun together. If courses begin every week, it means that groups are constantly having to change and therefore the learning pace is slowed down. Our decision to begin courses every 2 weeks has resulted in a higher course quality and an excellent level of student satisfaction. If you should require more flexible course times, we recommend individual
tuition
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Do classes take place on public holidays?According to our terms and conditions If participants agree, we offer to recuperate 50% of the time that was lost due to public holidays by extending regular classes. In the past, this has proved to be especially effective for those participants who had booked a compact course for 1-2 weeks. Sundays and public holidays make no difference to individual lessons. You book your classes exactly as you wish.
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Academic credits for a German course at TREFF PUNKT?Yes, you can obtain academic credits for your German course like other students from the United States and Great Britain too. Please contact us for more details.
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Where will I stay during the course and how
is my accommodation
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How do I get to my accommodation from Bamberg station?The most popular and practical way to reach Bamberg is by plane/train. But once you have arrived in Bamberg, what should you do next? The following tips are particularly useful if you have booked private accommodation:
Have a good trip!
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Why is Bamberg a particularly good place to take a German course?Bamberg is a medium-sized town with around 70 000 inhabitants and really is one of the most picturesque towns in Germany. We are often asked why we didn't open the school in one of the larger cities such as Munich, Hamberg, Berlin, Cologne or Frankfurt. There are several reasons. Here are a few which strike us as particularly important and which have been frequently confirmed by our students:
Visit Bamberg and its sunny streets cafes and beer gardens. Enjoy the views from the hills or the river. People know how to enjoy life in Bamberg. See for yourself: Bamberg is worth more than just one visit.
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What can I do during my freetime in Bamberg?"Being active together in leisure time as well as classes" As you will be able to gather from our description of TREFF PUNKT, the activity programme is particularly important to us. We don't know what you like to do in your leisure time butTREFF PUNKT is able to offer a real variety of activities in Bamberg and the surrounding area. We offer a wide range of cultural activities, you can try all kinds of sports and there are regular afternoon excursions to some of the many interesting towns in the area: Nuremberg, Würzburg, Coburg and Bayreuth, among others. A weekend trip to cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Heidelberg, Prague or Rothenburg is definitely worthwhile. Or you could simply travel to the Alps in order to see beautiful and varied mountainscapes. "Leisure time" is also view from a different perspective at TREFF PUNKT: Leisure activities are an excellent opportunity to practise what you have learnt in class and to improve your spoken language. During joint activities together with people of all age groups from Bamberg, you can play volleyball, walk up to the castle at the hightest point of Bamberg or go on a bike ride. In the evenings we often meet up in one of the traditional breweries for a beer together with many other people from Bamberg - breweries are popular with young and old, students and families. Your German will profit from all these activities: "Learn German through real situations - this is no virtual German." Those of you who are more interested in culture will find lots to
choose from: there are a large number of museums, 6 theatres and many
music venues for both classical music and jazz and rock. You will find
information on the cultural attractions/activities of the area at www.Kulturatlas-Oberfranken.de You will also see that leisure activities can be easily and comfortably arranged in Bamberg. In town there is no problem at all: everything can be reached on foot within a short time. Many use a bike but you can also get around easily using the bus, train or a car. So there you have it: the ideal prerequisites to enjoy your stay in Bamberg. For further information on our leisure activities, please refer to "leisure
activities", "Bamberg" and "photo
gallery". The weekly
activity programme is displayed here
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Which sporting activities are available to me?There are almost endless sporting possibilities in and around Bamberg. One big advantage is that you are unlikely to need to travel far in
order to practise your favourite sport. Bamberg is nestled in the hills
between the Steigerwald, the Haßberge and the beautiful Fränkischen Schweiz In Bamberg there are many fitness centres, parks, tennis courts, mini golf parks and squash and badminton courts. Golfers can enjoy the golf course in Leimershof, only 20 minutes away. In the summer 5 open air swimming pools offer grassy spaces for sunbathing and refreshment. You can also swim in the river Regnitz in the nearby "Luisenhain" park. Newcomers are often skeptical because after a downpour the water can turn a little brown, but that is nature! Those who have had enough of swimming can relax in the adjacent beer garden. You will see that Bamberg offers something for everyone. We ourselves
are keen cyclists and would gladly take you on a tour. Many of our
"non-cyclists" also became enthusiastic participants in our
tours when we cycled a few kilometres in the evenings out into the
countryside in order to visit an attractive "keller" (= Franconian
beer garden). Take a look at our photo
galleries
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CinemaIn the centre of Bamberg there are 3 cinemas which show national
and international films. Our students particularly like the non-mainstream
cinemas Lichtspiel and Odeon The "big cinema" with all the current films is called Cinestar One of the most modern cinemas in Germany is the Cinecitta
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Theatre in BambergTheatre has a long tradition in Bamberg and the frequently changing
performances attract many visitors. The municipal E.T.A. Hoffmann Theaters Das Theater hat in Bamberg eine lange Tradition und zu den häufig
wechselnden Aufführungen kommen viele Besucher in die Stadt. Das
Angebot des städtischen st ein großer kultureller Anziehungspunkt.
Auf 3 Bühnen im Theater wird für jeden Geschmack etwas geboten:
Klassisches, traditionelle und modernes Theater, Aufführungen
von Profis, aber auch Laientheater, auf Deutsch und in anderen Sprachen.
Hervorzuheben sind die Zimmerbühne des Brentanotheaters wie auch
das faszinierende Marionettentheater Loose
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MusicBamberg is the home of the world renowned Bamberger
Symphoniker Orchestra At 12:00 every Saturday you can listen to organ concerts given by international organists in the Bamberg Cathedral. Entrance is free. Listed here are a number of musical venues (jazz clubs, piano bars, Irish pubs, Student pubs) which are particularly popular:
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Beer gardens and BeerkellersWhen we speak about the food culture in Germany, the words “beer” and “beer garden” are never far away. Beer gardens are called something different in every region: in Austria they are often called “guest gardens” and in Bamberg and the surrounding region they are known as “Beerkellers” or just “Kellers”. Kellers are often positioned on hilltops and offer fantastic views of the surrounding landscape. The trek up can sometimes be arduous, but the home-brewed Gerstensaft (beer) and the atmosphere more than make up for any over-exertions.
In Bamberg there are 11 private breweries:
Four of these breweries have beautiful beer gardens in Bamberg. They are a meeting point for everybody: young and old, students and professors, tourists and locals. Everybody feels at ease and enjoys the mix of people. On warm summer evenings the TREFFPUNKT-Stammtisch is held in the Wilde Rose beer garden. By the way: the beer garden season is not the only interesting time of year for beer lovers and conoisseurs. There is something particularly special in and around Bamberg in October/November: the drafting of the Bock beer (a strong beer). Every Thursday or Friday during this time there is a big party in (or more often in front of) one of the breweries, not withstanding the temperatures (often below zero)! A high point for many is the legendary drafting of the Bock beer in November. The beer gardens that close from the middle of September onwards, are opened for just one more night in order to serve out the specially brewed strong beer – almost all the 11 Bamberg breweries organize an event. The beer is served for a period of four weeks. A Seidla (a beer mug of 0.5 l) is usually enough – it has the same effect as 2 normal beers. Important items of equipment for anybody planning a Bock beer night out: a scarf, thick socks and gloves! If you wish to know more about Bamberg beer and its history, take
a short side trip to the Franconian brewery museum
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Is dialect spoken in Bamberg?Which region doesn’t have its own language peculiarities and therefore its own dialect? You hear different dialects all over Germany and some are harder, some easier, to understand. The dialect spoken in our region (Franconia = north Bavaria) is known as “Fränkisch”. Typically with this dialect the ‘T’ is spoken almost like a ‘D’ and the ‘P’ like a ‘B’, making it all sound relatively soft. It is a friendly dialect, which is not difficult to understand and which makes you smile. For anybody who is sceptical: in a university town like Bamberg, everybody can speak high German. So don’t worry. We teach high German and you will have every opportunity to speak it. Dialect is mainly spoken at the market and in the more traditional breweries.
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What are the prices like in Bamberg?Germans visiting Bamberg are often quite surprised by the prices, which they consider to be very reasonable in comparison to the rest of Germany. Equally, the people from Bamberg are often shocked at the high prices in other areas of Germany - particularly in cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg or Frankfurt. A typical Franconian lunch costs €8 - €10 and a “Brotzeit” (bread with cold meat or cheese) between €4 - €7. On Sundays many go out for lunch. This is typically roast pork, duck, goose or braised beef with dumplings and savoy cabbage. Such a meal is usually around €10. Beer is usually served in 0.5l glasses and costs between €1.60 and €2.20. If a typical bratwurst in a roll will do, then you only need to allow €2. Falafels and kebabs have also become popular and are available at many snack stalls. For €2.50 - €3.50 this will make a ‘complete’ lunch. For those who like ‘international’ food, we DO have McDonalds, Burger King and Subway. The prices in supermarkets vary but we can tell you where to go in order to get the best prices. In any case, you should buy fruit and vegetables at the market, which is open from Monday to Saturday and can be found at the Maximilianplatz, just 2 minutes away from the school. A wide variety of fresh products from the region are available here.
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The weather in GermanyGive the weather in Germany a chance – it’s not as bad as people say. A German summer can also offer a lot of sun and warmth. Every year there are always plenty of glorious summer days – particularly where we are in southern Bavaria. On occasion even some of the Spanish and Italians have complained about the heat! We enjoy balmy evenings in beer gardens and hot sunny days by the
river (see our photos from the Hainbad
If you would like really up to date information, take a look at the
German weather website ( Deutschen Wetterdienst
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I would like to bring my car. What is the parking situation?As Bamberg has a protected medieval town centre and the infrastructure
must take this into account, parking in Bamberg is often a problem.
Generally you will be living in the town centre throughout your language
course. As parking places in the centre are either costly or limited
to residents with special permits, you will have to expect to park
your vehicle at a distance of up to 10 minutes walk away. Our recommendation:
Do not bring your car to Bamberg! Everything in the town centre can
easily be reached on foot and it is unlikely that you will be living
more than 15 minutes away from the school. To find your way around
Bamberg or to look for specific streets or car parks, we recommend www.stadtplan-bamberg.de
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Making German contacts and language partnershipsAs we know from our own experience, it is not always easy to make
contacts – even in your own land. We therefore offer regular
opportunities to come into contact with local Germans. Every Thursday
at 20:45 we hold Stammtisch – drinks at the Wilde Rose
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I require a visa. What do I need to know?Information about the visa regulations for Germany you will find
an the extra page Important
visa information |
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Is it possible to work and to take a language course in Bamberg?Basically yes. But you should consider the following points before you try:
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A difficult topic: Where can I apply for a grant to learn German?You can find information on this topic at our web page Where
can I apply for a grant?
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When is the best time to take a language course?If you can manage it, try to avoid the busy months of July and August. For one thing the school is often booked up at this time and for another, there are more cultural events in Bamberg outside the holiday season – you need only think of the breaks that many theatres and the orchestra take over the summer. Here are a few things that you can expect during the year:
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Travelling around GermanyGermany is well known for its extensive road network and Bamberg
is also not far away from several motorways. You can plan your route
to Bamberg using Routenplaner.web.de Most of our participants come either by train or by a combination
of plane and train. We think that this is the best decision as a car
is really not necessary in Bamberg. In fact it is usually in your way
as there is very little free parking available. The German rail network
offer excellent deals for weekend trips, e.g. the weekend ticket which
is a reasonably priced all-inclusive ticket for up to 5 people. It
is valid for one day on the weekend and with it, you may travel to
any location within Germany. The services and journey times of Deutschen Bundesbahn If you are planning a trip around Germany, these tips and links could be of help:
Have a nice trip!
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Can I bring my partner along? ?Your partner would like to accompany you to Germany but not take a language course? No problem, we will find suitable accommodation for both of you. If your partner has any particular special interests that they would like to pursue during their stay, we will be glad to find more information for you. Your partner is welcome to all the activities and events organized by the school. Whilst you take your classes, your partner can explore the town. Some couples have already tried this combination and have enjoyed it.
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), in selecting the right material and in employing well-qualified
and committed teachers. In addition, accommodation close to the school
and various activities offered throughout your stay ensure that there
are many social opportunities outside of lesson times. At every stage
of the course your objectives, aims and interests will be given the
greatest consideration possible - of this you can be assured.
