Volunteer and Learn German in Germany : Are you fascinated by the German language and culture? Do you also have a desire to volunteer and make a meaningful impact abroad? If you are interested in learning German, immersing yourself in a new culture, and volunteering overseas, then we at the Excellence Center have a program for you. Participating in our Volunteer and Learn German program provides internationals will the opportunity to learn language and participate in a variety of educational and social activities.

There is a lot of value to learning the German language. German is the third most-studied foreign language in the world, which means that being able to speak German will enable you to communicate with millions of people in the world. At the Excellence Center we work with German language-learners from beginner to advance. Whether you have a background in German or none at all, the Excellence Center will work with you to create a lesson plan tailored to your needs. The program also includes the unique opportunity of staying with a local host family or in the Excellence Center dorm facility. Staying with a host family will greatly enhance your language skills. However, should you choose to stay at the dorm facility, there will still be daily opportunities for you to practice your German skills with shop owners, waiters and waitresses, and people you meet elsewhere in the city.

This program pairs learning German with volunteering. The volunteering portion of the program entails teaching English to students and organizing different educational activities for our local English language-learners. If you do not have experience teaching English, you do not have to worry. The Excellence Center provides participants with the necessary resources and teaching materials to conduct a successful English class. We walk alongside our volunteer teachers to support, provide guidance, and answer any questions that arise. Because of this, background experience in teaching is not required. At the Excellence Center you will receive the training you need so you are prepared in the classroom.

Concerning the logistics of this program, anyone from 18 – 70 years old is invited to participate. Anyone interested in applying to this program can apply year-round. Participants choose their start and ends dates and the duration of their stay. You can choose to volunteer anywhere from 1 week to 3 months. As for the cost of the program, the cost covers breakfast at the Excellence Center, the accommodation, and visits to historic sites and landmarks in the area. Furthermore, volunteers receive 3 hours of Arabic lessons per week.

The Excellence Center works largely with the Arab community and refugee population in Halle (Saale), Germany. Therefore, participants of this program are invited to engage in learning Arabic in addition to German during their stay. As you can see, the Volunteer and Learn German program is an eventful and exciting program where participants can discover the culture, learn the language, and volunteer during their time in Germany. To those who are interested in this program, we look forward to receiving your application.