If you are interested in volunteering at the Excellence Center and do not speak a word of German, that is OK, no problem. All members of staff at the Excellence Center speak English which will make you feel comfortable. If you speak English, you are fortunate; English is a linga franca and key for you to connect with the world. Many volunteers come here without speaking any German.
International environment in Halle
Halle is becoming increasingly international because of the university and its closeness to Leipzig. So, if you feel that learning German is inaccessible to you, you can still have a good time here. This is evident from Halle’s international café, the Excellence Center, films being shown in English, language practice meet-ups and more. In this way, there is a lot you can get involved with in Halle without speaking the German language.
Interested in learning German? Start in Halle
If you speak no German but have been wanting to do so, coming to Halle is a great place to start. The Excellence Center has many fluent German speakers to practice with, German textbooks to study, and German lessons which can be tailored to complete beginners’ level. However, the Excellence Center also has a relaxed environment that will make you feel at ease in practicing your German.
Starting language learning in Halle will help you to learn through complete immersion in a German city. Being surrounded by German in the supermarkets, or street signs, and museums will help you to familiarise with the language. If you go to any shop or café in Halle, they will speak to you in German unless you ask otherwise, which gives you that push to pick the language up quickly, as well as an excuse to go get a cup of coffee.
Pre-arrival to Halle, try apps like Duolingo and Babbel to help with language learning. A commendable learning resource is videos produced by the organisation “Easy language”, which can be found if you type “Easy German” into YouTube. These are excellent for beginners; the videos are conducted in German but with both German and English subtitles beneath, helping you to adjust to German. Moreover, they are very entertaining at the same time, as the videos involve interviews with local Germans on interesting topics.
How to get by without speaking any German (except for one phrase)
Out of courtesy and respect to the German culture, just learning one phrase will secure your stay here in Germany.
“Enschuldigung, ich spreche Deutsch nicht. Sprechst du Englisch?”
Translates to “Sorry, I don’t speak German. Do you speak English?” The response will either be “Ja”, Yes or “Nein”, No. If this looks a bit complicated, even “Englisch?” is enough to get the message across. It is polite to ask if someone speaks English rather than assuming before speaking to them.
There are many platforms which can be used to help you to get by. You can now use your phone to take a picture of a a text written in German, and have it translated by google translator or other applications in an instant. This is useful for leaflets you might pick up at the Tourist Information Center to find out what is going on in Halle.
Final remarks
If you are nervous about coming to Germany without speaking the language, check out our articles on Useful phrases to know in German, and Why you should learn German with language tips.
