If you are interested in volunteering at the Excellence Center and do not speak a word of German, that is totally fine. 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.

The 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 through our work. We organize movie watch parties 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. In our organization, we have many fluent German speakers you can practice with, German textbooks to study, and German lessons that can be tailored to complete beginners’ level. However, the Volunteer in Germany 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 Germans in supermarkets, street signs, and museums will help you to familiarise yourself 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 the videos by the organization “Easy Language”, which you can find by typing “Easy German” on YouTube. These are excellent for beginners; the videos are 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 Make Do With a Little German in One Phrase

Out of courtesy and respect for the German culture, just learning one phrase will secure your stay here in Germany.

“Enschuldigung, ich spreche Deutsch nicht. Sprechst du Englisch?”

This 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 that you can use to help you to get by. You can now use your phone to take a picture of 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.