The language school is open from Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The school’s office is closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

DIE NEUE SCHULE can easily be reached by public transportation (by subway and several busses). It is only a short walk from the subway stations "Fehrbelliner Platz" (U3 and U7) and "Blissestraße" (U7).

DIE NEUE SCHULE has classrooms in various buildings on Gieselerstraße, Brandenburgische Straße and Sigmaringer Straße. All the classrooms are within a three-minute walk from the office of the language school at Gieselerstraße 30a.

Each lesson is an academic hour, consisting of 45 minutes. After two academic hours there is a small break. After four academic hours there is a somewhat longer break.

The office of the language school is open all year round. All German courses take place throughout the entire year. The courses only have one short break between Christmas and New Year's.

Public holidays in 2010:
1 January, 2 April, 5 April, 13 May, 24 May 2010

Only professional, native-speaking teachers teach at our language school. All teachers have teaching certificates, teach their own native language, and have vast experience in teaching.

DIE NEUE SCHULE is recognized by the Berlin Senate as a further education school (School Number 04E20).
Our Special Intensive Courses are recognized in Berlin and Brandenburg as educational leave (Bildungsurlaub).
DIE NEUE SCHULE is a test center for the European Certificate B1, B2, C1 and C2.
The language school is recognized by CSN (Sweden).

The evening courses and the conversation courses have an average of 5 and a maximum of 8 participants. The intensive courses have an average of 8 and a maximum of 12 participants.

Each lesson is an academic hour, consisting of 45 minutes. After two academic hours there is a small break. After four academic hours there is a somewhat longer break.

All of our German teachers are professionally trained and have university degrees in education. Besides being native speakers with extensive experience in adult education, our teachers are also sensitive to the various students' needs and to different learning strategies.

Generally all courses are offered simultaneously in 12 different levels. All class participants with previous knowledge of German take the written online placement test. At the beginning of each course there is also a short oral portion to the test.

At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of participation, including a recommendation for a recognized final examination. In addition, if you have also taken part in the final examination, you will receive a graded certificate for this as well.

For participation in group lessons, the minimum age is 16.

For each level (Intensive Course A: 10 weeks), the student needs one textbook and one workbook. These books can be purchased in the school office following the first day of instruction. Each participant also receives a basic grammar book free of charge.

There is a weekly rotating recreational program with many activities during the week and excursions on the weekends.

This depends on your nationality. You can find details here under visa & insurance.

All of our accommodations are single rooms in private households. You share the kitchen and the bathroom with your host. Your host can either be a couple or a single person. We also have some host families with children. Sometimes there are one or two students living with the host.

All rooms have a bed, wardrobe,desk and chairs. Some rooms also have a TV and/or stereo.

All of our accommodations are centrally located and reachable via the Berlin public transportation system. It normally takes a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes to get to the language school.

The accommodations are usually booked from the Sunday before your course starts to the Saturday after the last day of your course. Of course, it is also possible to book additional nights if you plan to arrive earlier or would like to stay longer. Please be sure to book the additional nights together with your language course.

You can take a taxi or use the public transportation system to get to your accommodation. You will be sent a map of the Berlin transportation system per email together with your host's address.

We would be happy to pick you up from the airport or the station and take you to your accommodation. This pick-up service costs 35.00 euros and can be booked online together with your language course and the accommodation.

You don’t have to bring bed sheets or towels. Your host will provide these for you and will give you fresh ones during a long-term-stay.

Most hosts don’t mind the students' using the washing machines. Either the host operates the washing machine or the students are allowed to use it on their own after a short instruction. Some hosts may take a fee of 2 to 3 euros per load.

Internet access at the accommodations is not obligatory. Many apartments offer a wifi internet access, so that you can connect your laptop to the internet. If there is no internet access at the apartment, it is possible to use the wifi internet access at DIE NEUE SCHULE, free of charge. The language school’s cafeteria also has computers with internet access.

The accommodations are non-smoking rooms. Some hosts don’t mind if students smoke, for instance, on the balcony, upon prior agreement.

Some host families have domestic animals, such as a cat or dog. We will inform you prior to your arrival if there are any animals in the apartment.

Please inform us on the registration form if you have allergies and define them. We will then find an accommodation suitable for you.

You will be sent the address of your accommodation and further information about your host family approximately two weeks prior to your arrival. We will send you the name, address and contact details, as well as information regarding your journey to your accommodation.

The hosts appreciate it if they get the chance to know the students before their arrival in Berlin, either per email or telephone. You will receive the contact information about two weeks before you arrive. It is also very important to inform us and your host about your arrival time.

If a friend of yours would like to stay with you in your room, you should talk about that with your host. If there is enough space and the host agrees, your friend can stay there for a few days. Your friend may have to pay between 10.00 to 15.00 euros per night. Long-term stays are not possible.

Of course, you will get a key to the apartment after your arrival. Some hosts take a deposit for the key – usually between 20.00 and 50.00 euros. If you return the key on the day of your departure, the host will return your deposit.

The room will be cleaned regularly by your host. Nonetheless, your host appreciates it if you keep your room tidy. Please be respectful and do the common courtesy of picking up after yourself. The final cleaning will be done by your host.