Section German as a Foreign Language

The section of German as a Foreign Language (DaF) supports international and refugee prospective students, students and interested guest students in learning German according to the standards of the European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

We offer a wide range of general and subject-related language courses in preparatory and accompanying courses. We use placement tests to help learners decide on the right language course. Individual language learning is also promoted by organising language learning tandems and learning and language counselling.

If you need advice on the German courses or the German tests, please contact:

Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Ines Busch-Lauer or Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Janina M. Vernal Schmidt.

German Business Communication in times of skilled worker shortage

In a German society characterised by transnational mobility and migration, learning German is considered a key qualification for immigrants and international students. In order to be able to operate not only in everyday life but also in the world of work, profound technical language skills are necessary in specialised fields of work. Language as a means of communication plays an important role in all domains. At the same time, German companies and businesses around the world are becoming increasingly diverse and multilingual. It is well known that work teams with diverse competences and cultural-linguistic backgrounds inspire the innovative power of companies and businesses. All this is becoming more and more virulent against the backdrop of digital and ecological structural change and, above all, due to demographic change in Germany. The labour market already has fewer and fewer people available to work, while the demand for qualified skilled workers is increasing nationwide and the situation is getting worse. The special significance of the German Business Communication (GBC) specialisation lies in the training of precisely these urgently needed qualified specialists. We ensure that the technical language competences are developed in close connection with intercultural and diversity competences, via innovative and digital learning among the students. Thanks to its regional roots and international orientation, the practical relevance of the degree programme and the many opportunities for inter-faculty cooperation, the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau is an attractive educational anchor in the region.

Our contribution to internationalisation

Through our wide-ranging cooperation with universities from all over the world, which is to be further expanded, we address a diverse student body with our WKD study focus. In this way, our students can benefit from the wide-ranging competences and knowledge as well as the international networks and diverse experiences of their fellow students. They learn how to deal with, recognise and value the diversity of their fellow students not only in the company or business, but already during their studies. 

Learn more on the German Business Communication major here. 

If you need any advice on the German Business Communication programme, please contact us at Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Janina M. Vernal Schmidt.