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Spreading German Culture Abroad and Within the Country

The Global Reach of Promoting German Culture and Fostering International Cultural Cooperation

May 15th, 2018
Berlin Global, News from Berlin
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The Cultural Institute of the Federal Republic of Germany - the Goethe Institut – works to promote cultural, social, and political life in Germany in order to encourage intercultural dialogue and involvement.

For over sixty years, the institute has been working as the first point of contact for refugees entering Germany. This is due to the international cooperation which has been achieved through various partnerships with over ninety countries all over the world. The Goethe Institut offers a wide range of educational and cultural activities ranging from language courses to cultural events, festivals, exhibitions, and forums regarding different fields such as film, dance, music, theatre, literature and translation. 

Among the aforementioned activities, one of the most influential activities may be “Welcome – Learning German for Refugees”. This initiative is dedicated to those refugees who want to learn and practice German free of charge. In addition, the Goethe Institut provides self-learning courses, speaking exercises, videos, and information about topics like daily conversations, how to find a job, and how to deal with authorities.

Refugees can also use apps available on smartphones and tablets which can be used in addition to classroom courses being offered or they can be used as an independent self-studying tool. As reported on the Goethe Institut’s web site, many of the apps available for learning German include Ankommen App (an arrival app), Deutschtrainer A1, and The City of Words. All of the apps start at the A1 level, but they each deal with different specific topics. 

The first app mentioned, the Ankommen App, is available in German, English, French, Arabic and Farsi. It is mainly dedicated as a German self-learning course which deals with asylum procedures, presents information about work and training and life in Germany. The second app mentioned, available just in German, focuses on vocabulary and language structure for beginners. The app contains ten chapters with short audio sections regarding everyday life in Germany. On the other hand, the latter mentioned apps are available in German, English, French and Arabic, and they are new ways of learning German devoted to learners without previous knowledge of the German language.  

Reference:

News from Berlin