News

In 2020, the F+U Academy of Languages will break the limits of analogue learning. At our language school - where flexibility is a top priority – will offer many new courses which you can take individually, in a group or online.

F+U Group Managing Director Hans-Dieter Sauer and F+U Academy of Languages China specialists Carolin Kemen and Wenwen Xi received a delegation from the China Vocational Education Association, represented by General Secretary Fang Naichun and several presidents of Chinese colleges and universities.

Beijing welcomes Karl-Heinz Rippel, head of the F+U Academy of Languages, with a cloudless sky. Visiting business partner CAPI in China's capital is first on the agenda.

Since January, 80 Mexican high school students between the ages of 16 and 18 have been attending German courses at the F+U Academy of Languages.

Did you know that integrated work-study programmes are very popular in Germany?
Students enrolled in so-called ‘dual’ undergraduate programmes work in a company while obtaining a Bachelor’s degree at the same time. They receive valuable work experience during their studies and are thus easily able to find work in the competitive German job market.

We added a new course type to our program: Online Intensive Courses.

From 24.12.2018 to 04.01.2019 the following offers do not take place:

• help with homework
• free consultation hours of teachers
• internal tests from A1 to C1
• TestDaF-courses on Saturdays

From the 07.01.2019 all courses and services continue as usual.

Christmas is coming early this year! We have a gift for you: Free online conversation lessons!

The inbound German language provider department of FDSV has announced the addition of four new members.

Initially established earlier this year by German outbound tour operator and agency association FDSV for members that also offered inbound programmes, the department has now expanded to offer membership to all German language providers that meet criteria.

F+U Academy of Languages is IELTS Test Centre

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests English language skills.

The junior courses for German and English exist since 2007. This year, 130 young people from over 40 nations took part.

Summer is finally here and the Junior Programme has started at our language school. On the first Monday of July, the F+U Academy of Languages welcomed more than 90 participants of all ages and from all over the world. The children and teenagers between the ages of 6 and 17 can look forward to exciting weeks, during which they are going to visit German language classes in the morning and participate in diverse leisure activities in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, 20th of June of 2018, the one-week final exams for our prospective Foreign Language Correspondence Clerks, European Secretaries and Multilingual Correspondence Clerks begin.

On Friday, 15th of June 2018, our prospective Foreign Language Correspondence Clerks, European Secretaries and Multilingual Correspondence Clerks had a visit from an employee of Secretary Plus.

This was the motto that introduced the activity on Thursday, 14th of June 2018, presented by three employees of the company McKinsey&Company, who came to our F+U Academy of Languages to inform our prospective Foreign Language Correspondence Clerks, European Secretaries and Multilingual Correspondece Clerks about their career start and work placement possibilities.

F+U Academy of Languages was awarded the StudyTravel Star Award as ST Star German Language School in London this weekend on September 2, 2017, thus winning the prestigious award the second time in a row. Earlier this year in July, F+U Academy of Languages had been shortlisted for the fifth time in a row among the top 5 schools in this category.

F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg has lots of new offers for all age groups and learning needs in store for 2018 – for seniors and professionals as well as for kids and young people.

This May, F+U Academy of Languages visited partners in China. Now, we’re welcoming our partners from CAPI on a one-week return visit to Germany.

Six weeks have passed since the beginning of this year’s Junior Programme. After the successful start of the Junior Programme on July 3, 2017, the month of August has some exciting news as well!

For the fifth time in a row, F+U Academy of Languages has been shortlisted as ST Star German Language School 2017 for the prestigious StudyTravel Star Awards. We would like to thank all our partners and agencies for their votes, continued support and successful cooperation.

From July 24 to 31, we welcomed 35 senior high-school students from Tunisia and their three teachers for a one-week taste of German language and culture.

Starting September 2, 2017, F+U Academy of language introduces a new language programme for children: the Русская Детская Академия, the Russian Academy for Children, where children aged 3 to 6 can deepen and develop their Russian language skills.

Melanie Mattigk is a German teacher who lives in Spain. From July 3 to July 13, she took part in the Professional Development Seminar for German Teachers to work-shadow in our Junior Programme. In our interview, she talks about her experiences at F+U Academy of Languages:

Many students around the world associate learning German with spending lots of time in a classroom, and swotting up on hard-to-pronounce vocabulary and difficult grammar. At F+U Academy of Languages, learning German means a lot more than regular classroom activities. It means actively participating in afternoon and weekend activities that help students get immersed in Germany’s language, history, and culture.

The final exams are over – 17 graduates of the Vocational College for Foreign Languages now have the right to bear the titles of state-recognized Foreign Language Correspondence Clerks, European Secretaries or Multilingual Correspondence Clerks.

Every second Saturday, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg hosts the Ukrainian Saturday School. The school called “Nasha Shkola“ (Ukrainian for “our school“) was established in 2009 under the umbrella of the German-Ukrainian society of the Rhine-Neckar region (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft Rhein-Neckar e.V.), which organizes Ukrainian classes for German-Ukrainian children and teenagers from Heidelberg and its surrounding areas.

This Monday, we were happy to welcome another 25 children and teenagers from all around the world at F+U Academy of Languages. That means we’ve had more than 115 kids learning German with us since the start of our Junior Programme on July 3! In addition to that, we were also welcoming two Chinese groups from Jiangsu and Beijing, totalling more than 60 students, in the course of the last two weeks.

From July 9 to July 17, F+U Academy of Languages welcomed another group of Chinese students. The 29 students aged 14 to 16 of Beijing Haidian Foreign Language ShiYan School have been learning German for two years in school and came to F+U Academy of Languages to improve their language skills and get to know the German culture.

F+U Academy of Languages supports the Caritas initiative “CaritasBox” by collecting used ink cartridges and old mobile phones in a paper box, to be recycled and used to collect money for social work. F+U Academy of Languages thereby supports an initiative by German welfare organization Caritas and the INTERSEROH Product Cycle GmbH. Since 2006, the CaritasBox has helped to raise 709.793,88 Euros to support people in need. F+U Academy of Languages is happy to be a part of this amazing project!

From July 2 to July 8, 25 children aged 9 to 12 from the Haimen Experimental Primary School in the province of Jiangsu, China, visited F+U Academy of Languages. Their goal: getting to know Germany’s culture and language. For most of them, it was their first visit to Germany and the first German course for all of them. Many were excited and full of expectations.

On 21 June, ten students of F+U Academy of Languages visited the “Imagine John Lennon” exhibition at the Kurpfälzisches Museum in Heidelberg.

With the start of this year’s Junior Programme today, F+U Academy of Languages welcomes more than 90 young participants aged 6 to 15 from all over the world. Our juniors look forward to exciting weeks, learning German in the morning and participating in our leisure programme in the afternoon.

Esteban, José, Juan and Daniela are part of a group of 16 to 18-year-old high-school students who for one month have exchanged their school in Monterrey, Mexico, for F+U Academy of Languages in Heidelberg to study German. In a short interview last week, they took the time to talk about their stay and experiences in Heidelberg, and, most importantly, about cultural differences between Mexico and Germany.

For the third year in a row, F+U Academy of Languages welcomed a group of 22 students from Trentino, Italy, along with their supervisors in from May 21 to June 3 Heidelberg.

From May 31 to June 02, 2017, Nicole Greß, head of the international test centre at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg, was in Hanoi, Vietnam, by special agreement with the Trabi Vietnam Education and Counselling Centre to conduct telc German exams on a B1 and B2 level.

In the second week of our journey to China, F+U Academy of Languages visited the Sino-German Metal Eco City in Jieyang. “There is a great network of German and Chinese companies,” says Karl-Heinz Rippel, director of the academy. “Medium-sized companies work together closely, which means there are also great opportunities for F+U in the area of language and professional training.”

From May 15 until May 25, Karl-Heinz Rippel, director of the F+U Academy of Languages, is on a visit to North and South China in order to strengthen partnerships, make new contacts and introduce the educational programmes of the F+U group of companies. Karl-Heinz Rippel is accompanied by Dr. Huojin Xiong, director of the Foshan F+U Management and Consulting Co., Ltd.

The F+U Academy of Languages will visit Japan again from May 19th until May 30th. Kyoko Neuß, director of our Japan Centre in Heidelberg, will visit 21 agencies in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. During her trip she will hold an information seminar about F+U Academy of Languages and present our school at an education fair.

Students of F+U Academy of Languages may pre-register for the next TestDaF on July 19, 2017, starting Sunday, May 21, 2017. Pre-registration is possible only via e-mail to testdaf@fuu.de and only after 9 p.m.

This May, our students had the opportunity to learn about studying at the Internationale Berufsakademie (University of Cooperative Education – iba), which is also a part of the F+U group of companies. The information event was held at F+U Academy of Languages and attended by 35 inquisitive students. The relaxed atmosphere encouraged the audience to ask many questions about iba and studying in Germany.

On May 9 and 10, we welcomed a delegation from Sanshui Foreign Languages School (BFSU) in Southern China, headed by Mr Zhiming Liang, in Heidelberg.

F+U Academy of Languages offers a German test for immigrants for levels A2 and B1 (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer A2•B1) on June 24th, 2017. Registrations can be made until May 24, 2017. The examination fee is € 180 and can be paid by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The examination fee is € 215 for registrations made after the registration deadline.

Starting now, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers a service number through which you can reach us daily from 8 p.m. till 8 a.m.:

The Tunisia Centre is an international project that F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg is especially proud of. A cooperative project of the Tunisian Ministry of Education and our partner agency Access Tunisie, the scholarship programme enables Tunisian teachers of German to take part in a training programme at our language school. Thus, in April we got to welcome 20 scholars.

From April 10 to April 15, F+U Academy of Languages welcomed a new group of 20 Tunisian teachers of German at our school in Heidelberg, where they attended a one-week professional development seminar.

F+U Academy of Languages is hosting a new group of Mexican high-school students this spring. The 78 students aged 16 to 18 will stay in Heidelberg for almost four months to learn German in our school.

Every year, students of F+U Academy of Languages and interested persons have the opportunity of taking a number of different language exams which are recognized as evidence of linguistic aptitude for foreign prospective students at German universities.

F+U Academy of Languages offers an extra date for TestAS on May 19, 2017. Registrations can be made between March 3, and May 05, 2017. The exam fee is € 80.

On April 19, 2017, we will hold another TestDaF trial exam for students who wish to prepare more intensively for their TestDaF exam.

With the regular exam date for telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule already booked out, we’re now offering an extra date on April 29, 2017 exclusively for students of F+U Academy of Languages.

On March 7, 2017, Karl-Heinz Rippel, Head of F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg, and Karl-Heinz Wieland, in charge of the Erasmus+ programme at F+U Academy of Languages, met Tunisian Minister of Education, Mr Neji Jalloul, in Tunis to discuss the development of their cooperation.

For more than a year, the telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule exam has been a fixed part of the Rahmenordnung über Deutsche Sprachprüfungen für das Studium an deutschen Hochschulen, the legally binding framework regulating German language exams for higher education in Germany.

The next TestAS for Refugees will take place on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

The pre-selection test for the DSH exam on April 29, 2017 at FH Aachen will take place on Monday, March 20, 2017. Pre-selection is open only to current students of F+U Academy of Languages.

Students of F+U Academy of Languages may pre-register for the next TestDaF exam starting Sunday, February 26, 2017.

The internal selection procedure for the next DSH exam (April 29, 2017) will take place on March 20, 2017. Registrations can be made from March 6 onwards at F+U Academy of Languages’s main office.

Registration for the next TestAS on April 22, 2017 is possible starting next Monday, January 23, 2017.
Registrations can be made in the front office at F+U Academy of Languages, Hauptstr. 1.

In cooperation with university of applied sciences Aachen, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers 40 spots for each DSH exam at FH Aachen for current and former language students.

On January 31, 2017, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers another TestDaF Trial for students with level B 2.1 or higher or with at least 700-1,000 lessons in German. The TestDaF Trial tests both listening comprehension and oral skills and prepares students for TestDaF.

For the first time, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg is hosting a group of language students from Mauritius. The two small groups consisting of 7 students each arrived in mid-November.

A new group of about 65 Tunisian students has started learning German at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg at the beginning of November. The young men and women are enrolled in German intensive courses lasting 20 to 25 weeks in order to prepare for the TestDaF exam (Test for German as a Foreign Language). International students who are interested in studying in Germany can provide evidence of their German skills with this test.

Starting Friday, November 18, 2016, students of F+U Academy of Languages are given the opportunity to pre-register for the next TestDaF exam on February 14, 2017. Only students who are currently enrolled in a B2 course or higher can pre-register.

This November, F+U Academy of Languages travelled to Japan for 12 days, where Kyoko Neuß, director of our Japan Centre, was able to make new and interesting contacts.

F+U Academy of Languages offers not only language courses but also opportunities for language teachers to continue their education at our school. This fall, we welcomed Mohamed Babah Helle (35), an English teacher from Mauritania, as a trainee. He is a participant in the CrossCulture Internship Programme of the German Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) and spent three months at F+U Academy of Languages and other schools in Heidelberg to sit in on English classes. We got to meet Mohamed for a short interview.

Starting January 9, 2017, F+U Academy of Languages offers a new integration course. The course start at module Basis 1 and is therefore suitable for beginners without prior knowledge of German.

Starting now, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers a boarding school to accommodate minor students, thus giving students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to attend a language course without being accompanied by their parents.

F+U Academy of Languages has been awarded the StudyTravel Star Award as ST Star German Language School 2016 on September 3rd, 2016, in London. Started in 2006 by StudyTravel Ltd., publisher of the ST Magazine, the StudyTravel Awards are the most influential awards in the study travel industry, in which agencies and education providers from all over the world vote for their preferred partners to determine those who distinguish themselves through the broad range of their programmes, the outstanding quality of their services and their special commitment to customers and partners.

This summer, F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg welcomed many international student groups who came to Heidelberg to study German, such as two groups from Georgia and Kirghizia who stayed 2 and 3 weeks respectively. The children and teenagers aged 9 to 18 attended language courses according to their level to improve their skills together with other course participants from all over the world. “This was our first stay in Germany”, as a Georgian student reports, “I liked my class because we were a small course. Our teacher always had time to help us individually and immediately.”

F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg is looking back at an absolutely successful Junior Programme in 2016. With a total of 230 participants spending one or more weeks at our language school in Heidelberg in July and August, we were lucky to welcome children and teenagers from almost 40 nations, among them Italy, China, Venezuela, France, the United States, Azerbaijan and South Korea. Moreover, forty young learners from Algeria aged 8 to 15 attended a one-week German course. For almost all of them, it was their first stay in Germany.

It was καλή αντάμωση! (Goodbye!) for our summer group from Cyprus, who had stayed in Heidelberg for 2 weeks to learn German and gain an insight into German culture. This cheerful and open-minded group of teenagers had started learning German in school and joined German classes at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg to work on their language skills together with other students from all over the world.

For the fourth time in a row, F+U Academy of Languages has been nominated as ST Star German Language School for the StudyTravel Star Awards 2016. Moreover, it has received the iStudy Award as World Language School of the Year – Germany by iStudy Guide.

In August, our first two students graduated from the training programme for Multilingual Correspondence Clerks at the Vocational College for Foreign Languages at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg.

13 students of mechanical and electrical engineering of Beijing Information Science and Technology University attended a German course at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg from July 24 to August 6, 2016. Besides attending German classes, the group also did some sightseeing to get to know the Heidelberg’s old town and famous castle.

In the third week of august, around 40 children and teenagers took part in German and English courses at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg.

Languages are so much more than just the sum of their vocabulary and grammar. In order to learn a language, you have to immerse yourself in its culture.

In the second week of August, almost 90 Juniors participated in the Junior Programme to learn and discover. With games, songs and books, they were able to improve their German and English skills in a fun way.

At F+U Academy of Languages, there are many students with an exciting story to tell. One of these stories is of the twins Mohamed Taieb and Nour from Tunisia, who did not only come to the F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg to learn German but who will also participate in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

A total of 75 children and teenagers attended Junior Courses in German and English at the F+U Academy of Languages last week and participated in our exciting leisure programme.

More than 60 children and teenagers took part in our German classes in the fourth week of our junior programme. Coming from all over the world, they meet here in Heidelberg to learn German together at the F+U Academy of Languages.

F+U Academy of Languages’ courses are sought after throughout the year. 750 students have been attending classes in July, and a number of just under 300 students will start a new course in August. Thus, on Monday, August 1, a number of 220 students will begin a German, English, Spanish, or Italian class at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg. In addition, 65 kids and teens will start a German or English class as part of the popular Junior Programme.

On Monday, July 18th, the 2016 junior programme at the F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg entered its third week in which approximately 70 children from all over the world attended the German classes.

People are often more than they seem to be at first sight. After studying Business Administration in Basel and Zurich, 20-year-old Médérick came to the F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg to improve his German skills and gain some work experience.

As before, students of F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg have the opportunity to pre-register for the next TestDaF exam on September 20, 2016. This opportunity is given only to those students who are enrolled in a B2 course or higher.

The F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers its students the weekly opportunity to learn the German language in a funny and entertaining way. The course, which takes place every Tuesday, is called “Learn how to speak German with Grimms’ Fairy Tales” and is a part of F+U Academy of Languages’ cultural activities programme.

Due to the TestDaF exam on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, service at the counter will be strictly limited.
We apologize for any inconvenience.

From September 2015 to May 2016, 15 young football talents from India and their 5 supervisors have been attending German classes organized by F+U Academy of Languages in Sinsheim, a small town near Heidelberg.

On Monday, July 4, the 2016 Junior Programme started at F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg. Almost 100 children and teenagers from all over the world took part in this week’s German classes.

A traditional Japanese tea ceremony is something special. The F+U Academy of Languages in Heidelberg organises it every two weeks for students who are interested in Japan’s customs. Led by our certified tea ceremony teacher Kyoko Neuß, interested students learn how a tea ceremony is usually conducted. In total, this programme takes 10 teaching hours in which Kyoko explains the single steps and then students may try one after the other by themselves.

From May 29 to June 26, 2016, the F+U Academy of Languages once again had the pleasure of welcoming a new group of 100 Mexican students at the age of 16 to 18 to our language schools in Heidelberg and Berlin.

A new A1 German evening class starts next Monday, July 4, 2016, for beginners without any knowledge of German.

Intercultural exchange between Japan and Germany has played an important role in F+U Academy of Languages‘ activities and offers for many years.

F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg offers another TestAS for Refugees on September 3, 2016. The test can be taken in German, English and – for the first time – in Arabic.

The TestAS for refugees offered by F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg for the first time on June 25, 2016, is already booked up.
For further information on the TestAS for refugees, go to https://refugees.testas.de/.
For further enquiry, contact languages@fuu.de.

We are happy to announce that 25 exam seats will be available fort he next DSH exam on June 18, 2016. The seats are provided in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Aachen.

F+U Academy of Languages offers an extra date for TestAS on June 11, 2016. All 40 spots are booked out.

At F+U Academy of Languages Heidelberg, language programmes are on offer not only for children, teens, and adults, but also for infants and toddlers – for example, in the Japanese toddler group organized by Japanese mums in Heidelberg.

With four major language tests conducted in Heidelberg alone, April has been an eventful month at F+U Academy of Languages. We started out with a TestDaF Trial, followed by a TestAS Trial in Arabic – and finally, there were the TestDaF and TestAS exams last Saturday.

People of most diverse origins and educational backgrounds work at the F+U Academy of Languages in Heidelberg. In the series “People at F+U”, we would like to introduce some of them. Roman, who just completed his 2-months internship with us, will get the ball rolling.

F+U Academy of Languages offers 20 spots for DSH exams (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang, one of the exams to proof sufficient German language skills to study at a German university) in Aachen in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Aachen. The first 20 spots will be available for the exam on the 30th of April. Spots for further exam dates will be offered on a regular basis. The participants will be chosen from among F+U students, the exact procedure will be announced in the next few days.

Heidelberg’s Ruprecht Karls University is among the world’s best universities, as has recently been shown in QS World University Ranking by Subject, published in March.

Certificates to be mailed after Easter holidays

Pre-registration for the next TestDaF exam, which will take place on April 20th, starts on February 23rd exclusively for F+U students.

With its first-class education system, Germany is an attractive place to study for many young people from all over the world. However, higher education in Germany may prove difficult as certificates obtained at schools and universities abroad are not always recognized.

Starting September 2016, F+U will offer a student hall exclusively for female students.

F+U’s newly-built Heidelberg campus includes a large student residence that leaves very little to wish for. With high-quality equipment and an impressive array of state-of-the-art facilities, the new residence answers all demands of modern living and learning.

On the 5th of November we will be offering our students a unique opportunity to test some of the segments of the TestDaF exam under actual conditions. Students can take the exam segments such as Listening Comprehension, C-test (Fill in the Blanks) and the oral exam. Registration can be done in the front office. Take advantage of our “Trial TestDaF exam” just before participating in the next TestDaF exam on November 19th, 2015 and familiarize yourself with the structure and contents of a TestDaF exam.

Last Sunday the ten of us went on a trip to Cannstatter Wasen, the traditional German folk / fun fair. We met up at the Heidelberg train station and the journey could start.

15 Indian junior football players as well as their 5 teachers are going to start their German language course at F+U Academy of Languages today. The young talents will be playing and practicing in the basis of a special sponsored program at the German Premier League club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

We started the very last week of the programme with a visit of the Botanic Garden of Heidelberg. There, the kids learned a lot of interesting things about a variety of plants, they could take a close look at little fish and plants in the pond and make a keepsake out of petals.

The 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as Shanghai-Ranking, shows: Heidelberg’s Ruperto Carola is Germany’s most renowned university.
The latest Shanghai-Ranking from August 2015 shows that Germany’s oldest university, Ruperto Carola in Heidelberg (founded in 1386), is also the best. Still sharing the top position with Ludwig-Maximilian-University in last year’s ranking, it was not just able to defend its position but can now claim rank No. 1 solely for itself.

This week, we started with a trip to Heidelberg's Castle. The landmark of the beautiful Heidelberg, sitting enthroned above the town and visible from afar, is not only a tourist magnet, but also an exciting excursion destination for our little ones.

Together with the juniors who had arrived in the previous weeks, we went on an orientation tour on Monday. Starting at Bismarckplatz, which is where the F+U Academy of Language is centrally located, we followed the Hauptstraße which leads to the market place and then from there we followed the river Neckar back to the school.

First, we went to the fairy tale paradise at the Königstuhl in Heidelberg. There, the kids could see different presentations of a variety of fairy tales like Snow White or Rumpelstiltskin.
On Tuesday, a visit at the interactive exhibition Explo Heidelberg was on our agenda. Here, the children at the age of 6 to 15 could gain a fascinating insight into the world of science and technology.

On Monday, our juniors went to the cinema in Viernheim. Split into two groups, the children saw Minions in 3D and Jurassic World – in German of course!

On Monday, we made a trip to Heidelberg Castle, the landmark of the beautiful town of Heidelberg. More than 300 steps lead to the castle, which was opened first in 1214. Provided with audio guides, we explored the castle, its gardens and the big barrel, which fits an incredible amount of 220.000 litres.

The children at the ages of 6 to 15 are from all around the world: Spain, Italy, USA, Mexico, Russia, China, Rumania, Great Britain, Georgia, Lithuania… the list is long!

We had the idea of hosting guest students because of our daughter. When she was 14 she went to England and stayed there with a host family. They didn’t have much time for her and for this reason her stay wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. So we decided to become a host family and do it better.

We had the idea of hosting international students because of our friends. What we like best about hosting international students is that we learn a lot about different countries, their culture, and customs. Living with international students is really uncomplicated as long as they follow and respect the house and the school rules. There are always students who disrespect the rules but the cooperation with the school and with the teachers helps us set boundaries.

The Londoner Magazine "Times Higher Education" chooses the top 100 most prestigious universities worldwide every year. More than 10.000 scientists voted for their ten favorites, that is, which universities they felt are the most renowned. This year, for the first time, two German rank among the top 40. The Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich occupied the 35th place, closely followed by the University of Heidelberg (also known as Ruperto Carola University) on the 38th place. Last year, the University of Heidelberg ranked 50th.

To avoid abuse of our invitation letters for visa application we have added the following regulation to our general terms and conditions:

In order to enable our students to reach C1 or C2 level even faster and pass the TestDaF exam even sooner than usual, we are introducing a new semester course that specializes in the intensive preparation for the exam. New students can book this course as of now, and students who are already registered or have already started their course can join as well.

The sun was shining brightly as four of our students took a trip to the Museumsuferfest (Festival of Museums) in Frankfurt am Main on Saturday, August 30th. Conversation flowed as the participants, who hailed from Italy, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Ecuador, compared notes on the customs and peculiarities of their home countries, making the train ride to Frankfurt seem even shorter than it is.

On Tuesday, August 19th, 12 students from 6 different countries (Italy, Russia, Palestine, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Kurdistan) took a trip on a solar ship on the river Neckar.

On Tuesday, August 12th, 16 of our students from various nations, such as Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, Macedonia, and Turkey, set out on a trip to Neuburg Abbey, the picturesque Benedictine monastry on the outskirts of Heidelberg.

On Monday, August 18th, we were pleased to welcome a delegation from the two Chinese universities Guangdong Industry Technical College and Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University.

Educational tourism is booming in Heidelberg - language courses for German and English are especially popular

On Saturday, August 9th, 38 of our students took the opportunity to take a closer look at our neighboring country Luxembourg. As a tourist destination, our smallest neighbor is often neglected in favor of countries like France and Denmark; however, especially its eponymous capital city, which looks back on a rich history and is the seat of several EU institutions, is considered an insider tip. With its three official languages, the country also seems an especially fitting destination for our language students. Reason enough to pay it a visit!

On Saturday, August 2nd, our group, which included students from Spain, Russia, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, Georgia, and Turkey, took a trip to the town of Triberg im Schwarzwald (Black Forest).

On Saturday, July 29th, ten participants of our leisure program, accompanied by Ms. Kyoko Neuß, set out for beautiful Baden-Baden, the famous spa town in the far west of Baden-Württemberg. Determined to enjoy the day despite the less than summerly weather, the group, which consisted of students from Russia, Turkey, Spain, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Italy, was ready to start exploring the city.

Granted, the 880 year-old abbey may not be the most popular tourist destination in Heidelberg. The reason for this may be its slightly remote location; still, a visit is worthwhile, as eight participants of the leisure program can attest to.

July 15th turned out to be a day of opposites at F+U Academy of Languages: While others were sweating over the TestDaF exams, our FSK students took the chance to take a break from learning: together, the complete student body took a boat trip on the river Neckar.

At the most recent TestDaf exam on July 15th, quite a few improvements could be noticed at the Academy of Languages. Since the previous month, F+U had increased its capacities considerably: This time, 114 participants attended the exam which confirms German language skills on a university level. Furthermore, the school's computer rooms, where the oral part of the exam takes place, boasted brand-new equipment.

From 7th to 19th July, we were happy to host a group of students from Beijing University of Information Science and Technology. As majors in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, the students naturally found much to like in our area, which boasts a rich and varied technical history.

Chemnitz is the third-largest city of Saxony, with the epithet "City of Modernism" awarded by its citizens and an eventful history to boast of. For around 850 years it has stood for the coming together of tradition and progress in the most varied disciplines. Whether in industry, science, sports or art: The pioneer spirit inherent to Chemnitz has brought about considerable success and numerous innovations in all of them.

Things are heating up for our trainees in the field of foreign languages: once again, it's time for state examinations for our prospective Foreign Language Correspondence Clerks and European Secretaries! From June 18th to 25th, they will get to prove what knowledge they have gained in their 1 1/2 or 2 year-long training which included their respective languages and the subjects of office organization, business studies, commercial correspondence and writing techniques.

Our beautiful city will soon be able to add to its multitude of interesting sights. Compared to the rest of the venerable university town, however, it might fall a bit out of line: The Bahnstadt, Heidelberg's newest district, will soon be home to the world's largest passive house settlement.

Everyone save the date - next Sunday, June 15, it's time once more for "Lebendiger Neckar"! (the river Neckar "comes alive") Going into its 13th consecutive year, the event regularly draws a huge number of visitors to the banks of the Neckar river., allowing them, for a change, to enjoy our picturesque riverbank completely unspoiled by any motorized vehicles.

Good news for those jobholders who are eager to learn: The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has announced a new round of funding for the education voucher program. Starting on 1st July 2014, 280,000 new vouchers are planned to be distributed until December 2017.

This piece of information should be especially interesting to all of our trainees in the field of foreign languages: Starting in 2015, the Federal Government will take sole financial responsibility for Bafög (Federal Training Assistance Act).

On May 13th, we trainees in the field of foreign languages had the exciting opportunity to take part in a recruitment day with adesta GmbH, settled in Darmstadt. Two of the agency's employees took the time to talk with us about their work as well as everything related to the application process and more.

On Friday, March 28th, our workshop "Study in Germany" took place. Participants of various nationalities visited F+U for the occasion.

The fact that Kyoto University and Heidelberg's Ruperto Carola have maintained a close partnership for years is nothing new; their cooperation goes back as far as 1990 and found its temporary peak in the foundation of a Japanese-German univeristy consortium, creatively dubbed "HeKKSaGOn".

Spring is here - the time of blooming meadows, mild temperatures, and hay fever. For prospective students, it also heralds a period of university applications and intensive preparation for their future course of study. International students additionally face the stressful and time-consuming task to get ready for the technical as well as the linguistic requirements of university life.

According to the QS World University Ranking 2014, which looks at surveys from scientists and employers as well as citation analyses, the Ruperto Carola is considered one of the best colleges in Germany. To enable students to enroll in this leading university, the F+U Academy of Languages (AOL) imparts the necessary language proficiency.

“Meeting Point Library” - Students of many nationalities who are learning German as a foreign language at the Academy of Languages meet with trainees from the state recognized recognized School for Foreign Language Professions who are looking to exercise their newly acquired language skills, for example in Chinese, Russian, or Japanese, with a tandem partner.

The F+U Academy of Languages wishes all of our students, partners and friends a happy, healthy and successful New Year!

On Friday December 6th, 2013 the Japan Center at the AOL hosted a free music night in Heidelberg with Christmas-themed pieces from famous composers.

HIS Deutschland is a Japanese travel agency particularly specialized in cheap flights to and from Japan. Besides this, they also offer individual travel arrangements to Asia, Europe, and in the whole world.

12,375 visitors and 147 exhibitors from 24 countries, including the AOL, were guests at the EXPOLINGUA this year, the leading international fair for languages and cultures in German speaking regions.

On a gloriously blue day, 19 students including supervisors traveled by bus and train to Rust on a fun and exciting excursion. By T. Hübner (Translation: L. Tanti)

After months of work, the AOL's first film has been posted online at:

shows us scenes from its bustling daily life.

In the bilingual classes at the new elementary school, students learn in German as well as in English in a playful manner. This way, educators at the HPC make use of children's natural ability to learn languages as early as possible.

– more than 2,000 participants from all over the world hosted in Heidelberg.

In addition to an attractive offer of summer classes, one of the largest language schools in Germany is offering a broad selection of cultural programs and official language certification exams.

We have a new freetime activity called „Aussprachetraining mit Susanne“ (pronounciation training), which takes place every Thursday and Friday starting at 3 o´ clock in room 27. The teacher is Susanne and the activity is for free!

After two Japanese theme weeks and numerous other events to facilitate Japanese-German cultural bonding, F+U once again acted as "Gateway to the Far East" by hosting its first week-long Japanese Summer Festival from 5th to 8th August.

Recent news make Heidelbergers feel validated in their pride of their historic university: Recently, its website published the results of the Shanghai ranking, the Academic Ranking of World Universities, which showed Heidelberg take a big leap of 8 spots forward to rank No. 54. Heidelberg came in second-best in all of Germany, after Munich Technical University.

The Japan Centre has again scheduled an extraordinary course plan, consisting of different topics on politics and culture in Japan.

Big news for F+U Academy of Languages: We are nominated for the STM Star Award as Star German Language School 2013!

The junior program has started.