The frustrations of obtaining German language courses

The day I discovered that I would be moving to Germany was the day that I began researching ways on how to obtain free versions of Rosetta Stone and Pilmsleur (expensive, computer-based and audio programs that help you to learn another language). One of the greatest benefits to living abroad is the gift of total immersion. Language and my ability to learn it would affect the quality of life in that country. In itself, this would encourage me to absorb all that I could, resulting in a hopeful fluency.

So I was rather disappointed to learn that I had arrived in Germany in the middle of the language semester, and would have to wait until the new year for my class to begin. I managed, and time flew by to accommodate my impatience. In January, the plan was to take morning classes in Neuss, a city in which the kids go to school. And yet as great plans go, this one failed. My German class didn't have enough registered students which caused the school to retract the program and refund our fees.

As it happened, there was another school about a thirty minute bus ride away in a town called Erkelenz. The classes would start at 7:30pm and finish at 9, which cuts into the last minutes of dinner, but was still something we could accommodate. I showed up on the first day of class and left feeling gigantically defeated. I was sitting in with students who had already taken four semesters of German studies. My peers were fluent and I was in the wrong class.

Thankfully there existed a beginning level which would start at 6pm. This meant that I would be missing out on dinner entirely as well as part of the play time that I had with my kids. There couldn’t have been a more inconvenient time slot, but it was all that was left and we were out of ideas. Under the Au Pair visa, German law states that it is mandatory for the Au Pair to enroll in a German language class. We really did have no other choice.

So, I abandoned my kids at 5:20 and paid €2.90 for bus fare each way, listened to an hour and a half of German and walked away feeling ridiculous. Not only was I the farthest behind (I had to join the second semester class) but I was learning my German with a Russian accent. I think you can guess where my teacher was from.

It was irony who decided that as soon as we got things settled, we'd get the news that I'd have to leave. I dropped out of language school.