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How to integrate successfully in Germany

You are thinking about moving to Germany and want to give yourself every opportunity to fit in rapidly and successfully? Here are a few tips for you.

Published: 16 August 2011 18:03 CEST
How to integrate successfully in Germany
Photo: Markus Ram

It is no big secret: if you want to fit in, you need to master the local language. If your German language skills are lacking, it is necessary to devote time to learning the language.

Accept the idea that you are a foreigner in the country and that you will have a lot to take in, once you’ve settled.

You need to understand that, in Germany like anywhere else in the world, becoming integrated requires effort to adapt to the daily, cultural, social, and even political life of the host country. This is still the ideal that every immigrant wishes to achieve. In order to reach this goal, don’t isolate yourself too much from local people. Talking with them is a great way of improving your level of German and at the same time, it is the key to fitting in naturally. Try to make as many contacts as you can, whether with English-speaking people who have been living in Germany for a shorter or longer time, with people from foreign countries or else with Germans, who are very welcoming towards international expatriates.

In order to speed up the integration process and gain self-confidence, you should also take a language course. German courses are especially designed for an international, non German-speaking clientele and are suitable for individual students, groups or professionals who wish to develop skills specific to their work. They will help you to achieve considerable progress in little time. Soon, you will be more comfortable with talking to local people; the course will allow you to become familiar with the German language and give you the means to communicate in everyday life. Taking a German course is an enjoyable way of meeting other foreigners who wish to fit successfully into German society, just like you!

Elected best language travel agency in Europe in 2010, ESL – Language Studies Abroad is the specialist in the organisation of language courses abroad, offering courses in more than 20 languages, 200 destinations in 45 countries on 5 continents! In order to meet the needs and expectations of German learners in Germany, ESL has purchased the established IH schools in Berlin and Freiburg.

If you have children, you have a critical choice to make: choosing their new school. Most institutions apply the German system. This method will undoubtedly help your children to make rapid progress in German and to understand the country from the inside.

However, you should consider sending your children to a summer camp to learn German. Thus, any fears about moving to a foreign country with a different language will be dispelled before you even settle in Germany. It is a judicious way of reassuring them while ensuring easier integration.

In the workplace, the major cultural difference resides in the place of the individual and the collective. In Germany, collective success is more important than individual success. Performance is held in high esteem. As for time management, it is very different to some other European countries. For instance, it is important for Germans to build a project step by step, after having discussed it with all of the collaborators first.

In order to get ready for your professional career in Germany, business German courses are the perfect solution for acquiring knowledge specific to your sector of activity and then making a career in Germany.

Finally, knowing that Germany is one of the countries where expatriates integrate best – according to a survey carried out by Expat Explorer1 – may reinforce your decision to move there. 65% of expatriates join a local association, which helps their integration. And still according to the survey, three quarters of expatriates learn German.

Find out more about the language programmes offered by ESL – Language Studies Abroad and ESL Schools online and do not hesitate to contact them in order to get a free quote for your tailor-made programme.

ESL Schools

Grand-Rue 42

Po Box 1206

1820 Montreux 1

Telephone : +41 (0) 21.621.88.88

Fax : +41 (0) 21.621.88.89

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.esl-schools.org

ESL – Language studies abroad (Head Office)

Grand-Rue 50

Case postale 1204

1820 Montreux 1

Telephone : +41 (0) 21.962.88.80

Fax : +41 (0) 21.962.88.81

E-Mail : [email protected]

Website : www.esl-languages.com

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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