Course concepts and types of course
- Literacy integration course
- Women’s integration course
- Parents’ integration course
- Youth integration course
- Intensive course
- Support course
For family, cultural, work or other reasons, some immigrants cannot attend the general integration course. Some have special issues, others a particular need for linguistic support. Special integration courses have been designed to make it easier for these people to participate on an equal level in life in Germany. These courses include up to 945 lessons.
Literacy integration course
Literacy courses are aimed at immigrants who cannot read and write (using the Roman alphabet or any alphabet) at all or to a sufficiently high level and who therefore need particular literacy and methodical support when starting to acquire language skills. The target group in question includes three main groups, which will be taught together:
- participants who are illiterate (without any reading or writing skills whatsoever)
- participants who are functionally illiterate (with a poor educational background and only elementary reading/writing skills that are not sufficiently high for participation in a general integration course or an integration course aimed at other special target groups)
- those learning a second alphabet (already literate in a non-Roman script)
The aim of a literacy course is
- for attendees to attain the goal of functional literacy as closely as possible and at the same time to teach German-language skills,
- to strengthen the social integration skills of attendees by teaching methods based on supporting self-reliance and sustainability,
- to acquire German skills to the level of elementary linguistic use (corresponding to the CEF), as a rule up to level A2 and above, where applicable. A level above A2 to B1 can be aimed at by attendees who could change from a literacy course to another type of course for special target groups (e.g. women’s integration course or support course) or even a general integration course based on the language level that they have reached.
These goals will be served by
- an assessment system that also allows entry into more advanced course modules of a literacy course depending on prior knowledge,
- the option of attendees who are assessed as being more advanced transferring to a different type of integration course based on their learning results,
- a systematic attendee-focused methodology, which also takes social, intercultural and psychological goals into account,
- lessons characterised by internal differentiation and teaching methods that are open and support independent learning, allowing individual attendees to learn at a level appropriate to them within the literacy course.
Women’s integration course
For family, cultural, work or other reasons, some female immigrants cannot attend the general integration course.The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has designed a nationwide women’s integration course for them.The women’s integration course comprising up to 945 lessons has the aim of teaching the attendees German-language skills up to level B1 of the Common European Framework (CEF) as well as general knowledge about Germany’s legal system, culture and history. In addition, emphasis is placed on the following in terms of content:
- raising children and children’s education
- visiting local authorities and institutions that are relevant for the target group
- issues surrounding gender roles in Germany and the women’s respective home countries.
Parents’ integration course
The parents’ integration course intends to give immigrant mothers and fathers the opportunity to learn about the German education system and their children’s educational institutions. It is therefore recommended that parents’ integration courses be offered near to kindergartens and schools, ideally on their premises. In this way, parents can experience the education system at first hand and meet the key people involved. They have the opportunity to be actively involved in their children’s educational careers.
The parents’ integration course comprising up to 945 lessons has the aim of teaching the attendees German-language skills up to level B1 of the Common European Framework (CEF) as well as general knowledge about Germany’s legal system, culture and history.
Youth integration course
Young adults place special demands on integration programmes. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has responded accordingly and presented a “programme for a nationwide youth integration course”. It provides all of those involved in integration courses with a binding guideline for organising and designing lessons for young immigrants. The integration course for young people is aimed at immigrants who
- are no longer required to attend school
- have not yet had their 27th birthday
- are planning to attend another school or begin a vocational training course.
To support attendees in their particular situation in life, as well as German-language skills, additional content is taught on the integration course for young people including technical, job-related and general knowledge subjects.Topics include, for example:
- the education system
- the job market
- career profiles
- healthcare provision
- preventing drug abuse and violence
- recreational activities.
All subject areas are practice-based and are also taught outside the context of the classroom. There is also a practical module towards the end of the course.Working independently in different social situations (e.g. in groups and working alone) and using modern media contribute to lively and interesting lessons. The concept focuses on active participation by attendees with the incorporation of advisory services, e.g. youth migration services.
Intensive course
The intensive course is a special integration course designed for people who learn particularly quickly and who are highly qualified. It comprises 430 lessons. Attendees at the intensive course can attain language level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference within 400 lessons of the language course rather than the usual 600 as on the general integration course. The orientation course is also shorter.It comprises 30 lessons.
Support course
The support course is aimed at immigrants who have already been living in Germany for some time but who have generally not acquired their German language skills through formal lessons. This is a target group that frequently features a combination of relatively good communication skills and marked deviation from standard language usage. In contrast, this group’s written language skills, reading comprehension and writing are usually rather weak.
The aims of the support course are therefore for attendees to relearn their skills and to modify their incorrect language usage. To achieve this, the course comprises 945 lessons.
In addition to developing existing everyday skills, the support course provides an opportunity for attendees to improve their German-language skills as means of improving their chances of participating in the labour market and in other areas of social life.
