Content and timing
Each integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course. The general integration course has 660 lessons, and depending on the focus of the course that applies to you, the total length of the course could comprise up to 960 lessons.
The language course
The language course comprises al total of 600 lessons on the general integration course, and up to 900 lessons on special courses.
The language course will cover important aspects of everyday life, e.g.
- shopping/trade/consumption
- housing
- health and hygiene/human body
- work and career
- continuing and further education
- educating and raising children
- leisure time and social interaction
- media and media use.
You will also learn to write letters and e-mails in German, to fill out forms, to make telephone calls and to apply for jobs. Topics will vary depending on which type of course you attend. If, for example, you attend a youth integration course, you will deal with topics which are of particular interest to young people such as applying for an apprenticeship.
During the language course you will take an intermediate test. This will help you prepare for the final examination at the end of the integration course.
The orientation course
In conjunction with the language course you will attend the orientation course. It takes 60 hours to complete.
On the orientation course you will discuss the following, for example:
- the German legal system, history and culture
- rights and obligations in Germany
- ways of co-existing in society
- important values in German society, e.g. freedom of worship, tolerance and equal rights.
You will complete the orientation course by taking the final test.
Full time or part time?
There are full-time and part-time courses available. As a general rule, the integration course is attended on a full-time basis.
It is possible in exceptional cases to attend on a part-time basis, if for example you are employed. Afternoon and evening courses are also offered in these cases.
Other things you need to know
Before the integration course begins, the course provider will carry out an assessment test. The result will help determine which course module you should begin with and whether it would be useful to attend a special integration course.
If you have attended lessons according to the rules and have used up your full quota of lessons on the integration course but have not attained language level B1 in the language section of the final test, you can apply to repeat 300 lessons on a one-off basis. You can then also take the language examination one more time without paying a fee.
display as attention: Important information
Skipping course modules and changing course providers
You may skip course modules and you can repeat individual course modules if you have already attended 1,200 lessons. You must however pay for the course yourself in this case.
At the end of each course module (after 100 hours), you may also change to another course provider.
