We currently offer the following courses: Austrian Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German as a Foreign Language, Italian, Ivrit (modern Hebrew), Japanese, Latin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

There are online courses and face-to-face courses. You can find the courses here.

Anyone 17 and over can attend a language course at the Language Centre. You do not have to be a student or employee of the University of Innsbruck to take part in a course.

Our courses last one semester and take place weekly (except on holidays), in the winter semester from October to the end of January and in the summer semester from March to the end of June. The exact course dates can be found in our semester course programme.

One teaching hour is 45 minutes long.

If the epidemiological situation requires it, the face-to-face course will be substituted with online teaching.

Yes. The Preparation Course for the Supplementary Exam Latin is designed to help prepare students for the Supplementary Exam Latin.

You can also prepare for your language entrance exam at the Language Centre. Some language study programmes require a certain entry level before being admitted to the study programme. If you do not yet have this level, our courses will help you reach the required entrance level.

Information can be found here:

Who is the Preparation Course for the Supplementary Exam Latin for Law Students aimed at?
The course is designed for law students and prepares for the Supplementary Exam Latin for Law Students.

What are the course contents?
The course contents are basics of morphology and syntax, translation of legal texts, Latin terms and phrases from the field of legal terminology. They are carried out in accordance with the examination in Roman Private Law.

Should I expect an additional learning effort?
Yes. In addition to the course, expect approximately two hours of weekly self-study learning (homework, class follow-up, etc.).

Can I attend the course even if I am not a law student?
Yes, that is possible. Please note, however, this course is designed for law students and prepares them for the Supplementary Exam Latin for Law Students.

The courses cover all four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Yes. We offer conversation courses every semester in German as a foreign language, English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish. These courses are also available in Japanese and Swedish, but not every semester. If you are interested, please contact the office for more information.

We offer writing courses in German as a foreign language and English every semester.

In the courses Intercultural 1x1 you will acquire deeper knowledge of social values as well as the typical forms of interaction and behaviour of different cultural groups, in comparison to the German-speaking countries. The aim of these courses is on the one hand to gain a deeper understanding of these cultures, and on the other hand to avoid the typical ”mistakes” in dealing with people from different cultures.

• standardised and transparent learning objectives and learning content
• research-orientated language teaching
• a balance of the four skills: listening and reading comprehension, writing and speaking (in terms of participating in conversations) in lessons, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL)
• authentic and simulated real-life communicative situations as a preparation for use of acquired knowledge in real situations
• conveyance of cultural context as an significant element of language lessons
• target-group specific methodological organisation of lessons
• highly competent instructors
  
• a steep learning curve
• high level of learning requirements
• lessons defined by active participation of participants
• transparent guidelines regarding performance requirements in addition to transparent assessment and measurement of performance
• a testing culture in terms of a feedback culture
• interactive teaching

The detailed guidelines of our language teaching can be found here.

Dedicated, academically trained instructors with many years of teaching experience and a high level of competence in didactics teach the courses at the Language Centre.

Yes. You can contact your course instructor directly by email. You can find the contact details here.

In the conversation courses there is a maximum of 20 participants, and in the general language courses there is a maximum of 23 in order to guarantee a good learning environment and the support of the course instructors.

Yes. There must be a minimum of eleven participants for the course to take place.

Our courses are geared towards adults and are tailored to meet the needs of experienced learners. The courses are renowned for their high level of learning standards. This enables participants to achieve an accelerated learning curve.

In addition to the lessons, please allow time for homework, preparations for the lessons and preparation time for the exam.

The following table gives you an idea of how much time you should expect to invest each week in your language course.

Yes, as a general rule, there will be homework.

We use the learning management system of the University of Innsbruck OpenOlat and the web conferencing system BigBlueButton as a virtual classroom. Participants will receive information on how to get started with OpenOlat and BigBlueButton when they register.

You will need a stable broadband internet connection and a standard terminal device (PC/MAC, smartphone, tablet, notebook, etc.). You also need a headset and a webcam to be able to communicate with your course colleagues and your instructor.

Yes. Measures for systematic quality assurance are essential for us and they are also a reason for the participants’ high degree of satisfaction with our courses. In order to make this quality assurance comprehensible and sustainable, we have developed basic guidelines, the implementation of which is regularly reviewed.

Our language courses are based on the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. For our language courses we have further subdivided the individual reference levels into so-called plus-levels.

By the end of your course, you should have reached the language level listed in brackets after the course title. For conversation courses, the starting level is indicated.

Structure of our language courses:
The basic levels (Pre-A1, A1, A1+, A2 and A2+) correspond to an elementary language use.
Basic levels

The improvement levels (levels B1, B1+, B2 and B2+) correspond to an independent language use.
Improvement levels

The qualification levels (levels C1, C1+ and C2) correspond to a competent language use.
Qualification levels

Do you want to assess your language level in order to find the best course for you?
This is how it works:

• During the registration period you can find our online placement tests here for Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Englisch, Italienisch, Französisch and Spanisch.

  The online placement tests consist of reading comprehension, listening comprehension and grammar/vocabulary and are progressively structured, i.e. the test is initially easy and becomes more and more difficult as you go. As soon as you submit your placement test electronically, you will receive an evaluation of your results and a course recommendation.

• The respective course description can also help. Take a look at  the description of the learning contents and learning objectives (see course details) to find your optimal course. The learning objectives are based on the descriptions of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The course content is divided into subject areas, linguistic and structural learning objectives.
• With the help of these checklists you can assess your language skills yourself:
  – Checklist levels partly A1 and A1
  – Checklist levels A1+ and A2
  – Checklist levels A2+ and B1
  – Checklist levels B1+ and B2
  – Checklist levels B2+ and C1
  – Checklist levels C1+ and C2
  

Yes, every semester we also offer courses for beginners in every language.

We recommend you take the placement test. You can do that here.

No. The placement test is not a requirement. However, it can help you find the right course.

We recommend that you do not skip any levels as our courses are structured didactically one after the other.

If you have already learned the language, we recommend you to take our onlinge placement test to find the appropriate level. We do not offer special refresher courses for certain levels.

If there is no placement test available for the language you want, you can evaluate your language skills yourself by using the checklists.

The textbooks used in the course can be found in the course details listed for each course.

No, the textbooks are not included in the course fees and must be bought on your own.

The textbooks are available at Studia (Innrain 52f, 6020 Innsbruck) or at any bookshop.

Bitte kaufen Sie die Bücher vor dem ersten Kurstermin.

In some courses the course instructor does not use a textbook but arranges the course material for you.

In our language courses (online and face-to-face courses) there is a final test. In these tests the skills of listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing and speaking (in terms of taking part in a conversation) are assessed. All four skills are equally weighted. The respective course contents are assessed, which you can find in the course programme under the link “Dates and Course Contents”. For a positive grade, each section must be completed positively (at least 60 per cent must be achieved).

A detailed description of the course requirements for the language courses can be found here.

In our conversation courses there is an oral exam in the form of dialogues. Both oral production skills and the oral interaction skills are assessed.

A detailed description of the course requirements for the conversation courses can be found here.

In our writing courses, written production is assessed during a test at the end of the semester. The assessment criteria are task fulfilment, text structure, vocabulary and lexical accuracy.

A detailed description of the course requirements for the writing course can be found here.

No. The exam date is set by the course instructor for the whole group. It is therefore not possible to take the exam - or part of it - on another date.

No. Unfortunately, that is not possible.

If you need the grade or a certificate of completion or the ECTS credits, then participation in the final test is absolutely necessary. In addition, the exam is not only a performance assessment but also provides you feedback on your progress.

Yes, our language courses have standard assessment criteria for the assessment of final exams. This makes it possible to compare and evaluate the student's performance. In this way they contribute to the transparency of the assessment.

In addition, the examination culture of the Language Centre also sees itself as having a feedback culture. This means that standard and comprehensible assessment criteria for the individual areas allow the course instructors to give you individual feedback on your performance in the individual areas. In this way, your personal learning process will be supported, and you will know which areas you need to work on to improve.

The exact description of the evaluation criteria for our language courses can be found here.

The exam procedures regulate the duration and scope of the final test as well as the composition of the overall grade. Here you will find a list of our exam regulations.

ECTS is the abbreviation for "European Credit Transfer System". This unit of measurement for academic achievement used in Europe and beyond is intended to simplify the recognition of academic achievement at home and abroad. ECTS credits provide information on the amount of work required to successfully complete a course.

That depends on how many hours a week your course is. You can find out how many ECTS credits you will receive for your course in the course programme under Course Details (Dates and Content). The following list gives you an idea of how much time is spent each week on your language course: List of ECTS credits

The head of the study programme at your university/ institution will decide on the accreditation of ECTS credits at your university/ institution. Please inquire there to see whether certificates of the Language Centre are recognised.

You must attend at least 80 per cent of the lessons and fulfill the course requirements (e.g. you must pass the final exams) in order to get a grade/certificate. This applies to our face-to-face courses and our courses with online teaching.

As a student at the University of Innsbruck, you can access or print your certificate directly via LFU:online.

External participants and employees of the University of Innsbruck will receive the certificate in digital form by email.

Each institute can decide if the course certificate is accepted or not. Please enquire in advance at the respective institution to see if it will be accepted or not.

We will gladly issue you a duplicate. Please send us an email.

Yes, we will gladly issue a certificate of attendance. The prerequisite for this is an attendance rate of at least 70 per cent. Please simply send us an email.

No. But please keep in mind that you will only receive a grade/certificate if you were present at least 80 percent of the time (and take the final test). This applies to our face-to-face courses and our courses with online teaching.

Don't worry, just come to the earliest possible lesson and learn the course content that you have missed then.

Please remember that you will only receive a grade/certificate if you are present at least 80 per cent of the time (and take the final test). This applies to our face-to-face courses and our courses with online teaching.

Yes, if you are present at least 70 per cent of the time, you will receive a confirmation of attendance even if you do not take the exam. This applies to our face-to-face courses and our courses with online teaching. If you would like a confirmation of participation, please contact the Language Centre. We will be happy to issue the confirmation of attendance.

At the beginning of August we will publish the course programme for the winter semester on our website; the course programme for the summer semester will be available at the end of January.

The exact registration details can be found here.

In the first week of the course you can only register for the courses marked with "places available" on our website.

You can register both online and in person at the Language Centre office.

You can book your language course at the Language Centre online via our webpage course programme and pay by credit card, online banking or PayPal.

Students and staff members of the University of Innsbruck need their username and an email password.

All other applicants must first register with LFU:online before using the online registration and payment system.

Please bring a completed registration form with you. You can pay the course fee in cash, by ATM card or credit card.

If you register online, you will automatically receive a registration and payment confirmation as soon as you have paid the course fee.

If you register directly at the Language Centre office, you will receive your registration and payment confirmation directly from us.

For the courses ”erasmus - German as a foreign language” you can register online via LFU:online. You will need your username and email password.

On LFU:online you will see whether your registration request was accepted and confirmed.

Please note: These courses are reserved exclusively for erasmus students.

For the course “Joint Study - German as a Foreign Language I (partly A1)” you can register online via LFU:online. You will need your username and an email password.

On LFU:online you will then see whether your registration request was accepted and confirmed.

Please note: This course is reserved for students of Joint-Study programmes. If there are still places available at the beginning of the course, erasmus students can also register.

You can register directly via LFU:online. You will need your username and an email password.

On LFU:online you will then see whether your registration request was accepted and confirmed.

Please note: This course is exclusively reserved for students from South Tyrol.
The Preparation Course for the Supplementary Examination in Latin (for South Tyrolean) is financed by the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol and is free of charge for students from South Tyrol.

Please note: This course only takes place in the winter semester.

You can register at the course office of the Language Centre and pay for your course with your language course voucher.

Please note: The Faculty of Technical Sciences covers the cost of language courses in the amount of three teaching units. For language courses with more than three teaching units per week, only the costs for three teaching units will be covered by the voucher. The remaining costs must be paid by the student.

You can register at the Language Centre office and pay for your course with your voucher.

You can register via “i-med inside” at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

Please note: These courses are financed by the Medical University of Innsbruck and are free of charge for students of the Medical University of Innsbruck.

The course places are filled on a first come - first serve basis. There is no waiting list. If a course place becomes available, it will show on our website. You can then register immediately.

After registering, you will receive an email with information on how to access the learning management system OpenOlat and the virtual classroom BigBlueButton.

You can find the General Terms and Conditions here.

There are three different fees at the Language Centre:

• Fee 1
  For students of the University of Innsbruck
  
• Fee 2
  For employees of the University of Innsbruck
  
• Fee 3
  For all others interested in taking language courses
  

If you have booked your course online, the 14-day right of withdrawal applies. If you wish to cancel the course, please send us an email and/or the completed cancellation form enclosed with your registration confirmation.
For detailed information on the right of withdrawal in the case of a consumer transaction within the meaning of the Consumer Protection Act, please see our General Terms and Conditions.

If you have booked your course directly with us at the course office, the cancellation conditions according to our General Terms and Conditions apply.
Please simply send us an email if you wish to cancel your course. Up to one week before the start of the course, the course fee paid will be reimbursed minus a processing fee of 25 per cent. For deregistration from a course after that date, no refund can be made.
The exact cancellation conditions can be found in our General Terms and Conditions.

We will transfer the money to your bank account. Please provide us with your account details (bank name, IBAN, BIC and the name on the account).

Please send us an email if you can no longer attend the course. In the event of cancellation up to one week before the course, or in the case of supplementary and language proficiency exams, before the examination date, the course fee or the examination fee will be reimbursed minus a processing fee of 25 per cent.
For deregistration from a course or an exam after that date, no refund can be made.

The exact cancellation policy and information on the Right Of Withdrawl in the case of a consumer business within the meaning of the Consumer Protection Act can be found in our General Terms and Conditions.

Please contact your course instructor. If the instructor recommends you to switch the course, please get in contact with our course office. Provided that there are places available you then can switch the course.

Please contact our course office.

Please contact our course office.

Please contact our course office.

In exceptional cases, a course may have to be cancelled due to too few participants. In this case, we will inform you by email and try to find a solution, for example by finding an alternative course for you. If this change is not possible for you, we will of course refund all course fees that have been paid.

We always assume that the courses will take place as planned. You will only receive a notification if the courses have to be cancelled due to too few participants.

If a course has to be cancelled by the Language Centre, the course fees already paid will be refunded. The payment will be made by bank transfer to the account specified by you.

Should such changes occur, we will inform you by email.