Language preparation and language certificates

For a successful stay abroad, thorough linguistic preparation is essential. To master the future teaching or local language during a stay abroad, appropriate courses should be taken at the Language Teaching Institute of the University of Wuppertal (research application deadlines before the semester begins!) or at other language schools as early as the beginning of your studies. The exact linguistic requirements are usually specified by the foreign universities.

The Language Teaching Institute of the University of Wuppertal (SLI) offers a variety of different language courses that you can take in preparation for a stay abroad.

You can find the DAAD test programme of the SLI here (german only).

If you cannot find your desired language or are looking for other learning formats, you can also search on the website of the State Language Institute at the Ruhr University Bochum (LSI), for example.

Many students take the opportunity to take a language course abroad. In addition to the daily language lessons, you can also deal directly with the use of the language in everyday life and thus strengthen your communication skills in the foreign language. There is a wide range of private and public providers with different offers and prices. You should therefore consider beforehand whether you would like to take an intensive language course for a short period of time, for example, or whether you would prefer just a few hours a day and a longer period on site. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD german only) offers you an initial overview of language courses worldwide or at selected universities. For the three most commonly learned languages English, Spanish and French, you can take courses with the following providers and often take an official language test at the same time:

British Council for English
Instituto Cervantes for Spanish
Institut Français or Alliance Française for French

Most language institutes are also available in Germany, allowing you to take a language course or language test in Germany as well. Some providers, such as the Deutsch Französisches Jugendwerk, offer scholarships for intensive language courses.

Students and university graduates require official language certificates for various occasions. Whether you are applying for a Master's programme abroad, for a scholarship for a stay abroad or as a so-called "free mover" at a university worldwide. In most cases, the relevant institution will specify which language certificate you should submit. Below you will find the most common and internationally recognised language certificates for English, Spanish and French. Please note that there are registration deadlines for language tests and that most of these are subject to fees. Also, make sure to find out the minimum score or result you need. If you have any doubts about your language skills, there are also special preparation courses for language tests.