BWS Germanlingua Köln
Hohenzollernring 88, Cologne, North Rhine-West 50672, Germany
BWS Germanlingua Köln
Mini-Group Course is available only from September until June (not in July and August)
Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities
BWS does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
You can choose from the following class times:
Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.
Average | 4 students |
Maximum | 5 students |
Age range | 16 years old and older |
Average | 20 years old |
It was in 1984 when we started teaching German as a foreign language. Since then thousands of students from all over the world joined our classes and many of them returned a second and sometimes a third time.
Both of our schools are in the very centre of the two most attractive German cities: Munich and Berlin. Thanks to our highly qualified teachers, the welcoming atmosphere and the modern teaching facilities we have earned a very good international reputation. In our classrooms, students from all over the world meet to learn German. Our teachers as well as the other members of our school office team are always available for advice. A student library and free internet access (even wireless) is at our students‘ disposal.
Our fully equipped kitchen is a popular hang-out during the breaks and enables an intensive exchange between students and teachers beyond lesson time. Here, extra-curricular activities for the evenings and weekends are planned and these often form the beginning of lasting friendships.
BWS Germanlingua is committed to offering quality German language courses to foreigners in a pleasant environment that respects the values of each participant, with the aim of strengthening communication between different linguistic communities in the world. We do not only focus on teaching the German language, but also the German culture and costumes. Our staff and teachers will do their utmost to integrate every student and will always be happy to help and give advice also beyond teaching hours to make Germany your home away from home!
We believe that excellent teaching is the most essential asset to a successful school. Due to continuous further training, our qualified and experienced teachers are well acquainted with the latest developments in the area of German as a foreign language. You will note that our instructors can be seen as highly motivated, very competent and knowledgeable friends who are teaching the class. As a result, the members of our staff are not only available to discuss matters of German language but are also happy to help you with advice on other subjects of life. A lot of times they even organize our extra-curricular activities.
The nationality and age mix at BWS Germanlingua Köln varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 20. In the summer, the average age is 20.
BWS teaches students from all over the world, including:
BWS does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
The school is wonderfully situated on the left side of the Rhine River in the city center of Cologne at
Hohenzollernring 88. The area is the main entertainment district of the city with countless bars, restaurants, pubs, and theaters giving it a lively vibe and cosmopolitan flair but at the same, it boasts to be one of the best neighborhoods to live in such as the very posh Friesenviertel.
The school is surrounded by green and well-maintained parks as well as a small lake which invites students to take a time-out, relax or do some outdoorsy activity after having done their lessons. A popular destination is also the “MediaPark”, just 10 minutes by tram, home of over 250 companies of the media and communication industry like EMI Music Germany and the Westdeutscher Rundfunk. The famous Kölner Dom and the main station are just 10 minutes walking away.
I really enjoyed the experience. The classes were entertaining and easy to follow the contents, the teachers helped you whenever you needed and explained everything clearly.
The location of the academy is good, you have good places near.
I only went to one of the activities, a trip to Maastricht and I loved it.
I went with a host family and it was great, she was really nice and I felt very comfortable. The house and the bedroom were perfect.
I enrolled in 1 week of semi-intensive study but was not interviewed to determine my level or needs. I was put in a class that should have been about the right level but the other students were clearly not at this level. The other students were also all enrolled on an intensive which meant that I was given the same homework as them. But i was leaving the class 1 hour early since I was only on a semi-intensive. I practice this combing of intensive and semi- intensive did not work well. We spent much of the time on the second day going over homework exercises that the other students had been given after I had left the day before.
There was also a fiasco with the replacement teacher on the second day, she arrived 20 minutes late to class and said she would make it up to us by going 20 minutes over the hour at the end but I had to leave at my usual time to start my full-time job. She also seemed completely unprepared, spent a lot of time scrolling through her computer files to find things, gave us group or partner exercises the were not well defined, and spent much of the time on grammatical exercises which were quite basic for me.
Several of the other students were late coming back to class after the break by she insisted that we all wait for them.
All up, I got very little instruction that day. It put me off coming back to the school since i had he feeling of my time being wasted. I did not attend any rof my remaining 3 classes.
The textbook was also really boring and seemed selected for very generic school leavers with little life experience. The content was banal and focused on employment, travel and socialising. As someone older and with many intellectual interests, it was very ininappropriate for me.
The group classes were really good. I was with a teacher called Mauritz who was a really good teacher and could approach the class from every single angle. He could teach grammar, vocabulary, he would always organize fun games so the students could actually practise the language. He corrected written assignments from one day to another.
THe private lessons were not that well organized... perhaps because one of the teachers got Corona Virus and they had to cover my classes with the teachers who were available. Nevertheless I could take advantage of them and actually learnt quite a lot.
The facilities were allright. Sometimes the classroom was a little bit too small in times of CORONA. But there was always hot coffee, the people were really friendly and everything worked out just fine
The location was perfect, just a 20 minute walk from where I had rented an Arbnb so it was perect for me
I spent 2 weeks in Köln and it was an unique experience. BWS Germanlingua is a really good school, the teachers and staff were all very nice and helpful. Classes were interesting and very cultural. The teachers were all native German speakers, which I think is very important to learn the correct pronunciation and specific details about the language that others probably would not know. The students came from all over the world. I met some people from Ecuador, Mexico, Switzerland and Brasil there. Location of the school and housing was perfect, very close to the U-Bahn (metro) and to cafes, stores and supermarket. Studio apartment and shared apartment were clean and well equipped. At first I was in a shared apartment, which I think it’s really good for making friends and having a new experience. But if you like to have your own privacy, the studio apartment is just perfect. My room in the studio apartment had an amazing view to the city and was very cozy. I am very grateful for having this experience and would like to thank BWS Germanlingua and Language International for that!
Show details » Read more...The school is very well located close to the Starbucks, Subway, cafes and supermarkets. The lessons were varied and interesting. If you are at the forefront of classes or may not be able to fly, you can still change the level. Outside the size of the school, I am very satisfied with this experience.
Show details » Read more...I did not learn anything new at school. Too bad that if we did not understand something we spoke English!
We are in Germany !!!
Good relationship with the people of the school and the nice teacher.
The family was very kind.
The activities were canceled because too few people registered (museum)
I did not like the city of Cologne !!
This is a small school on the second floor of a building off the Ring road in Cologne. It's easily reachable by tram/subway; there is even a nearby grocery store if you need to pick up lunch (or quick serve restaurants if that's your thing). Teachers were friendly and the school was open to switching levels to find the right one ("Don't write in your books the first day, in case you change.") I was just there for a week, which wasn't enough to do much, but it reinforced what I needed to work on and helped bring a lot back.
Work was a mixture of reading, writing, vocabulary work, etc. with excellent books which incorporated both reading and exercises. Homework was helpful but not overwhelming. I took the standard course; it started at 9:30, which seemed a bit late, and ran til 1. Intensive would have been an additional hour a day; as I wanted to play tourist, going til 1 was about perfect. Cologne is not a big town; you can pretty much do the tourist parts in a fairly heavily-laden afternoon, so that was helpful as a student. I didn't do any tourist activities through the school; with only a week I figured I'd be better off on my own.
I stayed with a homestay family, as I wanted to speak German once I got home too. They were right off the tram route and friendly and outgoing. I was considerably older than the other students, which seemed to make exactly no difference; good mix of different nationalities. Lots of Spanish speakers; if you're a Spanish speaker and don't want to be tempted, you might want to go somewhere else.
I had a very good classes. The location was the best because I need only 10 minutes to get to school it’s really comfortable. Everything were excellent I met a lot of incredible people from all around the world and played chess with my teacher.
Show details » Read more...I am very pleased with my course and the tutors. All very professional.
The one critique es that the seats are very Close to each other and too many so it is not a cozy room.
It would be Great to have more than one toilette cause during breaks the Line is endless.
Nevertheless, super Great experience and Learning,
I have zero knowledge in Deutsch language... (probably just hi and bye). After enrolling for a month here, intensive course, i can order in restaurant using Deutsch language:)
Show details » Read more...I had a very good teacher, whom was very nice and interesting. The classes, however, was not what Ihad expected. I had expected that I would be placed in a class form the start with pupils at the same level as I. However, the students there had either been there far longer than me or where far more experienced. I felt like the test I had made before coming, had not been accounted for when I was placed in the class. It was more, like I was simply placed at a seemingly appropriate level after a brief talk in German with the coordinator. I found the class very difficult. I had the opportunity to switch to an easier level, but at that point I had become quite fond of my class and teacher. I did understand more, but the gramma was very difficult and and i hadn’t been schooled in it. I was just thrown into the deep end with exercises. I later found out that this was because I had been placed in a group that had followed eachoither through all of the explanations, before I came, at a lower level. I think they should be more thorough when placing students that come with a certain level of experience.
The location was very difficult to find the first time. The only way to see where it was, was on the plaque by the door. There was also construction going on inside, which didn’t really equal school. The facilities were fine. The school were good at planning various activities.
The house where I stayed was fine and my host very nice. It was great that it was so easy to get to the school and back with the train. I enjoyed staying with Katja.
The school was located in the center of Koln, easy to reach from the main railway station.
The teacher was really nice and the lessons were interesting, varied and sometimes full of humor...it is a pleasant way to learn German. We were 9 students in the class. Ì had difficulties to understand the Asiatic students when they speak German. What I appreciated the most was the skills from the teacher. I really improved my knowledge of German.
When I first arrived in Cologne, I was quite lost. I thought it would be nearly impossible to speak well. Now, after four months, I completely disagree with myself. I learned a lot and I didn’t expect it that fast. The teachers are very nice and helpful, when you need extra excerices or anything else they will always be there to help you. The classes are small (5-10) students so you speak a lot.
Show details » Read more...I was very well received, I really liked the way in which the teachers passed the subject, I also liked to see that all students are treated equally (new or old). Very good material provided. Not a minute was wasted, varied activities that encourage students to speak and think in German. The teachers were great. I have nothing to complain about. I hope someday I can come back and do it for a longer period. The location is good, and the whole staff very helpful.
Show details » Read more...Our group was excluded in the building next door, humid, class room on the street side and no AC or fan
While there were 2 per classroom in the main building.
3 different teachers in one week. Some of them unprepared. No variety in methodology. Following a book only.
Lack of interactivity.
Well,the classes were perfect especially for speaking and writing and also the teacher helped me when needed and
she made us to speak, that was a good point.
But I think the activities could be better. For example I just liked 2 activities in 3 weeks!
I don't know about other families but my family and the activities that they had chosen for me were so cool. However I didn't like what they eat.
I studied in BWS Cologne from January till September 2016. My experience was excellent. Now I can speak free and clear German, because their system was brilliant. The atmosphere was warm too. I recommend BWS to everyone who wants to improve their German or learn it from the beginning.
Show details » Read more...I can list down few positive things about the school. They had very good teachers, offered great activities and a nice location
Although having three different teachers for a two week course, and no smooth transitions between the teachers is favorable for me. They also had very basic teaching facilities.
The location is so good, it's easy to get there.
Teachers were good.
The class size was small which consist of 4-6 student.
I have one comment though, the number of toilet was not enough.
I was very lucky because the class was very small, 6 students in total. I was the oldest, but it was not a problem as I am a teacher and I usually deal with students. The teachers were very good, as I was in a beginner course, I needed clear explanations and patience. This is what I found with my teachers.
The school location is excellent, I used the U-bahn and the station is nearby. I liked everything. I would like to repeat the experience.
Classes: open and clean
Teachers: friendly and patient
Location: accessible, next to the metro
Facilities: good
Activities: not interested
Housing: great host family
Homestays are carefully selected and offer students the opportunity to learn more about the local culture in a comfortable setting while studying German in Cologne. These homes are often between 10 - 40 minutes away from the school by public transport. Families usually offer affordable meal plans that allow you to sample the local cuisine. If you have special requests or diet restrictions (because of religion or health reasons), please let us know in advance. Your housing starts on the Sunday before your first day of class and ends on the Saturday after your last day of class, unless otherwise noted. Learn more about homestay housing
It is possible to live in a rented apartment during your study in Cologne, but this tends to be more expensive. BWS provides some assistance with apartment rentals or you can rent an apartment on your own. Learn more about apartment housing
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.
Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 150 € when you register.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Cologne based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
Have questions? Get answers from BWS Germanlingua Köln staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.
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