Language and Area Studies

DAAD: Learn German
www.learn-german.net
www.summerschools.de
Description: The DAAD website includes a section "Learn German” which provides detailed information on schools and institutes offering German language courses, on online learning methods, on funding organisations, and on where German is spoken all around the world, plus an overview of all the recognised German language tests and qualifications. The section on "Summer Schools in Germany” includes a search engine with selected summer schools offered by German universities. The summer schools can be searched by place, topic and language of instruction.
Languages: German, English and Spanish (Summer School Database available in German and English only)

TestDaF: Standardised German as a Foreign Language Test
www.testdaf.de
Provider: The TestDaF Institute is affiliated to the University in Hagen and the Ruhr University Bochum and offers a standardised German as a foreign language test worldwide.
Description: Study applicants from abroad generally have to prove that they are sufficiently proficient in the German language to be able to take up a course of studies in Germany. TestDaF is the central, standardised Test of German as a Foreign Language (Test für Deutsch als Fremdsprache) modelled on the US Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).TestDaF provides foreigners with an opportunity to gain the German language certificate required for admission to higher education in Germany while they are still in their home country. The TestDaF website provides details on the next examination dates, a sample set of examination questions and the addresses of all the test centres around the world at which the TestDaF can be taken.
Languages: German (basic information in PDF format also available from www.testdaf.de/html/sprachen/sprachen.htm in English, French, Russian, Spanish plus 15 other languages)

Goethe-Institut
www.goethe.de
Provider: The Goethe Institute (GI) is the largest intermediary organisation  in the field of German foreign cultural policy. With its 142 institutes worldwide, the Goethe Institute is responsible for teaching and spreading knowledge about German language and culture.
Description: The website provides information on topics like "Society”, "Learning German”, and "Teaching German”, plus access to all the institutes and the information services and language courses they offer, an online shop and useful links. The website includes various special online offers and services, such as distance learning courses and online materials for German learners and teachers.
Languages: German and English, the sites of the institutes in English and/ or the national language.

Learning Languages in Tandem
www.slf.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Provider: Department of Language Teaching Research at the Ruhr University Bochum (Seminar für Sprachlehrforschung)
Description: The Learning in Tandem concept is a kind of open learning system in which people with differing mother languages work in pairs to learn their languages from each other, to find out more about each other and about the tandem partner’s cultural background, and, finally, to exchange other insights and knowledge as well, for example, about professions and careers. The website not only arranges tandem contacts by email, but also provides a guide to tandem learning and links to other relevant sites.
Languages: German, Danish, English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian and Swedish

Learning Languages in a Social Community
www.polyglot-learn-language.com
Description: 

The Polyglot Community matches people by their language preferences. Online and in local meetings language fans can make conversation and improve their skills by talking to each other.
Languages: English

• Africa Sub-Sahara
• Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
• Central and Eastern Europe
• Latin America
• North America
• Northern Africa and the Middle East
• Western Europe