Language Program in Cooperation with VHS

In all courses general language skills are taught. The English courses furthermore contain elements in English for technical purposes.

All courses are free of charge for students of Hamburg University of Technology upon presenting a valid enrollment certificate. University staff of TUHH also have the opportunity to participate in these courses at no cost.

Our language courses cover the five competence levels from A1 to C2 following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) developed by the European Council. Multiple courses in different languages ​​may be taken in the same semester (e.g., French B1 and Spanish A2.2). Courses in the same language at different levels cannot be taken within one semester (e.g., Spanish A2.1 and Spanish A2.2).

The course language of foreign language courses is German. The content of advanced courses is increasingly taught in the respective foreign language. 

For more important information, please refer to our FAQ.

We would like to help you to develop your proficiency in foreign languages in a focused way. If you intend to gain credits for foreign language course in non-technical subjects, please be aware of the procedures laid down in the curriculum .

For you to gain credits for a foreign language course, you have to pass an additional course achievement and the final exam. Attendance of at least 80% is required.

A special note on recognition/eligibility subject to previous language background:

As a matter of principle, language courses in the language or languages in which your course is taught, i.e. German and/or English, only count toward credits if you gained your university entrance qualification in another language.

Recognition of German language courses

Recognition of Englisch language courses

English: only level C2 courses count towards credits in the English-language and bilingual (ES/GES, IWI) programs. Specialised language courses, such as "Academic English for Computer Science" or "Business English" are not considered C2 courses. If English proficiency at level B2 is required for immatriculation, English courses can only be credited from level C1 onwards.

In German-language programs it counts toward credits only if the language in which you gained your university entrance qualification was not English.

Proof of successful completion of the English C1.2 course (!) fulfils the language requirements for English-language Master's degree programs. This rule applies exclusively to English courses at TUHH in cooperation with the VHS. Specialised language courses (such as "Academic English for Computer Science" and "Business English") are excluded from this rule.

For all other languages no courses in a student’s native language are eligible to count toward credits.

For registration you will need:

• Your current certificate of enrollment and matriculation number
• Your TUHH email address
• Your placement certificate / performance record for a follow-up course
  • Your certificate from a previous language course (no more than 12 months old). A certificate of achievement from another language school/standardized test (toefl, IELTS, Cambridge, telc etc.) is sufficient as well (no more than 12 month old).
  • If you have not attended a previous course, please send us your placement test result: www.cornelsen.de/empfehlungen/sprachtest (free of charge).
• All Beginner A1 courses do not require a placement test.
• School grades/certificates, however, are not sufficient to prove your language skills.
• The courses are exclusively for students and employees of the TUHH. Please upload your matriculation certificate/proof of enrollment as a PDF.

For advanced-level courses, consultation or participation in a placement test is mandatory if you have not attended a previous course or taken a placement test in the target language within the past 12 months. Proof of placement or prior achievement must be uploaded during the online registration process.

Beginners courses at level A1.1 do not require any placement test!

Placement Procedure

Written placements according to the General European Reference Frame for Languages based on your self assessment

• online-Cornelsen placement test: https://www.cornelsen.de/sprachtest/ for the languages German as a Foreign Language, English, French and Spanish
• Sprachtest (www.sprachtest.de) as an alternative to the Cornelsen placement test for the languages German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian 

For any other language (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swedish), these platforms do not offer a placement test. Please provide a brief description of what you have learned (duration, content) in the comments field of the application form instead.

The certificate from a previous course replaces this placement.

There might be an additional oral placement test in certain cases.

Registration and Allocation Process

Please apply for the language courses via our online application form that can be found above during the registration period. 

The asterisked fields are mandatory fields.

Note: 
Employees of the TUHH please enter 99999 in the mandatory field “matriculation number” and upload a document with your email signature (name, contact details, department/institute) instead of a certificate of enrolment.

A prompt email response acknowledges receipt of your application. 
Should there be more applicants than places in a language course you will be waitlisted and move up as soon as a place is free. 
A confirmation of participation will be sent directly before the beginning of the course. The message might reach you at very short notice as the release of the individual course depends on the number of applicants. 

(Target course size: 10 – 20 students per course)

For more important information, please refer to our FAQ.

Quality is our utmost concern and the key for your success. With your registration for one of our language courses you go for a modern, interactive learning methodology – up-to-date learning materials, professional lecturers dedicated to their job and the application of learning platforms especially in the courses German as a Foreign Language – all this in combination with lots of fun. 

All courses follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) developed by the European Council – a consistent structure that divides language competencies into several levels in order to make them comparable across national borders.

For students planning a semester or a work experience abroad this is an essential precondition.

The current program is available here as a PDF. Please note that details may be subject to change.

Exam registration:

If you wish to take an examination in order to acquire credit points, you must register for this examination in TUNE. No credit points can be gained without registering for an exam. Exam registration takes place exclusively during a two-week period. The registration period will be announced in good time. During this period, you can register for your exams in TUNE under My studies > Planner of studies with Module plan. You can find detailed instructions here.

Late registration will not be considered!

Employees cannot register for examinations via TUNE or receive credit points. Upon successful completion of the course, they will receive a certificate issued by the VHS.

Deregistration from examinations: Please note that deregistration from an examination is only possible from the time of registration and only up to two days before the examination date. You can therefore also deregister from the examination outside the registration period.

For proof of language skills in

•     English

we offer the DAAD Language Certificate (PDF). The DAAD Language Certificate is a language assessment for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and/or the International Office.

You can find detailed information here.

The team of the TUHH language courses of Hamburger Volkshochschule (HHVHS) attaches great importance to the protection of your personal data when collecting, processing and using it, especially when you visit the website. We process and use your data and voluntary information exclusively for the provision of services, for optimal support and for the purpose of quality assurance for evaluation. Further information can be found in this download (pdf).