American Association of Teachers of German

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Schule Schloss Salem’s Language School

Starting in September 2008, Schule Schloss Salem will initiate a one-year language training programme for pupils from abroad who want to enter Salem’s Middle School (classes 8 through 10). Pupils will be able to acquire sufficient mastery of the German language to participate in German lessons successfully and to pass the German Abitur. The focus lies mainly on linguistic competency and in acquiring the appropriate terminologies of the different school subjects (such as mathematics, science, history, etc.).

German lessons at the language school will comprise approximately 40 hours per week (Monday until Saturday, morning and afternoon). Regular examinations will be held by the Goethe Institute in Freiburg in order to assess the pupils’ performance. Step-by-step they will be integrated into the German system.In order to ease the transition into the unfamiliar German environment, pupils will live for the first two months with carefully selected guest families that will be supervised by school staff. Pupils will be able to spend shorter holidays (Carnival, Easter, Whitsun) with their guest families while teaching continues on a limited scope. The longer Christmas break offers pupils the opportunity to visit their families in their home countries.

Pupils will become integrated into the school community at an early stage by participating in sports, guilds and creative activities in the afternoon. As soon as they move into the boarding school, they will be subject to the rules and schedules valid there. After two months of German lessons, English instruction will be added to the class schedule with four weekly hours; this will be followed by cultural studies, and later by specialised language classes for science, mathematics and history. At the end of the school year, there will be an entrance test (written and oral) for admission to the appropriate academic class level. After passing this test the pupils will participate in regular instruction and receive additional individual tuition for two to six weekly hours as needed.

Beyond this, a pupil may be eligible to receive further assistance by experienced German language teachers. Admission requirements for the language training programme:

• Pupils are selected following a personal interview at Schule Schloss Salem and in cooperation with mentors in their home countries.
• The application period ends on 30 April 2008.
• The monthly costs correspond to the regular Salem tuition schedule; fees for testing by the Goethe Institute will be charged separately.