Information for term German Language & Culture
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenDu bist ein Berliner oder eine Berlinerin!
Experience life as a Berliner! In the German capital you’ll expand your intercultural awareness exponentially by sharing this city with people of more than 160 ethnicities who live here. Berlin has a unique history and attracts many visitors each year curious to understand this diverse city. Much of this world-changing history only happened in recent years and is still very tangible. In shops, cafes and at the many cultural sites, you’ll hear a variety of world languages all around you. But during daily language classes and your full-immersion experience, the focus will be all things German!
With CIEE, you’ll dedicate most mornings to intensive language study, and then head out for lunch and afternoons practicing your language skills in local shops, restaurants, museums, workshops and other attractions in and around this lively, student-friendly city. Living with a homestay, you’ll practice German as you prepare and share meals, shop at local markets, learn local customs, and enjoy the rhythm of everyday life.
Follow our Travels:
The Take-Aways
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LANGUAGE & CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
Call Berlin home for 4 weeks and come back with increased language proficiency and a greater understanding of the German way of life. Bring home life stories to remember your cultural experiences. Demonstrate your language growth through a test before and after your program. On average across our programs, students learn in four weeks what U.S. high school students learn in one year.
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COLLEGE CREDITS
Earn 4 college credits to either apply toward your future college degree, or to use to demonstrate your ability to do college-level work, or test out of a language level in college!
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LIFELONG SKILLS AND FRIENDSHIPS
After just 4 weeks away, you'll build self-confidence, gain a broader world view, improve your interpersonal communication skills and make lifelong friends from all across the U.S.
Location & Culture
Click to Open
The Destination
Get ready for one of Europe’s favorite study abroad destinations.
Berlin is arguably one of Europe’s most dynamic cities. After years of dramatic change, Berlin offers an incredible range of activities for all interests.
The capital of Germany is now a fast-developing and vibrant metropolis with many different cultures and sub-cultures living side by side. About one-third of Berlin is parkland or gardens, contrasting with its urban feel and reputation. The Brandenburg Gate serves as a historical landmark, famous as a gateway to the city and for its association with the Berlin Wall that separated Berlin into East and West until 1989. Recently refurbished, it is a national symbol of peace and unity.
Berlin’s cuisine is a combination of traditional German dishes such as Bouletten (meatballs) or Kohlrouladen (stuffed cabbage) and endless dishes influenced by the different communities who have made Berlin home, including two street-food staples: Currywurst and the Döner, the latter made famous by Berlin’s Turkish community.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Berlin.
Daily Life
Click to OpenDaily Life
Every day brings new discoveries and fun, but you can always count on a perfect balance between interactive instruction, excursions and free time! Here's what to expect on a typical day:
- 7:00 am: Get up and have breakfast at your homestay
- 8:00 am: Commute to CIEE for your language class, using public transportation
- 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Interactive language class in small groups, with a local teacher
- 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm: Practice in the streets what you just learned in class, through short activities and challenges led by your program leader in small groups
- 12:45 pm - 1:30pm: Find a fun spot to grab lunch with your friends (your program tuition includes a stipend for lunches).
- 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: Gather back at CIEE to go on today's cultural activity or excursion.
- 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Each activity or excursion is designed to echo what you learned in class that morning.
- 5:00 pm - 7:00pm: Free time! Hang out with your friends and shop. Commute home.
- 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Recount your day at dinner and try to use your new vocabulary!
- 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Wrap up your day with jotting down some notes in your reflection journal and get your homework done before the next day. Usually just readings and personal research for your weekly project.
- 10:00 pm: Lights out!
Learn more about daily life on a high school study abroad program by reading our blog posts below.
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Carefully Screened Homestay
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24/7 Support from your CIEE program leader and in-country CIEE staff members
Program Blogs
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Activities
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Sample Activities
- Visit the German Bundestag (parliament) and witness political decision-making through its glass roof.
- Get a feel for Berlin’s history and geography by walking along East Side Gallery, through the Brandenburg Gate, or going up to the top of the Fernsehturm (TV Tower).
- Join a tour of the Olympic Stadium.
- Watch a film in a local park in the famous Summer Open Air Cinemas.
- Have picnics with your friends, play soccer and frisbee in the parks.
- Experience Berlin’s vibrant music and arts scene.
- Take in exhibits at dozens of museums – there is something for every interest.
- Go boating on the city’s extensive canal and river network.
- Get to know your peers and work as a team in an Escape Room or a theater workshop.
- Visit the city of Potsdam with its castle and palace gardens.
Please note this list of activities is based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to both adapt to local circumstances, covid-related measures and restrictions and participant feedback. Our goal when revising itineraries is always to enhance your experience. Every activity is designed to provide you with a deep immersion in your topic, local culture and sights. Get ready for maximum fun!
Dates & Fees
Click to OpenDates & Fees
Eligibility
- All proficiency levels.
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. More details about tuition inclusions can be found here.
Optional College Credit Fee
$150 Learn more
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session I 2023 4 weeks | Apr 1, 2023 | Jun 11, 2023 | Jul 8, 2023 |
$6,650 |
| Summer Session II 2023 4 weeks | Apr 1, 2023 | Jul 9, 2023 | Aug 5, 2023 |
$6,650 |
Looking for funding?
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Dr. Ullrich Lohrmann
Regional Director of Operations for Northern Europe
Ullrich has been working in study abroad for over 25 years in Germany.
Ready to change your life?
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