German language courses

German language courses: information about levels, locations and schedule

The courses take place on the Lugano and Mendrisio campuses. The timetables and classrooms will be communicated to students a few days before the start of the course. To explore course offerings and register for a course, select the USI campus where you study/work:

Lugano Campus

Mendrisio Campus

• CEFR level

To identify the course best suited to your needs, it is recommended that you assess your language level by consulting the grid and completing the assessment test below: Self-assessment grid / / Assessment test.

Conversion CEFR assessment test score:
Level A1: 0-18: A1.1 / 19-48: A1.2
Level A2: 49-73: A2.1 / 74-96: A2.2
Level B1: 97-121: B1.1 / 122-144: B1.2
Level B2: 145-169: B2.1 / 170-192: B2.2

• Registration

Places are limited, please only register if you are serious about attending more than 75% of the course.

• Entrance test

All higher-level courses require knowledge of the material covered in other courses. A final decision on admission can therefore only be taken after the entrance test organised on the first day of the course.

• End-of-course test

Various assessment procedures are planned during the course, including an end-of-course test. For students enrolled in study programmes that allow ECTS credits in language courses, each language course completed will be equivalent to 3 ECTS points. To receive them, you must pass the final course exam and have attended at least 75% of the course. If these conditions are met, students will also receive a course completion certificate.

• Workload

At levels A, B and C, practical semester-long courses are offered, each lasting 56 hours (28 hours of in-person classes and 28 hours of independent study or 56 hours in-person) and for some levels also pre-semester intensive courses of 60 hours, and aimed at the balanced development of the four language skills. To progress to the next level, the completion of at least two courses per level is required. By way of example, to achieve level B2 it is necessary to attend courses B2.1 and B2.2, for a total of 112 hours (56 hours in-person and 56 hours of independent study), in addition to at least the same number of hours of practice. Only upon completion of this pathway is it possible to access courses at the next level, namely C1.1. The overall duration of each level corresponds to approximately one academic year. Attendance is compulsory in order to ensure adequate development of all four language skills.

• Withdrawal

Good course planning requires accurate data on the number of participants. In the event of an unforeseen withdrawal, it is the candidate's responsibility to inform the Laboratory of Modern Languages before the start of the course by writing promptly to [email protected].

• Frequently Asked Questions

Reading the Frequently Asked Questions section helps to resolve doubts quickly at any time. To make it easier to find answers, the questions are divided into different topics.

Check the FAQ

Language courses orientation questionnaire

To discover the language courses offered by the university and the language requirements for your study programme, you can complete the “Language courses orientation questionnaire”.

Attention: completing the questionnaire does not constitute official registration for the courses. To register, go to "Online Registration".