Where learning German becomes a chance to connect

“How was your week?” – Sometimes that’s all it takes to strike up a conversation. Every Wednesday, the student centre on the campus of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is transformed into a place for chatting in German. At the German language café, international students and native German speakers sit together at tables, have a drink, play language games or chat about their studies and everyday life.

The focus is on the German language, but without any traditional teaching. “The language café is a meeting place where you can further develop your German language skills in a calm and relaxed atmosphere whilst enjoying snacks and drinks,” says Dustin Brumlich. The German Studies graduate from the University of Magdeburg runs the programme as a student assistant.

The international students are supported by German-speaking volunteers. They help them strike up conversations, explain unfamiliar words or understand linguistic nuances. “This gives participants a different approach to the German language, far removed from traditional classroom teaching,” explains Dustin Brumlich.

From an intercultural meet-up to a language café

The language café was launched in 2023 by the Intercultural Students Initiative (IKUS), a collaborative project with the Magdeburg Studentenwerk. Originally, the intention was not to speak only German there: other languages were also part of the concept. When demand for this multilingual offering declined, it evolved into today’s language café, with German as the main language.

The programme is now part of the International Office’s “Onboarding International Students” project and is organised jointly with the International Career Service and IKUS. The aim is to support international students in using their German language skills outside of language courses whilst also making contacts with other students.

“We would like to further develop the programme, reach even more German and international students, and establish the language café as a regular meeting place on campus,” says the graduate.

Five people at a table

The way it works is deliberately straightforward. Participants are spread across several tables, each seating around five people. There are conversation groups for different language levels. There is no set programme.

“We discuss specific topics or share our experiences of university life, for example,” explains Dustin Brumlich. “We often play language games too, to consolidate what we’ve learnt.” If a discussion group is too easy or too challenging, participants can simply switch tables.

The fact that such a diverse group of people come together is a key part of the concept. “International and intercultural exchange is always a highlight for us,” he says. “You learn a lot about the language and culture of the participants’ home countries.” At the same time, international students learn more about German customs, from punctuality and work culture to linguistic politeness.

A language café needs people to get involved

Dustin Brumlich himself came to the language café via a job advert. The work ties in with his degree in German Studies, during which he focused, amongst other things, on foreign language teaching. Today, as well as facilitating the sessions, he organises the preparation and follow-up for the meetings, coordinates the volunteer language mentors and raises awareness of the programme. Above all, however, he acts as a point of contact for the participants.

A highlight for him was a meeting with almost 40 participants. “We were delighted by that and it was a special moment for the language café,” he recalls.

To ensure that such meetings can continue to take place in future, the team is still looking for German students who would like to get involved as language guides. Reliable support is already being provided by volunteers from ‘Dialog der Generationen’ and the Magdeburg Volunteer Agency. Anyone else interested can get in touch by email or simply pop along to a meeting.

Just pop in

International students can easily give the language café a go. However, they should already have a certain level of language proficiency. “Complete beginners might quickly feel overwhelmed by the conversations,” says Dustin Brumlich. Nevertheless, there’s no need for registration.

His advice to anyone still thinking about it: “Just pop in and give it a go. You’re also welcome to bring your friends along. We’re always delighted to see new faces.”

The German Language Café takes place every Wednesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at Campus Kombinat. Information about the sessions is available via the ‘Welcome to OVGU’ app and the IKUS WhatsApp community.