In 1951, an institute was created by a German non-governmental organization whose tasks were to popularize the German language abroad and actively develop intercultural relations. In the nineties of the last century, this organization expanded its activities in the post-Soviet countries. Today in Russia there are twenty-nine cultural centers that represent the Goethe Institute. St. Petersburg is one of the cities in which a branch of this institution operates.
Story
Today, the Institute. Goethe has offices around the world. Branches operate in three cities of Russia, in twenty-six small centers are open. Since 1993, the Goethe Institute has existed in the Northern capital. St. Petersburg, along with many large cities in Europe, stores German cultural values outside the German-speaking countries.
Organization's activities
The Goethe Institute (St. Petersburg) regularly holds various events aimed at familiarizing the Russian-speaking population with the legacy of German culture. Exhibitions are organized by contemporary German painters and photographers, conferences and seminars are held on a variety of social and cultural topics.
Goethe Institute (St. Petersburg) collaborates with major museums, cinemas and concert halls. But since the main goal of the branch is still to promote the German language, a few words should be said about the courses. A special department has been created for their implementation.
Courses
For whom is the training program that is used in the cultural center named after Goethe? The institute offers different courses, they differ from each other in duration, thematic area. Everyone who wants to learn German has the opportunity to choose exactly what he needs.
The shortest course lasts only four weeks. The longest is three months. Sometimes a person studying a foreign language achieves good results in grammar, but experiences significant difficulties with the pronunciation of sounds that have no equivalents in their native language. In these cases, it is recommended to enroll in a special phonetic German course, the duration of which is thirteen weeks.
The head of the company, whose successful relationship with German partners plays an important role, is concerned about the language level of his subordinates. That is why corporate courses are so popular today. Training can be organized both within the walls of the institute and in the office of the company.
Exams
An international certificate is a document that confirms knowledge of a language at a certain level. The presence of such a certificate is a prerequisite for studying or working in Germany. But in order to get it, you must pass an exam. Returning to the topic of language courses, it is worth saying that training focused on the successful passage of such sections also offers them a center. Goethe. The institute, whose exams are fully consistent with the established international format, also offers preparatory training. Anyone who is fluent in German can take the test. However, without prior full-time or distance learning, this is not easy.
Library
The information department has a wide selection of literature on cultural, social and political topics. Reference and periodicals are also available. Rather rare German feature films and documentaries can also be watched today without problems thanks to the information department, which has a cultural center named after Goethe.
Institute: reviews
Basically, the courses at this institute respond positively. In large cities, there is no shortage of offers to teach a foreign language quickly and efficiently. However, not all courses are in line with promises. The Goethe Institute's activity has a narrow focus, and therefore it can be safely said that for a person who wants to study the grammar, vocabulary and phonetics of the German language, the best way would be to contact the training center of this organization known throughout the world.
Although, it should be said that among the reviews of language courses at the Goethe Institute, there are also negative ones. But they are usually caused by subjective factors (the training schedule does not fit, the duration of the course). In addition, when studying a foreign language, no matter how high the professional level the teacher is proficient in, one should remember that a significant part of the knowledge accumulates as a result of independent studies (while reading fiction and periodicals, watching films and news). More effective reading and watching television broadcasts in German can only be a long stay in Germany.
Address
Institute named after Goethe in St. Petersburg is located at: Embankment of the Moika River, 58.
In Moscow, taking German courses through the activities of the cultural German organization can be found at: Leninsky Prospekt, 95a.