A School Year in Germany As we all know, learning a language is more than just doggedly memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules or practicing correct pronunciation and spelling. Anyone who really wants to master German has to spend a good deal of time in Germany, becoming familiar with and understanding our culture and history. We operate numerous summer courses, in which we always integrate outings to places of cultural and historical interest so that students gain important insights into the country and its people. Still, three or four weeks during the summer is too little time to really get to know Germany and the Germans, and students cannot really become fluent in such a short period of time. Besides, who has time for a longer course when the school year will be beginning so soon? The solution to this problem is actually very easy: take part in a German course and then, immediately afterwards, spend the school year in Germany! For particularly gifted students, we offer a program known as “A School Year in Germany”. We work with the Torgelow Castle boarding school to allow talented students between the ages of 10 and 18 to spend an entire school year in Germany. In addition to satisfactory scholastic performance, foreign students wishing to attend a German school naturally need to have adequate German language skills. How can a student solve a story problem or describe a chemical reaction or physical principle, for instance, if they are essentially “speechless”? For this reason, program participants first need to attend several months of intensive German language training at our German Center in Lindenberg. After completing level B2 (Intermediate Level II), students can be integrated into a class at the Schloss Torgelow private boarding school appropriate to their age and abilities. This state-certified secondary school offers students more than just an intensive learning experience in groups of no more than 12 students. In and after class, students are also taught the importance of personal commitment and dedication, broad-mindedness, tolerance, discipline and confidence for a successful life. German and foreign students have been living and studying together now for over 10 years, experiencing a close-knit community and receiving an education that will prepare them for life. For program participants from abroad, staying at Torgelow Castle will significantly expand their personal horizons and add an international component to their education. Starting dates for our intensive German courses, and thus for the beginning of the program, are in early September and early February. Depending on their previous skill level, students will require roughly two to six months to reach the necessary level of German. After completing Level V, they can be integrated into a suitable class at Torgelow Castle, where they will take courses until the end of their stay. Students will also be given supplemental German instruction here. The program lasts for a total of 10 months. Students may also begin, for instance, in August or January; additional fees will apply, however, for beginning early (see p. 33). Students who have already completed a portion of the program at Torgelow Castle and who do not go home over the breaks may stay with host families or at the Humboldt-Institut. If you are interested in this program, please request our leaflet entitled “A School Year in Germany” for more detailed information. Dates Entry is possible every week upon request *) No classes during the summer holidays in July/August Fees Grade 5 - 7 annual tuition EUR 31.150,– Grade 8 - 10 annual tuition EUR 31.980,– Grade 11 - 12 annual tuition EUR 32.290,– Weekly fee for students starting before September / February: EUR 580,– All fees include instruction, books, accommodation, full board, leisure activities, round-the-clock supervision, excursions, entrance fees and a course certificate. In Torgelow, health Insurance, travel expenses, books and costs for any events outside the school are not included.