Have you ever thought of studying overseas?

Some of our students in the past have learnt a language with VLLC purely to have adequate language skills to be able to study in an overseas university. Here is a selection of information on some of the language requirements for studying abroad.  

There are obviously different language requirements for different overseas universities and institutions but there is a basic framework, the Common European Framework (CEFR), which divides learners into six different levels:
A Basic Speaker

• A1 Breakthrough or beginner
• A2 Waystage or elementary

B Independent Speaker

• B1 Threshold or intermediate
• B2 Vantage or upper intermediate

C Proficient Speaker

• C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced
• C2 Mastery or proficiency

For each level, there is a description of what the learner has to be able to do in reading and writing, and speaking and listening. Those descriptions apply to any language. Usually, the expected level for study programmes in most world countries is around B. However, certain universities or programmes might require a higher level than that.

There are many first class education opportunities in Germany, especially in the fields of engineering and music. One of our previous students at VLLC wanted to study music in the heart of the classical music world, Germany and needed to learn German to make this possible. He was accepted into the Detmold Hochschule für Musik, where the audition process and interviews were conducted only in German.  

In Germany there are certain language requirements that you must have prior to acceptance. They measure this level through a standardised test called the  Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH). This test includes listening and reading comprehension, writing, an oral exam and comprehension and use of science and language related to study. The examination result is expressed in three levels, DSH 1, DSH 2 and DSH 3 which equals approximately the CEFR levels B2 C2. For most programmes, DSH 2 is required. It is very important to know that both the written and the oral part of the examination have to be passed with at least the level you would like to achieve. DSH 3 in the written and DSH 1 in the oral part results just in a total level of DSH 1 for example!

An alternative to the DHS is the TestDaF  (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache). This is more widely standardised and can be taken prior to arriving in Germany. It contains 4 parts which are speaking, academic writing and reading and listening comprehension. The spoken part is recorded and then assessed and related into levels, TDN3, TDN4 and TDN5 which are similar to the DSH levels. To let you know how that compares to universities' entrance levels, if you received at least a TDN4 in all the areas of speaking, academic writing and reading and listening comprehension, you would be qualified to study at all German universities.

To be able to study in each country there is a different test. In France there is the Diplôme dEtudes en langue française (DELF) and the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF). In Spain there is the Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) which is an official qualification and recognised by the Ministry of Education in Spain and the Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso (CELU) which is another internationally recognised proficiency test of Spanish.    

If this is a direction you are interested in taking, to broaden your educational horizon and help you to live the dream of working in a foreign country, contact VLLC to start your language journey today.