FAQs

Getting started

All prices on this site are in Euros. You can easily convert the price using any free currency converter – for example: https://www1.oanda.com/currency/converter/.

Screenshot OANDA currency converter

Please note that PayPal has a slightly higher conversion rate. You can see the exact price before confirming the payment:

Screenshot PayPal confirmation page

Please follow this video tutorial:

Note:

  • The time displayed by the scheduling software is your local time. You do not have to convert to German time.
  • For tax purposes we will need your billing address.

Please make sure that you have read and agreed to our terms and conditions, otherwise you cannot proceed to the payment option.

Please follow this video tutorial:

Note: When buying a package you can schedule one, multiple, or none of the lessons before checkout.

If you have not scheduled the lessons, please watch the tutorial on “How to use the “Student Panel””.

Terms & Contacts

We aim to provide customer service to the highest standard and also take our responsibilities toward our teachers seriously. Therefore, our policy is that a lesson can be rescheduled once up to 24 hours before the booked appointment. Please follow the instructions in this video tutorial: How to use the “Student Panel”

We aim to provide customer service to the highest standard. For that reason, we offer trial lessons, which will allow you to get a first impression of what we offer and how we conduct our classes. In the trial lesson we will give you honest feedback and make sure that you get all the information to make an informed decision. We also encourage you to talk to us in case you are unsure or need additional information.

If, for whatever reason, you still need to cancel a lesson or package, the following policy will be followed:

Cancellation up to 48 hours before the appointment: We will reimburse the full amount minus the processing fees of our payment provider. If the lesson is part of a lesson package, the package discounts will be withdrawn. Any already taken lessons will be charged at full price, and only the difference minus the processing fees of our payment provider will be reimbursed.

Cancellation from 48 hours before the start of the event: The full participation fee will be charged. This also applies if you do not appear or the lesson had been rescheduled previously.

To cancel, please follow the instructions in this video tutorial: How to use the Student Panel.

Motivation and patience. We aim to provide fun and motivating lessons and every support we can provide so you can see progress as soon as possible. But remember that language learning is a marathon, not a sprint.

Other things you will need:

  • a solid internet connection (we advise you to have at least 1.5 Mbps for both upload and download)
  • a computer with microphone and camera. We strongly advise against using mobile phones or a device without a camera for the lessons. Please confirm with the teacher if you plan to do so.
  • the video conferencing software “Zoom”: You can download the software for free: https://zoom.us/download#room_client

Note:

  • We might use Google Docs during the lesson. The link to the document will be provided by the teacher.
  • It might come in handy to have paper and pencil at hand.

For the lessons, you will not need any additional material as everything will be provided. However, if you plan to learn intensively by yourself in between lessons, we can provide you with a list of optional material, which is not included in the course.

The teaching and communication during lesson time will be done via Zoom. The link to the Zoom meeting will be provided in your booking confirmation. If you have any questions, please contact us at letstalk@magicGerman.net.

Outside lesson time you can reach out to your teacher via email. The email address is name@magicGerman.net with “name” being the first name of your teacher. If you are not sure, please contact us at letstalk@magicGerman.net.

About the Lessons

A lesson is a lot like a sport training:

  • Warm-up: We will talk about familiar topics so that you can use vocabulary and phrases you have previously learned.
  • Stretching: Correction of your written homework.
  • Training: Using different material, we will talk about new topics and add vocabulary, expression, and phrases to your list.
  • Cool-down: Summary and agreeing on your homework

If you have booked a 1-1 class, you can decide with your teacher if you want to structure the lesson differently.

Lessons can be very personal, therefore, most students do not like to be recorded. Nevertheless, a student – Sarah once asked us to record a part of her lesson for a challenge she was participating in and allowed us to publish the recording. Please note this recording was for another project and not a typical lesson; therefore, the teacher did not correct mistakes.

You also have the option to book a trial class for as little as 99 cents. In the trial class:

  • the teacher will get to know you
  • test your German and give feedback (if you are not a total beginner) or give you tips on how to start learning German
  • explain the lessons
  • answer all your questions.

To book a trial lesson, please follow the instructions in this video tutorial: How to book a trial lesson

It depends on how fast you want to learn but also on how much time you can spend on learning German each week. In general, we advise you to have at least one lesson per week and no more than three.

If you have fewer than one lesson per week the time between lessons will be too long thus you will forget much (if you do not learn intensively by yourself). If you have more than three lessons per week, you will most likely not have enough time to do your homework appropriately, learn the new vocabulary, and repeat everything you have been taught.

But, as always, we are flexible and if you want to have more or fewer lessons please consult with your teacher.

This depends on many factors. One of the main factors being: What is your goal? If you want to have a nice chat with a German neighbor, you will need a B1 or solid A2 level. If you want to study in Germany you are advised to have a solid C1.

But there are also many factors depending on you:

  • What is your native language?
  • Do you speak other languages and are they related to the German language?
  • Do you learn regularly, thus is your brain trained?
  • Do you know how to structure your learning (we will give you tips but you will need to do the work)?
  • and much more!

One piece of information we can provide is the minimum hours we see on average. Please note that the levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are not equal like the steps of a stair but rather circles, which get bigger the higher the level.

Graphic: How many hours do I have to learn to reach a certain level?

There is just one way to learn a language: Bit by bit!

Again, it very much depends on your goals, your time frame, and many other factors. We advise students to plan for some time to learn the new vocabulary. The additional homework will not take more than 30 minutes. If you want to exercise more, please consult with your teacher.

Note: You will need to learn more, if you want to make quick progress.

You have three options:

1) Prepare and take official exams.

  • Pro: You do not only know your progress but have a certificate to show.
  • Time consuming and expensive.

2) Get personal feedback from your teacher.

Although we are happy to provide it, you might find it less motivating.

3) Start a video diary:

Record lessons in regular intervals and compare yourself. It is a simple but very effective method. We are happy to help you with timing and recording.

I need something else ...

We are not offering any group lessons currently. However, if you have a bunch of friends and you would like to learn together, please contact us for a special offer: letstalk@magicGerman.net.

If you want to get notified about any new courses, please consider signing up for our newsletter.

For shy or introverted people, one-on-one lessons with a patient teacher are likely the best option to overcome the fear of speaking. Booking the lesson and showing up will be the hardest part, because as soon as the lesson starts our teacher will guide you carefully into talking and you will be surprised how fast you will overcome your angst.

Live and Study in Germany

Most universities in Germany are public and have no tuition fees. However, you usually have to pay a small fee each semester to support the “Studentenwerk” (organisation providing social, financial and cultural support services to students), student cafeteria, student sport clubs, etc. The fee differs between universities but usually is well below EUR 500 / semester. This fee also includes a semester-ticket for local public transport, which accounts for about ⅔ of the fee.

The cost of living index for Germany is about 10% lower than in the USA. As in most countries housing costs are quite diverse with big cities being more expensive than smaller ones, and certain areas being more pricey than others. Here are some examples:

Single room in dormitory:

  • Dresden: 150 – 300 EUR / month
  • Aachen: 200 – 400 EUR / month

Food: 150 – 250 EUR / month

Transportation: Free transportation within city limits with your valid student card.

Entertainment:

  • Cinema: ~ 10 EUR
  • Fitnessclub: ~ 25-30 EUR / month

Restaurant: starting at 8 – 10 EUR

Most Bachelor programs are taught in German. To get accepted for these programs, you usually need to have past level C1 according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages“. However some universities have special programs helping overseas students to integrate and therefore accept students, who passed level B2. You will then need to improve your German further when already enrolled.

We are currently working on courses specifically tailored for people who want to study in Germany. You might want to sign up to get further information and save on an early-bird discount.

However, if you want to learn German now, you can still do so with the help of our one-on-one lessons. Please contact us or book a trial-lesson (0.99 EUR only) so that we can create a custom learning program for you.