The Language Center at Mainz University of Applied Sciences is now offering German courses at the B2 level to external students and has become an officially certified testing center for the globally recognized OTE (Oxford Test of English) and telc (The European Language Certificates: German as a Foreign Language) testing formats. This further expands the existing range of language tests available for the entire Rhine-Main region.
12 Years of Pioneering Work in the Rhine-Main Region
For over a decade, Mainz University of Applied Sciences has offered both students and external candidates the opportunity to take standardized language exams at its on-campus testing center. In 2007, Mainz University of Applied Sciences became home to the first TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test center in the Rhine-Main region; in the years that followed, the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and the TFI (Test de Français International) were added. Specific preparation courses for these tests are also offered regularly. The program attracts participants from far beyond the Rhine-Main region; some test-takers even travel from neighboring countries to take the exams.
The range of services is now being expanded through certification as a test center for telc DaF (short for: The European Language Certificates – German as a Foreign Language) and OTE (Oxford Test of English).
The OTE—for which Mainz University of Applied Sciences is the second institution in Germany to be granted official test center status—builds on this success story. The OTE is designed to provide internationally recognized proof of foreign language proficiency: for example, for studying abroad or as an additional professional qualification.
The telc DaF, on the other hand, serves a new target group: advanced German learners. Therefore, preparatory intensive language courses at the B2 level are now also being offered. Upon successful completion of the exam, students meet the language requirement for studying at a German university.
For Success in the Professional World
For students at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, the university’s own Language Center offers a wide range of modern foreign languages, which can be taken as part of specific course modules or voluntarily as an additional offering. Business and legal English, French, Spanish, Italian, as well as Russian, Chinese, Business Arabic, and Business Turkish are on the course list. The goal is to prepare students for modern, globalized professional life and to foster skills that go beyond purely subject-specific course requirements.
Exchange programs, partner universities, and summer academies abroad, as well as a language meet-up for informal practice, round out the offerings. For international exchange students, German as a foreign language is offered at various proficiency levels.
Educational Mission Fulfilled
Prof. Dr. Regina Stephan, Vice President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences, welcomes the expansion of the program: “I am extremely pleased with the positive development of the Language Center, particularly because its growing range of language courses and exams benefits not only our students and staff but also, as has been the case in recent years, the general public—both regionally and beyond. Mainz University of Applied Sciences is thus fulfilling its educational mission in a truly outstanding manner.”
The director of the Language Center, Prof. Dr. Stephanie Swartz, is particularly pleased with the language courses offered to prepare students for the telc German exam: “We want to help motivated, high-achieving individuals with a different native language and already good German skills to reach their full potential and enable them to pursue a degree in Germany. These days, the training of skilled professionals in Germany cannot be emphasized enough. And international dialogue and cross-cultural communication skills always pay off for everyone involved.”
Information about the courses and language exams is available here.
or by email at: sprachen (at) hs-mainz.de.
