Your Language Center - available at each campus
RheinMain University of Applied Sciences considers the development of foreign language competence an important responsibility in preparing students of all academic disciplines for their future careers. Consequently, at least one foreign language (generally English) is mandatory in most degree programs on every campus.
Every semester, Language Center instructors teach courses in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German as a foreign language, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Thai and German sign language in approx. 75 courses. We prepare students for internships and study-semesters abroad. Our students and graduates can be found in many countries – from Europe to North and South America, from Africa to Australia and Japan.
To register for language classes at the Language Center please visit Stud.IP.
Registration begins: March/April (for summer semester)
Registration begins: October (for winter semester)
In conjunction with the International Office, the Language Center sends an e-newsletter on an ad hoc basis (e-mail distribution list: HSRM_International), with information on language courses, information events about working and studying abroad, important deadlines (e.g. deadlines for applying for scholarships) and further relevant topics for any students interested.
Make sure to register!
The RheinMain University of Applied Sciences Language Center is a member of the AKS (Language Centers' Working Group).
General topics related to the Language Center:
- Language courses and QIS
- Compulsory attendance
- Certificate of participation or course certificates
- Online registration and waiting lists
- Grades
- Native speakers in language classes
- Group size
- Prior knowledge/language level
- Teaching materials
- Educational software
- Written examinations
- Locations
What is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)?
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) was approved by the Council of Europe in 1996.
"The CEFT is a system, that makes learning and teaching languages and assessing linguistic proficiency according to common criteria both transparent and comparable. It is now the recognized framework of reference for describing linguistic skills and thus an important foundation for developing curricula, language syllabuses and language examinations across the whole of Europe [...]." (Source: BVA – ZfA – VI 2 (2004) : CEFR / Short information, page 2)
Courses offered at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences are in keeping with the CEFR. The corresponding level is therefore in the course title of all the Language Center's additional courses.
The six levels of the CEFR
|
Proficient User |
C2 |
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations. |
|
Proficient User |
C1 |
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. |
|
Independent User |
B2 |
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. |
|
Independent User |
B1 |
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. |
|
Basic User |
A2 |
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate basic need. |
|
Basic User |
A1 |
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. |
Social Work and Studium Generale (extracurricular studies)
Students studying at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences do not need a signature of their language course teacher on their Studium Generale certificate. Having a grade for a language course entered in QIS serves as a proof. Students should print their Sammelschein (course and grade overview in QIS) and hand it in together with their Studium Generale certificate. In case of questions, students can contact Ms Garrido-Kiesow.
Course offer
The Language Center offers courses for the following languages:
- English
- German as a Foreign Language
- French
- Spanish
- Russian
- Turkish
- Arabic
- Japanese
- Korean
- Chinese
- Thai
- German Sign Language
Please note:
Not all the courses listed above are offered every semester!
A list of all the language courses on offer each semester and semester break as well as any changes (rooms, dates, cancellations, etc.) will be posted in advance in the German version of the accordion "News and Events" ("Aktuelles & Termine") on the Language Center website.
Further details on courses can also be found in Stud.IP.
HSRM students wishing to take Language Center courses have to register for each course in Stud.IP.
Stud.IP: Please remember to cancel your registration!
There are waiting lists for many Language Center courses. Once you receive your timetable and see that you are not able to attend a course due to timetable clashes, please remember to delete your name from the course participants list in Stud.IP. This way, students on the waiting list have a chance to take part.
Additional courses
Intensive courses (during the semester break)
The list of courses offered as intensive courses during the semester break – subject to sufficient registrations – is always posted in the German version of the accordion "News and Events" ("Aktuelles & Termine") on the Language Center website. The planning for these courses takes place during the semester and the list is updated regularly.
Registrations for intensive courses in the semester break usually starts approximately one month before the end of the lecture period. On average, there are 20 places per course. Once a course is full, a waiting list is opened. Students on the waiting list are informed about whether they can take part a few days before the start of the course.
Workshops
Besides language courses, the Language Center offers workshops on various topics, e.g. writing CVs and cover letters in English. Up-to-date information can be found in the German version of the accordion "News and Events" ("Aktuelles & Termine") on the Language Center website and in Stud.IP.
Tips, sample applications and CVs for internships abroad...
... can be found in Stud.IP. Type the course title "Sprachenzentrum: Lern- und Bewerbungshilfen" in the search field and register.
The RheinMain University of Applied Sciences Language Center (HSRM) issues language certificates for HSRM courses to students and applicants for various purposes. Please click on the topic below that applies to you.
Language certificates for students
Language certificates for bachelor's degree applicants
Language certificates for master's degree applicants
Online placement tests
To find out the level of your foreign language skills for yourself, you can use various free online placement tests (see the following links). Please note, however, that the results of these tests are non-binding and are NOT recognized as official language certificates at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences!
Cornelsen placement test (for German, English, French and Spanish – approx. 30-45 min. depending on the test level, highest test level: B2)
Cambridge placement test (for general English and business English; approx. 10 - 15 min. depending on language level of test taker; highest possible test result for general English: C2; highest possible test result for business English: C1)
Dialang placement test (for most of the common European languages, organized according to skills, takes a little more time)
Spotlight + telc placement test (for German, English, French, Italian and Spanish – approx. 15 min. After completing this test, the result is sent via an automatically generated e-mail with a confirmation link to the e-mail address you provided. Please check your spam file to see if you've received the e-mail.)
DISCLAIMER
Please note that the Language Center is NOT in any way involved in the selection process for any of the degree programs; we are responsible ONLY for administering the Oxford test according to the various program requirements, and we cannot provide any information or advice regarding the application procedure or acceptance decisions.
aks e.V. – UNIcert®
UNIcert® is a "quality seal for the training, testing and certification of foreign language skills relevant for prospective academics" (https://www.unicert-online.org/). It was established in 1992 by the Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren e.V. (aks). University language teaching institutions such as the Language Center at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences can join the UNIcert® network by undergoing an accreditation process that is repeated every 2-3 years, ensuring the quality of the foreign language training and testing in UNIcert® courses.
Since April 2022, the Language Center of RheinMain University of Applied Sciences has been UNIcert®-accredited. Within the framework of the Language Center's 'Advance Your English' course series, it is allowed to offer foreign language proficiency tests for English at level B2 and certify foreign language skills of test takers (UNIcert® II Certificate - English for Academic and Professional Purposes).
Advantages for students
- Free courses with practical relevance
- Foreign language proficiency test free of charge
- A UNIcert® Certificate that provides a detailed description of the foreign language skills tested
- A certificate recognized throughout Germany and internationally - ideal for internship, Master's and job applications
UNIcert®-accredited courses have their own training and examination regulations (Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung) as well as an examination board consisting of:
Information about the DSH examination
All the relevant information about registering for the DSH examination at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences and frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found at International. For queries or to submit your application documents, please contact the International Office directly and not the Language Center. Contact details can also be found at "International Office".
The next DSH examination will take place:
Current information about the examination dates and results can be found at: International.
DSH preparatory course
Current information including the registration can be found at: International.
Eligibility requirements:
- Language skills at B2 level (proven by a corresponding certificate - e.g. Goethe certificate)
or - An examination taken at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences Language Center (Arrangement of appointment only after successful registration). Only candidates with a language skill level of B2, who cannot prove this with a above-mentioned certificate because e.g. they only can present a certificate of attendance of a B2 language course, will be invited to the internal language examination. (Information and registration directly with Cornelia Braun)
- Willingness to prepare for lessons and carry out follow-up.
- Ability to learn independently.
Here you can find the DSH Examination Regulations of RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (German only). (Subject to Resolution of the Head of the University of Applied Sciences)
The RheinMain University of Applied Sciences' Language Center offers various remedial and bridging courses as well as workshops for German. Students can expand their knowledge of German as an academic and technical language and are given support in writing academic texts in our courses, workshops and in the individual writing counselling.
The courses are free of charge and are aimed at regularly enrolled students of all degree programs, including
>> international students (advanced DSH)
as well as
>> German students with / without a migrant background.
A current list of courses and workshops offered each semester/semester break can be found in the German version of the accordion "News & Events" ("Aktuelles & Termine" - left column of this website) and in Stud.IP.
For individual writing counselling appointments, please contact Ms Olja Larrew.
Language Center Working Group
The RheinMain University of Applied Sciences Language Center is a member of the AKS (Language Centers' Working Group).
The Language Centers of other Hessian Universities of Applied Sciences
Would you like to learn a language that is not taught at our Language Center? It might be worth taking a look at what our "sister universities" have on offer. Auditors pay a fee (approx. EUR 100 per semester, or for several courses) and can participate after approval. Courses are almost always offered during the semester break, as they are here.
Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
Homepage
Building 2, Room 371
Nibelungenplatz 1
60318 Frankfurt am Main
Hochschule Darmstadt
Homepage
Building A12, Room 404
Haardtring 100
64295 Darmstadt
Hochschule Fulda
Homepage
Building P, Room 204
Leipziger Straße 123
36037 Fulda
Tel.: +49 661 9640-456
Hochschule Geisenheim University
Homepage
Language Center
Von-Lade-Str.1
65366 Geisenheim
Tel.: +49 6722 502706
Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen
Homepage
Wiesenstraße 14
35390 Gießen
How do I register for a language course?
If you would like to attend a language course that is part of the Language Center's elective program, you need to register for the course in Stud.IP. For summer semester courses, registrations start at the beginning of April; for winter semester courses registrations start at the beginning of October. You will find the specific dates for each semester in the section "News and Events" on this page. Registrations for intensive courses offered in the semester break usually start mid-January (for the break in February/March) and mid-June (for the break in August/September). Next to the option of registering for a language course, you can also find detailed information about each course's content and organization in Stud.IP. For a detailed explanation of how the registration process works in Stud.IP, click here.
If you would like to register for a required language course offered as part of your degree program's curriculum, register for that course as you register for any other of your courses.
How do I find the Language Center classes in Stud.IP?
After logging in, click on the icon "Anmeldung" at the top of the Stud.IP page. You will always find an up-to-date list of courses in the section "News and Events" on this page, too.
Required language courses that are part of degree programs' curricula can be found by typing the course name into the search box in Stud.IP.
Please note!: A complete overview of all information about current language courses can only be found in Stud.IP about 3 weeks before courses start.
How does the registration process for the elective courses work?
Register for the course you would like to attend in Stud.IP as described above. However, this is but a preliminary registration. About 10 days before the start of a course, all registered participants (including participants on the waiting list!) will receive an e-mail asking them for a final confirmation of participation or a possible de-registration, with a deadline of 4 days for reacting to the e-mail. Participants who do not confirm their participation or do not de-register within 4 days after receiving the e-mail will be deleted so that waiting list candidates can get a place in the course in time. Once you have received a final place in a course, you will receive an e-mail confirmation.
How do I get a certificate for my additional language class?
Students can print their own certificates from QIS with grades of all successfully passed additional language classes.
To QIS guide (PDF 269 KB) - in German only
I can't participate in the language course because of an overlap. What shall I do?
Please delete your name from the list of participants in Stud.IP. This way we can offer open slots to your fellow students.
What happens if I am on the waiting list for a language class?
If you're on the waiting list for a language class you should log onto Stud.IP occasionally to see if any of your fellow students have disenrolled and you have been allocated a place. If you are among the top five on the waiting list, you should definitely go to the first class, because you have a good chance of being able to start the course. If you are further down the list, it is up to you whether you decide to go or not, as is highly unlikely that you will get a place. A few places may become available after the first class (due to no-shows). It's therefore worth keeping an eye on the courses in Stud.IP.
How do I know whether the course will take place, if there are not enough students registered on the list?
If a class is canceled due to insufficient numbers, it will be published on the Language Center's website under "Current program" and all those registered will be notified by e-mail. If the course is not noted as canceled, you should go to the first class. Some students who have not registered online may turn up, and the course will therefore go ahead.
My degree program has a compulsory English class – but I can't speak English or only speak very little.
Generally speaking the university doesn't offer any beginners' courses in English, though it does offer a three-part refresher course in English (A2/B1). Information on this can be found in Stud.IP.
I need to take the TOEFL/IELTS test (Test of English as a Foreign Language/International English Language Testing System). Can I do so at the Language Center?
RheinMain University of Applied Sciences is not a TOEFL or IELTS test center. You will need to make an appointment online via the test providers' websites. For further information about the two tests, visit this website.
I'm a Business Administration student and I attended and was successful in a language class as part of my "Studium-Generale". How does my Faculty find out about this? Do I get a course certificate from the Language Center that I can submit to the Service-Center for example?
Students on the Business Administration (BBA) program, who took Language Center classes for their "Studium-Generale", do not require any additional certification about their achievements from the Language Center. The grades entered in QIS by the Language Center instructors, are sufficient as official notification of achievement for the Examination Office at Wiesbaden Business School.
How and where can I view my Oxford Online Placement Test points?
The points are entered in QIS by the Wiesbaden Business School Examination Office. They can then be viewed on your transcript of completed modules and graded course components which you can download yourself. The Language Center does not issue any OOPT result certificates for students. We conduct the test and then forward the points to the WBS Examination Office.
To QIS OOPT guide (PDF 174 KB) - in German only
Can I get my grades by telephone or will the Language Center send them to me via e-mail?
Please do not call the Language Center to inquire about your grades. For privacy reasons, our university is not permitted to advise students of their grades on the telephone or via e-mail.
Language Center Office
Office hours on campus: Monday and Thursday, 9am - 1pm; phone & online: Monday to Thursday, 9am-1pm
Location: Campus Kurt-Schumacher-Ring, C Building, Room C2.13
Tel.: +49 (0) 611 9495-3215
sprachenzentrum(at)hs-rm.de
Contacts
Head of the Language Center
Deputy Head of the Language Center
Coordination, English courses
English Language Coach forTeaching and Research Staff
Language Center Office
Organization and implementation of DaF courses (German as a foreign language) for exchange students, coordination of DSH preparatory course and examination at HSRM
Dr. Olja Larrew
Coordination, organization and implementation of DaF courses (German as a Foreign Language) German for Academic and Specific Purposes
Organization and implementation of specialized English courses (Media Management, Media: Conception +Production, Communication Design, Interior Architecture, IT)
Roland Matthée (as of March 1, 2023, no longer at the HSRM)
Coordination of Spanish courses, organization and implementation of Spanish courses
Organization and implementation of specialized English courses (Real Estate Management, Civil Engineering, Interdisciplinary Engineering)
Dr. Shirley Roth
English Language Coach for Administrative Staff
Dr, Charla Schutte
English Language Coach forTeaching and Research Staff
Organization and implementation of specialized English courses (Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering)
Organization and implementation of specialized English courses (Real Estate Management, Media Management, Heritage Conservation, International Media Management, Mobility Management); UNIcert coordination
Language Center Student Assistant
Kerstin Wegert
Language Center Adjunct Instructors
The contact details of our adjunct instructors can be found in our list of people at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.
English
- Erdal Ayan
- Patrick Donoghue
- Lee Hawkins
- Rafaella Kenanidou
- Wendy Linthicum
- Shawn Peaslee
- Hanna Roy
- Katherine Steinmetz
- Diana Strelnikova
- Jasmin Vishvanath
- Pooja Wason
- Heather Watson
German as a Foreign Language
- Dr. Thomas Amos
- Joram Behrendt
- Biljana Blank
- Mehmet Cifci
- Ana Paula Correia
- Anette Dressel
- Dr. Oliver Fohrmann
- Cora Incze-Gödde
- Fouad Hussein
- Anne Klinger
- Charlotte Kühn
- Kathrin Kurz
- Agi Meisl-Faust
- Benjamin Mettlach
- Tobias Scheschkewitz
- Silke Steckelberg-Mevert
- Erika Stiller
- Valeria Thiel
- Suzana Tutic
- Paula Vojta
- Christiane Volk
- Evelyn Wendler
- Marianne Wiegand
- Zana Zuljevic
French
- Marie Gerard
- Lorenza Mazzocato
Spanish
- José-Luis Angulo-Martinez
- Celinda Goretzky Muro
Italian
- Lorenza Mazzocato
Russian
- Dr. Natalia Bobrinskoy
- Dr. Catherine von Tsurikov
Turkish
- Begüm Meier
- Marianne Wiegand
Arabic
- Dr. Mohammed Rashed
Chinese
- Zhenan Li
Japanese
- Takayo Ishizawa
Korean
- Dr. Kum Kijeong
Thai
- Dr. Sudtanom Homdork
German Sign Language
- Barbara Rott