German course in Dortmund or online? An honest way to choose

With us, the on-site and online intensive courses are the same course: same teachers, same coursebook, same pace, same goal. That does not make the choice arbitrary. It depends less on what sounds more modern than on what your day looks like and how you learn.

What speaks for the on-site course

• You speak more. In a room, conversation happens in the breaks, in the corridor, on the walk to the U-Bahn. Those minutes add up and appear on no timetable.
• The journey is part of the commitment. If you have travelled to Kampstraße in the morning, your day has started. At home, the start time slides more easily.
• Questions cost nothing. A quick follow-up after class takes seconds in person.
• You meet people in the same city with the same plan. For many, that turns out to be the real gain.

What speaks for the online course

• You are not in Dortmund — or not yet. Many start online from their home country and move into the on-site course after arriving.
• No commute. Two 40-minute journeys a day comes to more than 50 hours across eight weeks.
• Caring responsibilities. A morning online is often possible with children at home when a morning across town is not.
• Everything is there in writing. Chat, shared screen, notes — you can read back instead of asking again.

The uncomfortable question

An online intensive course is not an easier course. It is the same four mornings a week, the same homework, the same pace. Choosing online in the hope of working alongside it is usually the wrong choice — those are the participants who drop out most often. The online course saves you the journey, not the work.

If you are torn and you live in or near Dortmund, take the on-site course. The amount of speaking is the difference you will hear after eight weeks.

And practically

The two formats have their own dates — they do not necessarily start on the same day. Current start dates for both are on the Prices & dates page, where you can filter by format and enrol directly for a specific date.

Unsure about your level? The placement test is free and identical in both formats.