I am a Kiwi, how can I live and work in Freiburg, Germany, when I don't speak German yet?

Question

I want to stay one year working and living in Freiburg. I am taking German courses at the moment but I will not have learnt that much German by the time I arrive in Freiburg in August. I have accomodation organised, the only thing I need is a job. I'm hard working, fast learning... any suggestions??

Answer 1

You will love Freiburg!  You will do fine just speaking English there because it is a university town.  I agree, enroll in the Goethe Institute Superintensive course (That is what I did and they are wonderful).  German is very difficult, but you can do it.  Good Luck.  P.S. Be sure and get a donner kebab at the kebab stand on the street behind the Novotel Hotel.  There are awesome there - some of the best I have ever had in Germany.

Answer 2

Reading the other answers I'm not sure I understand the questions correctly, but if the main issue is that you will need a job, more for the money than to learn the language, and you are in doubt what you can do, then 2 things that would spring to mind are tutoring (as in teach English) and working in an Irish pub, where people should be fine with talking / ordering in English.

Answer 3

These are all great answers.  I won't add to them, but I just had to giggle when I read your question.  "I am a Kiwi".  I know what you mean and where you are from.  But I still had to giggle.  The first thought that jumped in my mind was this huge Kiwi with arms and legs doing a dance next to a fruit bowl :-)  I'm sorry, I'm not making fun of you.

Enjoy your stay in Germany !!  It's SO great here.  If you get here and need someone who is a native English speaker that speaks German, shoot me an email with your real email address to reply to.  You can bounce ideas off of me and I can help you out with any German help needed.

Answer 4

You can look by monster.com for jobs.  Learning German will be easy if you in the country. I remember first time I came to Germany, speak just few words now after a while I'm good with that. Reading, watching TV help too.  Freiburg is a nice place. Good luck for you.

Answer 5

I have several Kiwi friends who teach at international schools in Germany.  (Americans and Australians there too...)  These school are conducted in English- so they often like native English speakers as teachers.  Also you cuold perhaps get a job as a teaching assistant or substitute?  Or, working as an au pair or nanny could be a good choice.  Often parents like their children to have an English speaker as their "tagesmutter" (day mother- i.e. during the day nanny)  This helps their kids to learn English, which can be very helpful given the prevalence of this language in global business.  Plus, hanging out with German kids all day could also help you practice and learn more German. :-)

Answer 6

German is hard to learn,specially outside Germany in normal

language schools.Once you arrive at Freiburg,enroll at a

Goethe Institute for a fast course of one or two months,

you'll start dreaming and talking to yourself in German.

Read a lot,even if you don't understand much,your brain will

absorb the words.

as for a work,start at any Mcdo or similar place,it's paid by the

hour until you know enough German.

Answer 7

That's really cool I just moved out of Freiburg its cool there i lived there for 3 years IN the Army but you should try a GS job there you will work with Germans that speak perfect English and they will be speaking German also so u get the best of both worlds in a way but there are alot of American in Freiburg because of the Military base there

Answer 8

English is alive and well over there, i have met lots of people who were over there.  they also speak Russian.

don´t study too hard, it will hurt.  best thing is talk to some one.  practice helps.  find some one on line and go to voice chat.  that will help.

Answer 9

what's a kiwi?