Colón Language Center, Hamburg
THE DESTINATION | THE SCHOOL | MAP | RACHEL’S TAKE | WHY THIS SCHOOL? | FACILITIES | THE COURSES | FROM OUR CLIENTS | HOUSING | SOCIAL LIFE | INSURANCE AND PRICING | REQUEST AN ESTIMATE | OTHER PROGRAMS | SIMILAR PROGRAMS
With over 55 years of experience, Colón Language Center is the leading German language school in one of the most beautiful destinations in northern Europe, Hamburg. Colón’s central location in Hamburg allows students to reach many of the city’s sights easily on foot. Colón’s quality assured programs, accommodations and social program truly make it an effective and exciting experience for German language learners of all ages.
Seated on the River Elbe between the North and Baltic seas, Hamburg is proud of its medieval history as a Free City and a key member of the Hanseatic League. The city was an important port of departure for immigrants to the New World, and its trade routes still stretch across the globe. Hamburg is, and always has been, a worldly, cosmopolitan, and diverse city with much to offer to its citizens and guests.
Colón LANGUAGE CENTER AT A GLANCE
- Year of foundation: 1952
- City: Hamburg
- Position in the city: Center
- Minimum age in adult school: 16
- Number of students in school: average 800, maximum 1000
- Main type of public transport: metro, rapid transit system and buses
- Approximate number of nationalities in school each year: 80
Colón Language Center: Colonnaden 96, 20354 Hamburg, Germany
“As a long-standing member of IALC, I have been familiar with the Colón Language Center since the beginning of my career as educational consultant, and I had the pleasure of visiting the school on a tour of language schools in northern Germany in 2008. What impressed me most was the sheer size of the school, which has more classrooms than I have seen in any other, and the elegance of the school buildings and the school residence just above it. Then, with its students from 80 + different countries every year, its nationality mix cannot be beat. Colón is located in the center of the city, in an elegant pedestrian area containing everything that students need, and all of the attractions of Hamburg are reachable on foot from there. For a city of its size and importance, Hamburg is easy to get around in on the whole, which students will be able to appreciate. It is also has a very large student population at its prestigious university (over 40,000 students), which has campuses throughout the center of the city, so foreign language students will have many opportunities to meet people their own age and practice their German and/or do language exchanges with them. Students at Colón will also be able to appreciate the many options of housing that the school offers. As a city not saturated with German language schools, it is able to provide high quality host families for students who desire a true full-immersion experience.”
Colón Language Center
Why study German at the Colón Language Center?
There are many language schools in Germany, which is the top destination for German language learning. Colón Language Center in Hamburg distinguishes itself in the following ways:
- The Colón Language Center has been operating for more than 60 years, and is one of the biggest language schools in Germany.
- Colón Language Center’s location in Hamburg ensures that students will be speaking High German, rather than a regional dialect, with the local population.
- The school has excellent modern facilities and resources to accompany students with everything they need.
- Colón Language Center is member of the prestigious IALC association, a recognition that is more difficult to attain than others.
- Colón has the title “Geprüfte Weiterbildungseinrichtung” of the local association ‘Weiterbildung Hamburg’ for its quality assurance.
- Colón Language Center is able to ensure teaching quality with only experienced teachers who are university graduates – more than 60 teachers teach German courses in Colón.
- Colón Language Center is able to offer a choice of top quality accommodation, including excellent homestays, its own student residence in the same building as the school, and shared and studio apartments.
- Colón Language Center has a fantastic nationality mix, with students from over 80 different countries every year.
- The courses offer an exceptionally good value for money in the German language school market
- Colón Language Center is an official telc testing center.
The facilities
Colón FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- 80 bright classrooms
- Free Wi-Fi
- Self-access study center
- Library
- Bookshop
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Location
Colón Language Center is located directly in the city center, in Hamburg’s oldest pedestrian zone known as “Colonnaden,” which enables the school to offer a perfect combination of learning and living.
Social Evening (Stammtisch)
Every Thursday night, Colón offers all students the stammtisch, or “Social Evening,” with one or two teachers. Students can use this opportunity to socialize and improve their language skills.
Colón Cinema Nights
One Wednesday per month, Colón organizes a cinema night at the Metropolis Cinema Hamburg. Colón teachers choose the movies, which are mostly German productions with either a historical background or of relevance to the present situation.
The courses
GENERAL GERMAN AND EXAMINATION COURSES
- Age: minimum 16
- German levels: All
- Course duration: 1 + weeks
- Length of each lesson: 45 minutes
- Start dates: Most Mondays (General German), see dates and fees (Exam Preparation courses and Absolute Beginners)
- Number of students in class: 5 – 15
German Intensive 5 x 5
The Intensive 5 x 5 course comprises of General German lessons 5 times a week. Students have the options of morning or afternoon classes.
- Number of lessons per week: 25 lessons
- Timetable: 8:50 – 13:00 or 13:30 – 17:45 Monday to Friday
German Combined Intensive 5 x 6
The Combined Intensive course is a combination of a 5 x 5 Intensive Course and 45 minutes of private teaching daily to cover special themes or specialist vocabulary. The private lesson may be combined with a morning or afternoon course.
- Number of lessons per week: 30 lessons
- Timetable: 8:00 – 13:00 or 13:30 – 18:45 Monday to Friday
German Semi-Intensive 5 x 2
The Semi-Intensive course is a less intensive course option with fewer lessons per week.
- Number of lessons per week: 10 lessons
- Timetable: 9:45 – 11:15 Monday to Friday
Individual German Course
The German one-to-one course is the most flexible and intensive option for learning German. It is recommended for those who wish to achieve their individual language goals in the shortest possible time. This individualized course is adapted to the student’s language needs and preferred dates and time.
TestDaf Exam Preparation 5×2
As the most important German language test for foreign university applicants, the TestDaF exam paves the way for university studies and is recognized by all German universities. Colon Hamburg’s TestDaF preparation course is intended for participants with an advanced level of German who aim to achieve optimal results in their TestDaF. The 5 x 2 TestDaF course can be booked alone or in combination with the Intensive course 5 x 5 or the Semi-Intensive course 5 x 2.
- Minimum German level: B2
- Number of lessons per week: 10
- Timetable: 11:30 – 13:00 Monday to Friday
German Conversation Course
This course is for those interested in training and improving their communication skills. Topics such as tourism, cultural features and current affairs are discussed in class and participants are encouraged to actively participate. This friendly and informal atmosphere is a good opportunity to practice and improve vocabulary as well as students’ understanding and use of the German language.
- Minimum German level: B1
- Number of lessons per week: 2
- Timetable: 18:30 – 19:30 Tuesdays
GERMAN COURSE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
- Minimum Age: 18
- Length of each lesson: 45 minutes
- Start dates: see dates and fees
German for Professional Use B1, B2, C1 (telc German B1/B2 Beruf and telc German C1 exams)
This course prepares participants for the internationally recognized exam telc Deutsch B1+, B2+ Beruf (business-level) and the standard German telc C1 exam. The goal of this course is the professional orientation and introduction to the commercial business language at the level B1. The exam fees are included in the course tuition.
- Minimum German level: B1
- Course Duration: 12 weeks
- Number of lessons per week: 40
- Timetable: 8:00 – 15:00 Monday to Friday
- Number of students in class: 15 – 18
German for Health Care Professionals B1, B2 (telc German B1/B2 Pflege exam)
The German for Health Care professions course was created for foreign nurses and covers a high B1/B2 level vocabulary and grammatical structures. It focuses on patient consultations and colleague meetings, phone calls, the filling in of forms, etc. The course prepares participants for the Telc certificate German B1/B2 Pflege‘ examination. Colón is an official telc testing center and students can take the exam directly at the school once they finish their course.
- Minimum German levels: A2/B1
- Course Duration: 12 weeks
- Number of lessons per week: 40
- Timetable: 8:00 – 15:00 Monday to Friday
- Number of students in class: 15 – 18
HOST FAMILY
One of the best ways to experience the German way of life and culture is to choose homestay accommodation. All homestays are carefully selected and visited regularly to ensure consistently high standards. Homestays are in fact the accommodation of choice for the majority of students. The school and Marshall Language Services recommend this form of accommodation the most for language learning. Family life is informal and the people are welcoming, friendly and talkative, so students will have plenty of opportunities to practice their German with native speakers. By booking homestay accommodation, students will also not have to worry about shopping for food and preparing meals every day. Mealtimes are often the occasions in which families converse most with the students.
Additional homestay provisions and information
- Homestay accommodation includes a single study bedroom.
- Meal plan: Half board (breakfast and one meal), breakfast only, or self-catering.
- Some homestays offer wireless internet. A mobile hotspot is available for students’ use.
- Homestay families provide all bed linens and towels.
- Most host families live within 20 minutes of the school by public transport.
- Students may use laundry facilities.
- Accommodation is from Sunday to Saturday. It is possible to book extra nights at an additional cost.
STUDENT RESIDENCE
Colón Language Center Residence
Colón Language Center is able to offer its own student residence in the same building as the school and in a neighboring building. The minimum age to book student residence is 18 years and the minimum stay is 4 weeks. Arrival and departure are on Fridays only.
The Colón Language Center Residences also offer:
- Single, double and triple rooms
- Shared bathrooms
- Bed linens and towels
- Cleaning on weekdays
- Kitchen with cooking facilities
- Pantry area with fridge, coffee machine, water boiler, dishes and hotplate
- Free Wi-Fi
- TV
APARTMENTS
Shared Apartments
This type of accommodation is ideal for budget-minded students. All shared apartments are inspected by Colón staff. The minimum age to book shared apartments is 18 years and the minimum stay is 4 weeks. Arrival is on Sunday and departure is on Saturday. Extra nights are available upon request.
Shared Apartments also offer:
- Single room with bed, table, chair and closet
- Shared bathroom
- Shared living room
- Bed linen and towels are provided
- Shared kitchen
- Mobile hotspot
Studio Apartments
This type of accommodation is for independent students between 18 and 35 who would like to study and live in Hamburg for a longer period. The studio apartments are located in the city center near the main train station. The studio apartments are furnished and have a pantry area and a bathroom. The minimum age to book studio apartments is 18 years and the minimum stay is 4 weeks. Arrival is on Saturdays and departure is on Fridays.
Studio Apartments also offer:
- Cooking facilities
- Bed linens
- Parking space for bicycles
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
HOTELS
Colón Language Center can make reservations for students at hotels, many of which are only a few minutes from the school. The school offers a wide selection of hotels at a wide range of prices.
Hotel Garni ‘Bei der Esplanade’
This is a small, clean hotel in a first-class location in a neighboring building to the school. Please visit the hotel website for more information.
Hotel Baseler Hof Hamburg
This hotel is only a 2-minute walk to the school building. Please visit the hotel website for more information.
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
Contact us for information about dates & prices
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