Classes are structured according to language background and age of the students. Depending on their language skills and whether German is the language spoken at home, students learn German either as a second or as a foreign language and are divided into those two streams for most of the program:

German as a Second Language (DaZ)

Students understand and speak German effortlessly and follow our adapted version of the German literacy core curriculum of Thuringia, used by most German schools abroad.

German as a Foreign Language (DaF)

Students learn German as a foreign language based on the “DaF-Rahmenplan” – the official curriculum developed by the Standing Committee of the German Ministers of Culture and Education. It is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

We recommend that students enroll in our program for kindergarten/Grade 1 and progress all the way through to high school. Students joining VWGS at a more advanced level can be accommodated, but need to be able to converse, read and write at the same proficiency level as their peers already attending VWGS.

We teach all aspects of the German language in speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension. Students are prepared to communicate effectively in German, use correct grammar, appropriate vocabulary, standard spelling and correct pronunciation. In addition, cultural, geographical and historical aspects of all German speaking countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria) form an integral part of our curricula.