3.2 Education and Learning

Overview of Education and Learning in German-speaking Countries

In the German language, talking about education and learning is very common in everyday conversations, in work contexts, and in official situations. At B1 level you should be able to describe your educational background, explain how school and training systems work in German-speaking countries, and talk about learning habits, courses, and qualifications in a clear and connected way.

This chapter gives you the key vocabulary and typical expressions you need to speak about school, university, training, courses, exams, and learning strategies. Details about specific grammar structures, such as infinitive constructions, will be handled in the following subchapter.

Talking about School and Education Paths

When you talk about your school career in German, you often describe a sequence: kindergarten, primary school, different types of secondary school, vocational training, or university. It can be helpful to understand the general terms and the basic structure used in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, even if you then compare it with your own country.

Important general words include:

You often use these in simple statements such as:
"Ich habe meine Schulbildung in Spanien gemacht."
"Ich habe eine Ausbildung als Krankenschwester."
"Ich habe mein Studium in Berlin abgeschlossen."

Types of Schools and Educational Stages

Each German-speaking country has its own details, but many basic terms are similar. You should know how to name school stages and main school types.

A useful overview is:

You often need to connect these words to time expressions. For example:
"Ich war vier Jahre auf der Grundschule."
"Ich bin aufs Gymnasium gegangen."
"Ich habe eine Berufsschule besucht."

Qualifications and Final Exams

To talk about your level and certificates, you need words for diplomas and degrees. These are very important in job applications and formal conversations.

In German-speaking countries some core terms are:

You often use verbs like "machen", "haben", "bekommen", "erwerben" with these nouns. For example:
"Ich habe 2015 mein Abitur gemacht."
"Ich habe einen Bachelorabschluss in Informatik."
"Ich habe ein Sprachzertifikat B2 bekommen."

University and Vocational Training

At B1 level you should clearly distinguish between university studies and vocational training, and you should be able to talk about your own path or plans.

University Studies

For academic studies, German uses "studieren" and not "lernen". "Lernen" is for learning in general or for school, courses, and exams, and "studieren" is specifically for universities or similar institutions.

Some key expressions for university life are:

Sentences like these are very typical in B1 conversations:
"Ich studiere im dritten Semester Maschinenbau."
"Ich habe mich an der Universität Wien eingeschrieben."
"Ich muss nächste Woche eine Klausur schreiben."
"Er hat seine Masterarbeit schon abgegeben."

Vocational Training and Dual System

Germany and some other German-speaking countries are famous for the "duales System". This combines practical work in a company with theoretical lessons in a vocational school. This is important vocabulary for work-related topics.

Key words include:

Example sentences could be:
"Ich mache eine Ausbildung als Elektriker."
"Sie hat eine duale Ausbildung in einem großen Betrieb gemacht."
"Die Auszubildenden arbeiten drei Tage im Betrieb und haben zwei Tage Berufsschule."

Learning in Courses and Adult Education

Learning does not stop after school. In German-speaking countries there are many options for adult education, language courses, and professional development. You often need this vocabulary for everyday life, for integration, or for work.

Types of Courses and Institutions

When you talk about courses, you usually combine "Kurs" with a certain topic or level. You also need words for the institutions that offer these courses.

You often say:
"Ich besuche einen Deutschkurs an der Volkshochschule."
"Ich nehme an einem Onlinekurs teil."
"Wir haben dreimal pro Woche Unterricht."
"Die Firma bezahlt meine Weiterbildung."

Levels and Learning Goals

For language courses and many other training programs in Europe, the Common European Framework (CEFR) is used. This is where levels like A1, A2, B1 come from.

Useful expressions for levels and goals are:

Sentences like these can help you describe your situation:
"Ich lerne Deutsch auf B1-Niveau."
"Mein Lernziel ist das Zertifikat B1."
"Ich besuche einen Fortgeschrittenenkurs."

Exams, Grades, and Evaluation

In many situations you will talk about tests, exams, and results. German has some specific terms for different types of exams and for grading systems.

Types of Tests and Exams

It is important to know which word fits which kind of exam.

You usually combine them with verbs such as "machen", "schreiben", "bestehen", "durchfallen".

Typical sentences are:
"Ich habe gestern eine wichtige Prüfung gemacht."
"Sie hat die Abschlussprüfung bestanden."
"Er ist in der Matheprüfung durchgefallen."

Grades and Assessment

Grading systems are slightly different in each country, but in Germany a common school grading scale is from 1 to 6. At university the system may be from 1,0 to 5,0. You also find words for evaluation in everyday language.

Example sentences:
"Ich habe in Deutsch eine Zwei bekommen."
"Seine Leistungen sind dieses Jahr besser."
"Die Lehrerin bewertet auch die Mitarbeit im Unterricht."

Subjects and Fields of Study

When you talk about your education, you also need names of school subjects and fields of study at university or vocational school.

School Subjects

Here are common school subjects you will hear in conversations about school and learning:

You can say:
"Mein Lieblingsfach ist Geschichte."
"In Mathe habe ich oft Probleme."
"Wir haben morgen eine Klassenarbeit in Deutsch."

Fields of Study and Professions

For university or vocational training, you often talk about broader fields like engineering, medicine, or business.

Typical examples:
"Ich studiere Informatik an einer Fachhochschule."
"Sie macht eine Ausbildung im Gesundheitsbereich."
"Er interessiert sich für Pädagogik und Psychologie."

Talking About Learning Habits and Strategies

At B1 level you should be able to describe how you learn, how often you study, and what works well for you. You can also talk about difficulties and how you try to improve your learning.

Learning Activities and Verbs

German has a rich set of verbs connected to learning and studying.

Sentences like these help you talk about your learning style:
"Ich lerne jeden Tag eine Stunde Deutsch."
"Ich muss die neuen Vokabeln noch wiederholen."
"Vor der Prüfung habe ich zwei Wochen lang gepaukt."
"Ich schreibe im Unterricht immer mit."

Learning Materials and Tools

You can also name the things you use for learning German or other subjects.

You can say:
"Ich lerne mit einem Lehrbuch und einer App."
"Ich schreibe die neuen Vokabeln auf Karteikarten."
"Ich benutze oft ein Onlinewörterbuch."

Describing School and Study Experience

To talk about your personal experience in education and learning, you need adjectives and typical expressions that describe school life, courses, and teachers.

Describing School, Courses, and Teachers

Adjectives help you give opinions about lessons and studies.

With these words you can say:
"Der Deutschkurs ist sehr interessant, aber manchmal anstrengend."
"Meine Mathelehrerin ist streng, aber fair."
"Die Vorlesung war langweilig und sehr theoretisch."
"Die Übungen im Kurs sind praktisch und hilfreich."

Typical School and Study Situations

You often talk about homework, attendance, and participation in class. These expressions are very common.

Examples:
"Ich habe die Hausaufgaben vergessen."
"Der Unterricht fällt heute aus."
"Er hat gestern in der Schule gefehlt."
"Sie ist oft zu spät und entschuldigt sich dann."

Lifelong Learning and Professional Development

In modern work life, people need to learn all the time. In German you will often hear expressions that show this idea of continuous learning.

Lifelong Learning

Some important words and phrases are:

You can say:
"In meinem Beruf ist lebenslanges Lernen wichtig."
"Die Firma bietet viele Schulungen an."
"Ich möchte mich fachlich weiterbilden."

New Vocabulary

The following table summarizes the most important new vocabulary from this chapter.