Studying without Language Barriers (S.O.S.)

Even with a good general knowledge of German, for most international students the German language in courses and exams is a big challenge. In the S.o.S. programme, they study together with German speaking students in small learning groups and can practise their subject-specific and their general German language skills. The German speaking students support their international fellow students in understanding the course content and help them with language questions. For this purpose, they receive preparatory training as language coaches.

Videovorschaubild mit dem Titel "Das S.o.S.-Programm"

International students…

can improve their technical and general German language skills
understand the courses better and achieve better examination results
make contact with German and other international students

For international students

Find more information and the registration here!

Language coaches…

take part in an intercultural language coach training and gain intercultural experience
receive up to 4 credits in the professionalisation area
achieve better exam results through the intensive work with the course content.

For language coaches

Find more information and the registration here!

Language coaches of Faculty 6 ...

support their international fellow students in improving their language skills
gain valuable didactic experience
Can participate in the DaF/DaZ study programme or in the profile module Master (PMA)

Languages coaches of Faculty 6

Find more information and the registration here!

About the programme

S.o.S. is a joint programme of the International House, the Institute for Electrical Measurement Science and Fundamental Electrical Engineering and the Institute for Particle Technology.

Based on the experiences from the S.o.S. programme and the feedback from students, recommendations for teachers have been developed that can help support international students in understanding German-language content as effectively as possible.

Download recommendations for teachers (PDF, 1 MB, German)

In order to support the international students and ensure their academic success, the S.o.S. programme (Studying without Language Barriers) organises course-related learning groups in which the course material is continuously studied over the course of the semester and deepened with regard to German as a technical language. In addition, study-related and general language learning groups are offered. The S.o.S. programme is based on a peer learning concept: German-speaking students of the same semester, who are trained as language coaches, supervise the international learning groups.

The language coach training includes a crash course with 30 teaching units (UE). In this course, specialised vocabulary, specialised grammar and intercultural learning, among other things, are addressed. The language coaches then lead an intercultural learning group for at least eight learning meetings of 90 minutes each. If the learning groups are successfully conducted, the coaches receive up to four credits in the interdisciplinary professionalisation area.

The S.o.S. programme primarily aims to increase the academic success of international students at TU Braunschweig and to reduce language barriers. Through the peer learning format, however, it also serves the aspects of integration and intercultural competence transfer at the same time. It aims to:

improve the professional and academic language skills of international students (linguistic and professional aspect),
improve the integration of international students into student life and German university culture (integration aspect),
teach German students important intercultural skills (intercultural aspect),
support teachers in dealing with linguistically heterogeneous groups.