Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
Sprachliche und Interkulturelle Vorbereitung

Linguistic and cultural preparation

Language and cultural adventure abroad

A stay abroad means discovering new things, interacting with locals and daring to "think outside the box". What do you need for this? Clearly: language skills as well as the confidence and ability to encounter the unknown, to communicate and to be open to other opinions, attitudes towards life and traditions.

KOOR - Erasmus Services BW is concerned to prepare you in the best possible way for the language and cultural adventure "abroad". For this purpose we provide you with the following offers and services:

  • OLS language courses
  • Language support: financial subsidy for self-learning materials and self-organized language courses
  • Hands-on Learning! Online course for intercultural preparation
  • Intercultural Questionnaire
  • Intercultural training in face-to-face and virtual formats

Free online language course from the EU Academy

The new language learning portal for Erasmus scholarship holders is not yet fully functional. It is therefore currently not compulsory to take the language test before your stay.
However, if you are interested in free online language tests or online language courses, you are welcome to take a look around the new platform. Registration does not take long, instructions can be found here. Once you have joined the community at the platform link, tests and courses are already available in some languages.

Your benefits:

  • You can take the course in both the main working language and the local language(s)  
  • You get access to all available modules and levels and can participate in as many activities as you like.
  • At your own pace, in any order, anytime, anywhere.

All offers are currently voluntary and not a requirement for receiving the scholarship.

Financial support for language courses and/or self-study materials

KOOR offers a financial subsidy for language support of up to €130,-:

  • €100,- for a language course in the national and/or working language and
  • €30,- for self-study materials in the national and/or working language

The prerequisite for this is that no language courses are offered in the working or national language of your target country on the EU language portal.

The subsidy for self-study materials and for a language course can be approved individually, but they can also be combined. The following documents must be submitted for the grant:

  • A declaration of honor for the subsidy of language courses and/or self-study materials must be submitted with the final documents at the latest.
  • Receipts must be shown upon request.

If you qualify for language support or do have any further questions, please send us an email to erasmus.koorspam prevention@h-ka.de and we will provide you the declaration of honor.

Intercultural preparation online: Hands-on Learning! for internship stays

KOOR ­- Erasmus Services BW is offering 100 scholarship holders the opportunity to take part in the online course free of charge as part of a pilot project. Here you can practically and theoretically train your communication and relationship skills in an international context and prepare for your Erasmus+ internship in the best possible way.

The modules of the course are offered cyclically, i.e. once all course modules have taken place, the first module starts again. Thus, it is possible to join at any time. You can register for course modules that take place from the start of the internship until a maximum of 1 month after the end of the funding period. More information on the Hands-on Learning! Course can be found here (PDF).

Participation Requirements

  • Erasmus scholarship from KOOR - Erasmus Services BW
  • Ability to communicate in English
  • Basic skills in working with computer/internet
  • If you are interested, please write us an email with the following details to Katja Ehlert first name, last name, date of birth, funding period. Upon completion of at least three modules, you will receive a certificate of participation.

Intercultural training

To make your stay abroad a complete success, not only the practical preparation is essential. The cultural preparation is at least as important. Depending on the destination country, you will be confronted with more or less major cultural differences, which can quickly lead to a lack of understanding, misunderstandings as well as frustrations Unpleasant feelings, which in turn can trigger a so-called "culture shock". This is where empathy skills, cultural sensitivity and frustration tolerance are crucial.

Participating in an intercultural training course will give you ideas and practical recommendations for dealing consciously with foreign cultures, as well as tips on how to prepare for cultural differences. In addition, you can reflect on your experiences after your stay. 

KOOR - Erasmus Services BW organizes an intercultural workshop once per semester at Hochschule Karlsruhe. This is free of charge for all KOOR scholarship holders who are doing an Erasmus-funded internship or study abroad. For face-to-face events, travel expenses will be reimbursed. 

The date for the next workshop is not determined yet. In the meantime, you can check out our Intercultural Questionnaire (PDF), which can also be found in the download area in the applicant portal.

KOOR – Erasmus Services BW

Telephone +49 (0)721 925-2521, -2522, -2523, -2524, -2525, -2526
Fax +49 (0)721 925-2520

Telephone Office Hours: Mon to Fri from 9 am to 11 am and Mon to Thu from 1 to 3 pm

erasmus.koor@h-ka.de

Hochschule Karlsruhe
Building F, Room 302 & 303
Moltkestraße 30
76133 Karlsruhe