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Integration Courses in Germany
European Seminar
„Reviewing reception measures for the integration of legal
immigrants in the European Union“
18/19 of April
Paris
Jens Reimann
Germany
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
www.bamf.de
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Three Important Groups Of Immigrants
• „Guest Workers“ and their descendants
• „Ethnic German Repatriates“ (4,500,000)
• Immigrants coming in the context of family reunion
A very heterogenuous group
(20 percent of the German population)
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Situation before 01.01.2005
• Extent of immigration and the needs for integration were underrated for a long time.
Before 01.01.2005:
Unstructured system of language courses in Germany
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Implementation of Integration Courses
• 01.01.2005: New Immigration Act setting new standards for German integration policy
• Unification of language courses for adult migrants, establishment of the „Integration Courses“
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Integration Courses: Goals
• Language Level B1 according to the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages
(CEFR)
• Knowledge of society, politics, culture, history
and legal system in Germany
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Integration Courses: Current Structure
• Language course: 600 lessons à 45 minutes
• Orientation course: 60 lessons
• Special Integration Courses for young adults, women, parents, illiterates and persons who have acquired the German Language in a non- educational context and who have therefore special pedagogic needs (960 lessons)
• Possibility to complete the Integration Course in only 430 lessons for students with a good educational background
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Testing (1)
• Final test for the language course:
Scaled language test „Deutsch-Test für
Zuwanderer“ (DTZ)
(German Test for Immigrants)
designed by Goethe-Insitut and telc GmbH
shows the achieved language level of the
immigrant (A2 or B1 according to CEFR)
• Possibility of repeating 300 lessons and the DTZ if
the main goal (B1) has not been achieved
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Testing (2)
• Final test for the Orientation Course:
Test „Living in Germany“
(Multiple-choice-test with 33 questions)
• If participants pass the two final tests
(Language level B1 and 15 correct answers in
„Living in Germany“)
they receive the „Zertifikat Integrationskurs“.
• „Living in Germany“ serves also as a prerequisite
for a later naturalization if 17 questions are
answered correctly.
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Quality assurance
• Standardised criteria for teacher‘s qualification
• System of further education for teachers who don‘t
meet that qualification
• Standardised criteria for teaching material
• Course controls
• Permanent commission established to accompany
the conception and implementation of Integration
Courses
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Integration Courses: Facts and Figures
(01/01/2005 - 31/12/2012)
• More than 67,000 Integration Courses have begun.
• More than 48,000 Integration Courses have
finished.
• More than 1,165,000 persons have received an
entitlement to attend an Integration Course.
• About 880,000 persons have begun an Integration
Course.
• More than 546,000 persons have finished an Integration Course.
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Integration Courses: outcomes
(01/01/2012 - 31/12/2012)
• 55.9 percent of those who have participated in the
DTZ have achieved level B1.
• 35,4 percent have achieved level A2.
• 8.7 percent have remained below A2 level.
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Integration Courses: Perspectives
• Increasing immigration in the labour context
• More participants from EU countries
• Promoting „Compact Integration Courses“ with
430 lessons and Integration Courses for parents
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Thank you very much for your attention!
Jens Reimann
Germany
Federal Office of Migration and Refugees
