New members of the Germany forum, introduce yourselves here - 2020

Well of course German is the language here so it is expected kids will learn it and it will likely be their first language. But all kids get English in school. And if it is also supported at home then there is no reason they should not become fluent and feel comfortable with English as well. And likely they would end up speaking a more standard international English than most Indians.

Thank you for taking your time and response. What are the subjects that will be taught in English if I choose the German medium? ( I fee like Maths will be taught in English. Not sure.) Please reply in case you know about this.

Thanks for response beppi

The medium of instruction in German schools is, of course, German.
English is spoken only in English language lessons - and then at beginner's level (which might be boring for your kid).
That said, there are "bilingual" public secondary schools. They are geared towards German kids who want to learn more English. So they have more English language lessons (beginners level) in the beginning and in later years more and more other subjects (starting with the less important ones) are taught in English, up to half of the lessons in the final year.
Unlike normal pubic schools, there are entry restrictions for the bilingual ones - meaning your kids needs a certain level in primary school to qualify.
We decided that our daughter (who is fluent in English and German) does not need this kind of bilingual school (after all, she is able to correct her English teacher's language - most teachers here are not native speakers), so enrolled her at a normal German one.
We support her English language development by speaking (mostly) English at home and other measures, for example by buying her favourite Harry Potter books only in English.

rcmohanraj wrote:

Thank you for taking your time and response. What are the subjects that will be taught in English if I choose the German medium? ( I fee like Maths will be taught in English. Not sure.) Please reply in case you know about this.

In most schools all of the subjects will be taught in German and English is taught as a separate subject.
There are some free public schools in large cities that are dual English/German which are ideal for this but not intended for one to get along without German. They are meant to give German speakers a stronger knowledge of English in addition. One should not confuse them with international ones that use English as  the primarily language of instruction.

Compared to most southern European countries the standard the kids learn is pretty high and they usually get many years of English instruction. The weakness of of Germany however compared to the Netherlands or most Scandinavian countries is that kids don't necessarily get to use their English outside of school. These smaller countries often have more media like movies and TV in original language. And they know people in other countries won't speak their language, so they have more motivation to truly get along with English if they want to travel. Thus some kids in Germany don't take it so serious and later forget much of their English after leaving school.

This is why it makes sense to support the kids outside of school; say using English at home in some contexts or giving them the opportunity to travel and actually use it. Another thing I encourage is for parents to consider a year as an exchange pupil for their kids in a country where they want them to really solidify their language skills be it English or another language.

Wow. Thanks for the detailed explanation Beepi. I didn't know about public schools until now. Will explore this.

Thanks again for the details. I will explore more on this.

Hi all, I am P. Anderson, 32, from Haiti. I moved to Germany a couple of weeks ago. I will be studying in Darmstadt. I would like to connect/meet with people living in the surroundings of Frankfurt, Mannheim or Heidelberg. I speak French, English, Spanish and little of German.
Also, I am currently looking for a student part time job in Darmstadt.
Cheers,

Hallo! I am new here. I am from England but I made some German friends online and that's how I got to start loving German culture. I'm a beginner in Deutsch language and it's fun learning it. I also have family connections with Germany.

Good morning, my name is Sarah and I'm planning a move to Bavaria.  I'm a registered nurse.  I'm a German citizen although I have not lived there since I was a child.  I also speak German but definitely need a refresher course.  I have family in Bavaria, that's why I'm planning a move to that area.  Just looking for advice or helpful hints that expats may be able to share.
Thanks for considering!

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to the forum!
You can read lots of advice given in various existing threads. And if you have a specific question that was not addressed yes, please feel free to post it here, or start your own thread.

Hello.  Checking in after a long while.  I'm English, but with German citizenship, and have lived in Cologne since 1999.  I'm currently working for Ford's network department.  I've been doing english stand-up comedy for some time, and I also do improv.  I paint, play guitar and enjoy the nerdier things in life.

Welcome to the forum, Stevedix!

Hi All,

I am about to relocate to Heilbronn-Germany from India, hopefully by December end. I will be working in an IT company as Consultant.
Working to acquire basic German skills and hoping a great stay! I went through various threads of this forum and is really helpful. I appreciate the active members who provide help to anyone who asks questions.
I have one question at this point, how much would be the settling down cost when I will be arriving with my family there. This is what I can think of at this point:
- 2-3 month deposit for apartment
- Rental agent charges (I will try my best to avoid that)
- Different registrations and residence permit etc.
Any suggestion on ball park amount which I can keep in mind?

Hi Amithere, welcome to the forum (and, soon, to Germany)!
In addition to the upfront costs you mentioned, you may need temporary accommodation for the weeks or months until you find a rental place and can move in: Most places are offered (and the good ones quickly taken up) soon after the previous tenant announces his termination - and termination notice periods are a minimum of 3 months, by law.
Also, unless you bring your full household by container, you will need to furnish the apartment. Furnished places are very rare and extraordinarily expensive here, so for a stay of more than just a few months they are not attractive.
And of course, salaries are paid at the end of the month here, so you need to be able to cover your family's daily expenses for that period.

Thanks @beppi, very helpful information.
I will try to convince my employer to provide me temporary accommodation in that case. I hope it should work out.

Chrisanthip: Welcome to th forum! I hope you can "talk" with some people here, as the real world isn't currently a good place to meet and talk.

Introduction:
Grüß Gott! Stephen here, I am an American still in the US, retired, married with stable income from Social Security, pension and 401(k) retirement accounts. I have strong German heritage (my mother was from Stuttgart) and we both speak German, I am fluent. I lived with my grandparents as a teenager and attended Gymnasium, then returned as an adult both in the military and then working for a German company. I also draw a small pension (Altersrente) in Euro for the time I worked in the 1980s.
My wife and I would like to live in Germany as permanent residents, perhaps the rest of our lives (we're both > 70), in or near Stuttgart or perhaps Berlin. I would like contact with any current, non-working American expats who have established themselves with US-based income. I would like to know whether our wish is even possible, what are the parameters (income, expense) and process for obtaining an appropriate visa and Aufenthaltserlaubnis. Of course any move would be after Covid restrictions are lifted.
If you or someone you know can provide some basic information, pointers, links, etc., I would be grateful for assistance. For instance, how much can we expect to pay for required health care insurance? How do we demonstrate financial independence, manage transferring funds to Germany? Is an unlimited visa even available?
Thanks for reading, we can also communicate by email if you want the details kept confidential.
MfG,
-stephen
South Carolina

KSTinMB: Welcome to the forum!
Most of your questions were already addressed in related forum posts - you may use the search function (on the top right of the page) to find them.
If you then still have specific questions that were not yer discussed, please feel free to come back and post them here or in a new thread.

Just a short note: I am not aware of any visa type applicable for non-EU, non-working retirees to relocate to Germany. If you find out how it could work, the information would greatly benefit others, so please post it on the forum!
And if you manage to get a residence visa, the health insurance costs (at your age you must probably join the private scheme) will be very high (not just a few hundred Euro per month, per person). You could contact an insurance agent to get a quote.

Hello everyone. I'm originally from China and have been in Germany for 10 years. My husband and I are going to move to a small village in Bavaria called Ottobeuren next year with our two little boys (We are now living in Munich). I'm looking for Chinese speaking families or person near us. In Munich there are a lot, but in Ottobeuren I don't know any. I'd really like to maintain a sufficient Chinese speaking environment for my boys and I find it so difficult if I'm the only one who speaks it to them.

hello there,

I'm an Austrian who mostly forgot how to German due to living in Malta for 7+ years. My wife got a job offer in Germany and it looks like we're moving.
We're aiming for Berlin due to it's 'multicultural' vibe as we are not ready to return to the bosom of Germanic culture  After 7 years of Mediterranean mentality (nothing works but everyone is nice) this will be quite a challenge.

scareglow wrote:

Mediterranean mentality (nothing works but everyone is nice)

Very well said - and really a big contrast to the German method of "everything works and people are nice if they have to."

Hallo!  I am Hana.

I am a true international person, who studied, lived and worked variouse contries.
The stranger the culture and the way of life, the more I enjoy!
I love diferences ! that is what keeps me going in life!

So wonderful to be an expat !

I wish as all Peace & Health!

My Name is Nakamya Ritah 24 years old I'm from Africa Uganda I'm looking for job of house maid I naver traved before but I'm hard working always happy listen working in germany is my dream and if I get this chance my dream will come true Thank you.

Nakamya: Getting a work permit for an unskilled job in Germany is nearly impossible. Furthermore, nobody has a housemaid here.
If you want to work in Germany, I suggest you get a good education first (e.g. in a technology subject) and also learn German for a few years.

Hello Everyone,

I have a situation for my friend with kid from Oman planning to come Berlin for Studies.
But the visa office rejected and asking the confirmation for any day care in Berlin for her kid. As we know is not possible to get Kita slot for kid before coming.

Any one have same experience or situation and not sure how to handle this?
Please suggest.

I haven't heard of such a request and I don't think there is such a formal requirement for getting a visa.
But short of suing the embassy (in a German court), there isn't much your friend can do.
She can try a private kindergarten, or a private day care provider ("Tagesmutter"). Or she travels to Germany first and contacts kindergartens there - the kid can follow after she gets a place for it.
Good luck!

Edited to add: You said she wants to study in Germany? Then things become clearer: A student visa i given only for full-time studies . But with a kid in tow, she will not be able to study full-time, unless she has a kindergarten or similar for the child.
If so, she could possibly also show that relativesin Germany take care of the child (if this is the case).

beppi wrote:

A student visa i given only for full-time studies . But with a kid in tow, she will not be able to study full-time, unless she has a kindergarten or similar for the child.
If so, she could possibly also show that relatives in Germany take care of the child (if this is the case).

This brings up the subject that while certain people might be eligible for a visa they still have to meet qualifications. On a student visa one can bring a spouse and/or their minor children. But it still has to be shown that there is enough living space for all of them plus enough money for living expenses.

And in this case it is logical that they wonder how a single parent will manage to go to university full time and properly care of their child. Either the child or the studies will be neglected if there is no reliable solution like daycare. And even for a couple, if the student's spouse is working full time (which is allowed) then their financial situation will be more secure but then who takes care on the child?

Hello Everyone,

My name is Allison Eyube. I am a digital marketing consultant and writer. I live in Wolfsburg. Germany is amazing except for the weather. I guess it’s because I am used to a warmer atmosphere.

Stay safe guys.

Hello everyone,
I am Katie and currently I am living in Greece.
Me and my bf are considering to move to Germany (Freiburg) when times allow it ofc with the Covid etc.
My bf has some experience as he was actually living in Germany for 5 years, working as a driver and also as a personnel manager in HR for his company.
I have been working for many years as a warehouse and e-commerce manager for a clothing company so I love big-challenging projects.
My ultimate goal is to be able to open a small coffee shop in Freiburg.
I hope I will be able to discover information and connect with people!

I have to say I'm really happy to have found this forum, makes my dream more vivid and approachable

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=915975

Thanks!