Programs

Please click here for class schedule.

We offer programs in German, Chinese, English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and other languages on request. All programs run year-round, including vacation courses for summer, winter, spring break and other holiday periods. The A-viva CLASS concept (Culture. Language. Arts. Sports. Social events) is based on the principles of “learning by having fun” – when learning is fun, students are motivated, and learning becomes effective.

Our curriculum emphasizes creative teaching and after-school activities working side-by-side. Click here to see a typical day at A-viva. For an overview of our activities, please visit the Activities and Travels pages.  Below are some highlights of our teaching approaches:

Classroom scenes: We don´t allow boring classes. Lessons must be interesting, enhanced with tools such as games, role plays, quizzes, humour, and other creative means. To add a touch of relevance and spontaneity, we take advantage of the whole city as a ´living´ classroom and occasionally conduct some classes outside of school, such as in a café, in the park, in a museum, or in the library. See the class breakdown.

Homework: In addition to regular grammar and vocabulary exercises, students execute daily news analysis by selecting a piece of news from TV, radio, internet or newspaper and reporting it in their own words to the class the next day. Optional homework include assignments such as hunting for a historical object in the city, interviewing pedestrians in the neighborhood, or visiting the city hall for a research project. See the homework breakdown.

Free tutoring: For those who wish to benefit from some extra help, our teaching assistants are at your service for free tutoring in the afternoon.

Business German Classes: are complemented by guest speakers who are bankers, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who introduce their professions and industries, answer questions from students, and demonstrate real life interview procedures. Opportunities for lunch with guest speakers at their companies will also be given.

Scholastic awards: A-viva recognizes and rewards students who have demonstrated remarkable progress during the course of their studies. We also offer financial aid and work-study to those who qualify.

Individual attention: Following the written placement test, the student is interviewed one-on-one by an instructor for listening and verbal assessment before being placed in an appropriate class level. During the course of the study period, the student´s performance progress is closely monitored and recorded in a customized report that indicates 1) his/her progress vis-à-vis the rest of the class and 2) the instructor´s recommendations and strategies specific to the student´s strengths and weaknesses.