The German Plan to Offer Free German Lessons for Refugees
Website and App Duolingo is Offering Free German Language Lessons for Refugees Speaking Arabic
November 24th, 2015
Moving abroad is always difficult because of the different culture, language and in general the change of our old environment into a new one. Often the main problems for most people who move is not knowing the local language which is often one of the more difficult barriers to overcome. One reason is because it can be very expensive and hard to learn another language if perhaps this is not one of your strongest skills. This is one of the problems facing the refugees currently arriving in Germany, many don’t speak any European languages and their native language is often from a different alphabet all together so it can be even more difficult. As they are looking to work and live peacefully here and settle as quickly as possible often they want to learn German.
Duolingo is a website and app for online language learning, which can be downloaded for free. Duolingo is already since the 3rd of October onwards. It has announced a plan for German language lessons for Arabic speakers. It will provide an introduction to speaking, writing and listening. Gina Gotthilf, Duolingo’s vice president said that the app will ¨help people gain better opportunities and improve their lives no matter the situation they find themselves in¨ she told The World Post.
Mrs.Gotthilf said: ¨The mission applies perfectly to the situation in which Syrian immigrants in Germany find themselves in, and we thought we were in a fortuitous position to help make a difference¨, reported The World Post.
The New York Times reported that by the end of 2015 there are expected to have been one million refugees who have arrived in Germany with only half a million free job positions available. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany will spend €2.2 billion on language training for migrants and refugees who are seeking employment in Germany. A big problem is that most jobs require German speakers so it is useful to take the opportunity to learn for free through apps or joining courses which are offered for free. Many people who are teachers of the German language in Germany are offering free German lessons.
Each option that will be offered to people who need help with learning the German language will be useful for the integration of people in German society, said Vice Chancellor Sigman Gabriel.
References and Links
- Links: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/duolingo-german-lessons-syrian-refugees_5602e8e7e4b0fde8b0d0e792
Kaja Odar
