Studying without Language Barriers (S.O.S.)

In order to sustainably improve the learning success and integration of international students at TU Braunschweig, they receive support through the S.o.S. programme ("Studying without Language Barriers") in the form of student language coaches and student culture coaches. As native speakers, the language coaches help with the linguistic understanding of the course content and organise small learning groups in which they exchange ideas with the international students. The cultural coaches lead workshops and activities in the area of language and culture.

More than 3000 foreign language students are currently studying at the TU Braunschweig. This corresponds to a share of approx. 17%. But many foreign-language students have great problems in managing their studies in Germany. The reasons for this are often of a linguistic nature, as the actual linguistic requirements of the course of study usually differ significantly from the competences learned in advance.

The focus is on the linguistic support of international students by their fellow students.

German-speaking students or students with very good knowledge of German are trained as language coaches. The training as a language coach includes a crash course with 30 lessons per week. This course focuses on technical vocabulary, technical grammar and intercultural learning.

Afterwards, each language coach leads an intercultural learning group for at least 8 learning meetings of 90 minutes each. Within the framework of the learning group, the language coaches accompany the foreign-language students in their courses of study.

In this way, the foreign-language students receive support, for example, in understanding specialist texts, exam tasks or in writing test protocols. By participating in the S.O.S. project, the language coaches expand their specialist language, didactic and intercultural skills and are sensitised to the linguistic and intercultural problems of foreign-language students. In addition, the language coaches receive four credits in the interdisciplinary professionalisation area if the learning groups are successfully completed.

New: From the summer semester 2022, the S.o.S. programme will be expanded: In addition to the classic learning groups, workshops on German language and culture will be offered. The culture coaches come from Faculty 6 and are supervised by the German as a Foreign Language department there.

Improving teaching for international students and optimising the chances of success at university by:

Provision/training of student language coaches who offer learning groups specific to teaching events
Improvement of the technical and scientific language skills of international students (linguistic and technical aspects)
Involving international students in student life and German university culture (intercultural aspect)

For coachees

You have language problems in lectures, seminars and internships?

You can find more information here!

For coaches

Would you like to support international students in engineering subjects in their learning?

You can find more information here!

"The language coach helped me a lot in the preparation of the exam. Many of my questions were answered superbly." - Coachee

„I had to understand the topics myself before I could explain them - that's a great exercise". - Language coach

"Through the S.o.S. project I quickly made up for many things I didn't understand in the lecture." - Coachee

A man and two women in front of a computer

People sitting around a table discussing ideas

People standing infront of table looking at learning cards

Fünf Menschen lächelnd, während ein Foto von ihnen gemacht wird

People sitting around a table playing cards

People sitting around a table playing a game

People sitting around a table, eating food and talking

A woman presents a presentation with beamer to an audience

Ein Student steht mit seinem Zertifikat in der Hand mit drei Universitätsbeamten

Studenten erhalten ihre Zertifikate und schütteln die Hand mit Universitätsvertretern

A group picture of students in the final meeting

Donations for intercultural events are accepted with great appreciation:

Volksbank BraWo
IBAN: DE 41 2699 1066 8176 0940 00
BIC: GENODEF1WOB
Intended purpose: "SOS"

Specific donations are possible. We will be happy to advise you.

S.o.S. is a joint project of the International House, the Institute for Electrical Measurement Science and Fundamental Electrical Engineering and the Institute for Particle Technology.