About us: This is the Academy of Languages

The Academy of Languages is located in the historic centre of the university city of Heidelberg - just a few metres from the Neckar. From the school building, you have a wonderful view of Heidelberg's old town, the castle and the Neckar valley.

Why you've come to the right place

The Academy of Languages is one of the largest language schools in Germany today. The language courses and exams in Heidelberg are taken by more than 10,000 language students and exam candidates every year. Participants in the German courses come from over 100 countries every year.

Through their Internationality the school offers language students a unique opportunity to meet people with other languages and cultures. You can improve your newly acquired language skills in conversations in the corridors or in the school's break room and make new international contacts during the cultural and sporting activities organised several times a week.

Heidelberg, our city

Heidelberg, once the capital of the Electorate of the Palatinate and the intellectual centre of Calvinism, is located in the charming Neckar Valley and is characterised by a particularly mild climate. Heidelberg's beauty has attracted many poets, painters and scientists throughout history. In the early 19th century, the city on the Neckar became the most important centre of German late Romanticism. The poets Arnim, Brentano, Goethe and Eichendorff are inextricably linked to this era. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, the oldest university in Germany, confirmed its leading position among the best universities in Germany once again in 2017 and can also hold its own in a global comparison with strong rankings.

Numerous monuments bear witness to the eventful history of the Neckar metropolis. The city's landmark is located around 70 metres above the Neckar on the slope of its local mountain, the Königstuhl. The ruins of the electoral palace are one of the most impressive things to see on a trip to Germany - in 2016, the palace was one of the most popular destinations in Germany for foreign holidaymakers. Those who climb up to the palace first enter the garden through the gate, the famous "Hortus Palatinus", which was laid out at the beginning of the 17th century. From the palace garden, you have a wonderful view of Heidelberg and the Philosophenweg opposite. In the inner courtyard of the palace, the buildings from different eras are fascinating.

The baroque town houses with their ornamental façades and portals are particularly eye-catching on a tour of the old town. The market square with the Protestant Heiliggeistkirche church and the magnificent Renaissance building "Zum Ritter" form the centre of the old town. Below the Heiliggeistkirche, there are many old alleyways with pubs and restaurants. The "Old Bridge" over the Neckar is one of the most beautiful stone bridges in Germany. The surrounding area with the castles in the Neckar valley, the German Wine Route, the old cultural landscape of the Upper Rhine and the mountains of the Odenwald also offers many opportunities for adventure. The proximity to Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart airports makes Heidelberg easily accessible for guests from all over the world.

In addition to tradition and romance, the name Heidelberg also stands for a modern business and science centre with an international reputation. The traditional university, the Academy of Sciences, the German Cancer Research Centre, four Max Planck Institutes, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the Print Media Academy of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, the SAS Institute and numerous other research centres of major international corporations are all based in Heidelberg.

This scientific density is unparalleled in Germany and is the basis for a dynamic, science-oriented economic development that puts Heidelberg - despite its population of just 150,000 - in the top group of major German economic centres.

Culture in and around Heidelberg

Heidelberg is one of the leading Cultural centres Germany - numerous museums and theatres bear witness to this. Literature is omnipresent in the city, and since December 2014 Heidelberg has held the honourary title of „Unesco City of Literature„. Together with its neighbouring cities in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region (such as Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Speyer, Schwetzingen and Worms), Heidelberg and the surrounding area offer a wide variety of cultural events of supra-regional importance:

Heidelberg Castle Festival
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival
Heidelberg Theatre Days
Heidelberg Literature Days
Heidelberg Spring
Heidelberg Play Market
Festival of German Film
Mannheim Mozart Summer
Schwetzingen Festival
Nibelungen Festival - Worms
International Schiller Days - Mannheim
International Street Theatre Festival Ludwigshafen
Photo Festival Mannheim-Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg
Enjoy Jazz, international festival for jazz - Heidelberg
Ludwigshafen Festival

Our language courses and services

Language courses

Examinations

Accommodation

Additional services

Accreditation & Awards

The renowned Academy of Languages in Heidelberg stands for the highest quality, modern didactics and measurable learning success. Our courses, examinations and programmes from A1 to C1 have multiple certifications and are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

As well as satisfying thousands of learners from around the world, we have been recognised with various awards and accreditations over the years - a testament to our ongoing commitment to combining effective teaching with enjoyment and structure.

Whether you are learning English for work, study or everyday life - with us you benefit from a learning environment that not only motivates you, but also teaches you lasting language skills.

What makes the Academy of Languages a top language school?

Educational expertise in great diversityF+U is responsible for the VICTORIA | Internationale Hochschule with campuses in Berlin and Baden-Baden, an international vocational academy (iba), bilingual schools (primary school, grammar school), a secondary school and several technical schools with a vocational and foreign language focus. F+U also offers the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme for international students.
International boarding schoolAccommodation of underage long-term students.
24-hour telephone service, seven days a week.
Examination centre for TOEFL®, TestDaF, telc, TestAS, TOEIC®, onSET, ECL and other examinations and tests.

Committed to quality: A certified quality management system (DIN EN ISO 9001: 2008) permanently monitors compliance with important quality standards.
All year round Implementation guarantee for all language courses.

Large Room offer in our own student residences, flats, with host families and in the F+U Hotel „Bayrischer Hof“.
International atmosphere by pupils from more than 115 countries.
Central location in one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.
Good price-performance ratio.
Membership, partnerships: FaDaF (Fachschaft Deutsch als Fremdsprache); VDP (Bundesverband deutscher Privatschulen); FDSV (Fachverband Deutscher Sprachschulen und Sprachreise-Veranstalter e.V.), AOK (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse); Eurohodip (European Hotel Diploma); DRV - Deutscher Reisebüro und Reiseveranstalter Verband; Olympiastützpunkt Rhein-Neckar e.V.; Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk.

Academy of Languages’s Mission Statement

Academy of Languages is one of the largest private language schools in Germany, which has developed into an internationally oriented educational centre since its foundation. Our aim is to offer modern and practical language teaching tailored to the individual needs of our students. Both internally and externally, we adhere to the principle:

„Language is the key to the world and to a professional future.“

Based on this conviction, we design our educational offerings according to the following principles, which are constantly reviewed and updated:

Our clients
We offer language courses for people facing or affected by unemployment, international students, migrants, professionals, trainees, school pupils and companies. Our practical, modular courses promote linguistic and professional integration. In doing so, we utilise current scientific and educational methods and support our participants with individual guidance on their path to success in study, work and everyday life.

Our goal
Our aim is for participants to expand their language skills, develop their personalities, actively participate in social life and be reintegrated into the labour market. For us, successful learning means empowering participants to recognise their potential, independently manage learning processes and apply what they have learned in their studies and careers.

Our staff
Our teachers bring high professional, methodological and didactic expertise. They are committed to the individual development of each participant and cultivate an appreciative exchange. Regular further training and the use of innovative teaching methods ensure the success of our work.

Our framework conditions
We are creating a modern learning environment that enables multimedia teaching in face-to-face, online and hybrid formats. A motivating and open learning atmosphere in which our participants feel comfortable and achieve their goals is important to us.

Our network
Through our partnerships with educational institutions, businesses and public bodies both at home and abroad, we offer our participants practical learning content and direct connections to the labour market. Open and honest communication is particularly important to us in this regard.

Our social responsibility
We contribute to securing skilled workers in Germany and promote the integration of people from diverse cultures. Our work strengthens both the personal development of our participants and social cohesion.