Welcome to TREFFPUNKT German News
  From Alexandra von Rohr, Director of the language institute TREFFPUNKT in Germany
  www.learn-german.com and www.businessgerman.com
  October 19, 2003

IN THIS ISSUE

FASCINATING LANGUAGE HOLIDAYS IN BAMBERG

Upcoming leisure & weekend activities
After a fantastic summer in Germany, with many pleasant nights outside with friends
in the beer gardens, autumn has now arrived and the silent season has begun.
Actually its not really "silent" because many different activities are getting on the
way again: the new theatre plays start, the "Bamberger Symphoniker" are back from
holiday, the local breweries have started their new "Starkbier" feast and the
"Christkindlesmarkt" in Nuremberg will soon be here. See what TREFFPUNKT
activities are coming up in the next three month here>>>
www.learn-german.com/welcome/aktuell_en.htm

10% discount: Special offer for year-end courses in 2003
As an exclusive offer for all our former students and participants in our German
Online Test you can enjoy a discount of 10% on the group course fees of our
German courses up to the end of the year in 2003. Simply type into the comment
box of our enquiry or enrolment form the notice"be quick and save 10%".
This is an exclusive offer for all our former students and the participants of our
FREE German Online Test.
>>> Course description www.learn-german.com/welcome/german_course_description.htm
>>> Enrolment form www.learn-german.com/welcome/course_enrolment.htm

Students' comments
Would you like to read some comments written by former students… and get questions
answered about the TREFFPUNKT language school, our German courses, the location
and the leisure programme? Check out what students have to say…
www.german-language-school-review.com
The latest picture set of the TREFFPUNKT classes and outside activities is available
at www.learn-german.com/photos/

TIPS FOR YOUR STUDY ABROAD

Regardless of whether you would just like to hone your business German language
skills for a week, or participate in a two- month intensive group course: Here are some tips
for the time before, during and after your stay in Germany help to ensure that you have a
successful and entertaining language experience.

Before the course
- Target your language course: Decide what you want to learn and what you will need to
practise during your stay in Germany.
- If possible, try to avoid the peak summer season from June to August, when 70%
of all language travellers come.
- If you are a complete beginner (course level A1), plan an intensive language course
of at least 3 weeks. Experience has shown that 4 weeks is optimal, as the time you spend
totally immersed in everyday life and the language is a very important factor of success.
Check out all the other tips for preparing your language course more>>>
www.learn-german-online.net/learning-german-resouces/tips-prepare-language-course.htm

During the course
- Make an effort to speak German as much as possible and try to discuss more complex
matters whenever the opportunity arises. Try to make friends with the locals and
students from other countries.
- Always ask for help if you need it or something is not completly clear. Whatever the
problem is: lessons, your study programme in general, or other matters relating to your
stay (such as accommodation), the school can only help you if it knows what you what.
- Join in the TREFFPUNKT social programme. The extra leisure activities will give you the
chance to get to know local Germans and their culture, allowing you to relax and practise
your German at the same time. Check out all the other tips for the time during your
language course more>>>
www.learn-german-online.net/learning-german-resouces/tips-during-language-course.htm

After the course
- Make sure all your notes are well organised for future use.
- Try to read German books and magazines and remain in close contact with the language.
- Spend some time every day / week watching German films or videos.
To secure and expand your newly acquired language knowledge, check out the other
tips for after your language course abroad >>> more
www.learn-german-online.net/learning-german-resouces/tips-post-language-course.htm

ON THE WAY TO GERMANY: ETIQUETTE AND TRAVEL TIPS

Addressing someone: Should I use "Du" or "Sie"?
Making the choice between "Du" ("you" familiar) and "Sie" ("you" formal)
is not only a problem for foreigners. Determining who should address whom,
how, and when, differs from place to place, from industry to industry, and
even from organisation to organisation. The use of "Du" or "Sie" is usually
an important indicator of the type of relationship that people have with each
other. As a general rule, "Sie" is used with anyone who is not a close friend
or a family member. more>>>
http://www.german-business-etiquette.com/4-addressing.html

Business Dinners in Germany
It is traditional in Germany to eat the main meal of the day at lunchtime,
between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
In contrast to a long, several-course meal, a German lunch normally consists
of an appetiser (usually soup), a main course, and dessert.
Both lunch and dinner are considered important components of business conferences.
Meals allow those attending to make personal contacts and to continue discussing
business issues in a more casual atmosphere. more>>>
www.german-business-etiquette.com/10-business-dinners.html

Applying for a job in Germany: The job interview
During your job search in Germany, you will certainly experience several job
interviews. In order to be successful at such interviews, you should follow these
three basic rules:
      - Be well prepared and convincing
      - Demonstrate composure, competence and confidence
      - Be punctual and reliable
To avoid "skating on thin ice", here are a few notes on the most important
aspects of a job interview... >>>
www.german-business-etiquette.com/19-job-interview.html

OTHER INTERESTING ISSUES

Business German: Free download of vocabulary German-English
A collection of more than 3,000 common business terms is now available in an Excel spread sheet,
easy to use, search, be expanded and customise. Financial terms with more detailed explanations
in English and German are on a separate page. You can download this simple electronic
dictionary for free. Search the database easily with the short cut Strg+F and then insert your
search term. Comments and suggestions are welcome >>> www.businessgerman.com/download/

New book release: Bamberg and Franconia: A guide to Germany's Brewing Heartland
John Conen from England published a guide to beers, breweries and pubs in Franconia.
A true insider for all people who love the charming atmosphere in Franconian restaurants and breweries,
108 pages. With colour photos. People from outside Germany can buy it at the www.camra.org.uk website
or from www.amazon.com. The book is also available in Germany from www.biermarkt.com .

Audio magazine: "Stimmen der Zeit"
offers listeners an opportunity to hear the voices and see the faces of Germans who shaped their
country's history in the last century, as well as those who made significant social, technological,
economic, intellectual, and artistic contributions. "Stimmen der Zeit" comes as three hour-long compact
discs and a 220-page softbound book with a full transcript and extensive German-English glossary. more>>>
www.learn-german-online.net/partner/ce-stimmen-der-zeit.html

We at TREFFPUNKT have an international reputation for providing top quality German language
courses for companies, educational establishments and individual participants. It is highly likely
that you have heard of TREFFPUNKT through a friend or colleague who has attended the institute.

WHY DID YOU GET THIS E-MAIL?
You received this e-mail because you are either a former TREFFPUNKT student , have requested
details about our programme or have participated in our free German online test.

To remove your e-mail address from our list, please write to remove-german-news@learn-german.com
Please note our privancy policy statement www.learn-german.com/welcome/privacy-policy.htm

To sign up for future issues of this newsletter please write to receive-german-news@learn-german.com

To advertise in this newsletter, please send your request and your contact information to:
german-news-advertiser@learn-german.com

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.
Alexandra von Rohr
treffpunkt@learn-german.com

Language Institute TREFFPUNKT
Hauptwachstrasse 19
D- 96047 Bamberg / Germany
www.learn-german.com & www.businessgerman.com
© 2003 Language Institute TREFFPUNKT