Virtual language café English-German
Table of contents
Virtual English-German exchange
meet, listen, speak
Take part in the language café and meet German and English speakers!
Sprachen müssen gesprochen werden
Students from the British Open University meet students from TUD Dresden University of Technology to exchange ideas on interesting topics in an informal atmosphere. The meetings are moderated and held bilingually. The focus is on conversation - language and culture should be experienced and discussed together. The virtual meetings serve to
- exchange ideas on diverse and interesting topics
- practise oral language skills and free speech
- hold conversations in small groups and in plenary sessions
For whom?
For advanced (at least B1 level) German learners of the Open University and advanced English learners of the TUD, especially for participants of the SprInt program with a very good German level (L1 speaker or at least C1).
Recognition for SprInt certificate:
Participants of the SprInt program can contribute regular participation in the virtual language café as partial credit for their "Language Expertise" certificate and for the "Excellence" certificate.
Your moderators
- UK: Dr. Christine Pleines and Dr. Karina von Lindeiner-Strasky are lecturers at the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University/UK. This year they are working together on "German studies 3", the final German module of the BA in Language Studies.
- DE: Antje Neuhoff is the head of the Multimedia Language Learning Center at TU Dresden. The MSZ also regularly hosts face-to-face language cafés for various languages, while the virtual language café is currently available for English-German exchanges.
Topics and times in the academic year 2025/26
We will meet between November 2025 and May 2026, always on a Wednesday evening from 19:00-20:30 German time (18:00-19:30 UK) on the following days with the following topics:
- 5.11.25: Me in my region
Landscape and life in the home region, regional dialects, regional personalities etc. - 26.11.25: Innovations and research areas
The best invention from the last 100 years, care robots, corona and vaccines, nuclear power, climate crisis, etc. - 14.1.26: History
German history (Weimar Republic / German Empire / National Socialism / GDR) and British history - 4.2.26: Migration
Personal experience with migration, migration situation in Germany and the UK, successful and less successful measures in relation to migration, etc. - 1.4.26: Art
What is art, what function does art have; significance of art, own artistic (creative) activities, etc. - 13.5.26: Economy and sustainability
Place of work, own activity, working conditions in this profession, role of works councils and trade unions, changes in the industrial landscape, conflict between economy and ecology, etc. - 24.06.26: Travelling in Germany and the UK, holidays, plans for the future
How?
--> Online in a ZOOM meeting
Registration for TUD participants
No enrolment at the moment whilst the planning phase for the new term is underway.
After registration you will receive the access code for the virtual language café by e-mail.