Mannheimer Abendakademie

Terrible organization when it comes to registering for language classes. You can't register online, and their "advising" hours are incredibly limited. As someone else said, they don't do anything when their staff is out. They have something like 30 "advisors" but only 2 ever seem to work. This wouldn't be a problem if online registration were possible.

Don't get me started on the refugees. Most of the people who are trying to talk to the "advisors" are refugees. Maybe this is why they don't allow online registration. Either way, since refugees don't pay for this, they take FOREVER to process. The refugees also don't understand the concept of a line (not that the Germans have implemented a line, it's just a hallway). I got here an hour early (because I didn't realize they had a 90 minute lunch break). The hallway filled with refugees and I didn't get helped for another hour. When I finally got helped, it took 5 minutes for them to tell me the course I wanted to take was full. I told them that the website says it is empty. They told me the website isn't updated.

The courses I took at Abendakademie were good. I learned a lot and they were high quality courses. The nightmare that was registering for those courses is why I'm leaving a 1 star review. The courses are good, but I wouldn't suggest anyone to attempt to register for these classes because it takes so damn long and is really fucking frustrating. Go to a better school.

The website is fucking useless. The staff are complete garbage and the school is an over-hyped, over-price refugee camp. Fuck Abendakademie.

This review is about the German courses routinely held at the Mannheim Volkshochschule/Abendakademie, where I recently attended a C1-level course. I hold a Ph.D. in the field of Neurolinguistics, a MA in Theoretical and Comparative Linguistics, and an additional MA in Scandinavian Languages. Moreover, I speak six foreign languages fluently (not counting German). 1) The level of most studentsranging anywhere between A2 and C2does not correspond to the theoretical level of the course (in my case, a C1 course). Many participants cannot understand even the simplest readings in the textbook and appear unable to communicate at a decent level despite attending an advanced course. Moreover, classes are very numerous (our group consisted of over 20 students, only five of whom spoke passable German). 2) Several teachers (in my case, two out of three) are not native speakers of German. Therefore, they often correct (and ridicule) students for non-existing mistakes. Moreover, they frequently make up arbitrary grammar rules or state with smug certainty (hubris!) that perfectly appropriate words or expressions do not exist or cannot be used in that contest. In their fundamental insecurity, they appear more royalist than the king! 3) Teachers are regularly addressed by students with a polite Sie, but, in turn, regularly and systematically address students (even mature ones like me) with a rude du (rude when not reciprocal, that is). When I asked her why, a teacher answered that they do so because, when dealing with foreigners, it comes automatic to them to use the du form. (!!!) 4) Nothing is done to uphold a modicum of discipline. Thus, a small group of loud and uncivilized students bullies kept disrupting the class, mocking teachers and other paying participants alike, and making the whole experience extremely distracting and uncomfortable for everyone elseall with total impunity. 5) These courses are obviously intended for (and mostly attended by) working-class or juvenile immigrants with a sketchy educational background; they are certainly unsuited for adult middle-class expats with a professional or academic background. 6) Most teaching methods and techniques date back to the 19th century and lack any scientific foundation (or any ambition to be at least in part scientifically based). Occasionally, some modern methods are applied very clumsily and mechanically, and are forced upon shy, reserved, or introverted students. If you are ok with all that, then, by all means, do invest your hard-earned money in an intensive German course at the Mannheim Volkshochschule/Abendakademie! I, for one, regret doing so.