Friends of Goethe Inc., a local non-profit organization affiliated with the Goethe-Institut Atlanta, is sponsoring a kick-off party for its new subsidiary, the German Language Institute Inc., on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the Goethe-Institut Atlanta’s auditorium. The Institut is located on the plaza level of Colony Square, 1197 Peachtree City in midtown.
“We’ve formed this for-profit subsidiary to offer German language instruction on-site in the corporate environment,” Elizabeth Webb, president of the German Language Institute, told GlobalFax. “Friends of Goethe was experiencing greater and greater demand for such classes.”
The new institute’s clients come from both American firms doing business in Germany as well as from German firms doing business in the Southeast, she added. “Many employers are finding that German language skills help interaction between the two cultures. Even if the Germans speak relatively good English, communication improves when the Americans can speak to them in their native language.”
BMW Manufacturing Corp., Heidelberg USA and Porsche Cars North America are three firms that already sponsor German programs for their employees.
The basic curriculum includes nine German courses leading to the internationally recognized examination, Zertificate Deutsch als Fremdsprache, which tests both spoken and written German.
“Developing fluency in a foreign language is like learning to play golf,” she said. “You are not going to get good at it overnight.”
To attend the kick-off celebration where more information about the Institute may be obtained, please call (404) 892-6002 to make a reservation or send an E-mail to germanlang@mindspring.com The Institute’s Web site may be found at http://www.germanlang.com