The au pair and the language course: how does the German course fit into family life?
An au pair comes to Germany to support a family in everyday life, to get to know a new culture – and, above all, to learn German and improve their language skills.
It is part of the au pair concept.
For host families, this means: when planning working hours, it should already be taken into account that the au pair regularly needs the opportunity to attend a German course.
At the same time, of course, the language course also needs to fit the family's actual need for support.
As so often during the au pair year, the solution is: talk to each other early and plan together.
Why is the language course so important for an au pair?
Many au pairs arrive in Germany with a first grounding in German.
But there is a big difference between a language course in their home country and real family life in German.
Suddenly the au pair has to understand conversations, talk to the children, go shopping, use the bus and train, make appointments and find their way in everyday life.
The better their German becomes, the more independent the au pair usually becomes too.
This benefits not only the au pair.
Everyday life becomes easier for the host family too, as language skills improve.
That is why the German course should not be seen as competing with childcare, but as an important part of a successful au pair year.
The language course is part of the au pair programme
Host families must give their au pair the opportunity to attend a German language course in their free time.
This should already be taken into account when drawing up the weekly plan.
If the language course, for example, always takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m., these times can be fixed in advance.
The family then knows: during this period, our au pair is not available for childcare.
And the au pair knows, in turn, that their language course has a fixed place in the weekly routine.
Does the family have to fit entirely around the language course?
Of course, the shared weekly plan still has to fit family life.
After all, a family takes in an au pair because they need support at particular times.
If the children have to be picked up at 2 p.m. every day, a language course from 1 to 3 p.m. might simply not be a suitable choice.
That is why the choice of language course should be considered together:
When does the family regularly need support? Which language courses are on offer? Which course times fit well with the weekly plan? How long is the journey to the language course?
Usually a solution can be found that works for both sides.
Online language course or a language school on site?
Today there are numerous ways to learn German.
An au pair can attend an online German course or opt for an in-person course at a language school.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Online language course: flexible and straightforward
An online language course can be a good solution, particularly for families who live outside a larger town or city.
The au pair needs no travel time and can, for example, join straight from their own room.
Online courses are also often cheaper and sometimes offer a wider choice of course times.
Especially when the nearest language school is only awkwardly reachable by public transport, this can make everyday life considerably easier.
In-person language course: learning the language and making contacts
An in-person course, on the other hand, has a different major advantage:
The au pair gets out, speaks German actively and meets other people.
Especially at the start of the au pair year, a language school can also be an important place to meet other au pairs and international young people.
Friendships and a social network outside the host family often grow out of a shared German course.
And that, too, is important for a successful au pair year.
For an in-person course, don't forget travel time
A course from 10 a.m. to noon doesn't automatically mean the au pair can be home again by 12.05 p.m.
They may first have to walk ten minutes to the bus stop, take the bus and train into town, and then travel back again.
That is why the following should be checked together before signing up:
Where does the language course take place? How does the au pair get there? How often do the bus or train run? And when would it realistically be possible to be home again?
Especially in rural areas, a two-hour language course can quickly turn into half a morning.
It is worth knowing this before booking the course.
The cheapest language course is not automatically the best
Several factors should therefore be weighed up together when choosing.
A slightly more expensive course nearby, for example, may make more sense than a cheap course that involves a long journey each time for the au pair.
Conversely, a good online language course can suit a family perfectly if the in-person course is hard to reach.
What matters is not whether online or offline is generally “better”.
What matters is:
Which language course suits this au pair and this host family?
The weekly plan should be built around fixed language course times
Once a suitable course has been found, we recommend entering the appointments firmly into the au pair's weekly plan.
This creates clear routines.
For example:
- Monday: help with the children in the morning – free mid-morning – childcare in the afternoon
- Tuesday: language course in the morning – childcare in the afternoon
- Wednesday: support in the morning and afternoon
- Thursday: language course in the morning – childcare in the afternoon
- Friday: family routine according to the weekly plan
Of course, every family looks different.
But that is precisely why a written weekly plan is so helpful.
The host family can help with learning German at home too
Learning German doesn't only happen in the language course.
An au pair's biggest “language course” is often everyday family life itself.
Speak German with your au pair. Explain new words. Let the children help. Write down important terms.
If something important still isn't understood, it's fine to explain it in English for once. The same sentence can then be repeated in German afterwards.
That way, the language grows bit by bit, quite naturally, alongside everyday life.
An au pair needs time to study
A language course also doesn't consist only of the teaching hours.
There is homework, vocabulary and perhaps an upcoming language exam.
An au pair needs free time for this too.
The goal should not be to fill every free hour outside the course with childcare.
Because anyone who wants to study German after a long day also needs a little energy left for it.
The language course and family life are not a contradiction
A host family needs support.
An au pair wants to learn German.
Both belong to the same au pair year.
That is why the family should not feel that they constantly have to organise their whole routine around the language course, nor should the au pair feel that their German course is a burden to the family.
With a good choice of course, clear agreements and a fixed weekly plan, the two usually fit together wonderfully.
Because, in the end, both sides benefit:
Over time, the family gains an au pair who is increasingly confident and independent in the language – and the au pair achieves one of the most important goals of their stay in Germany: really learning German.
