English

English is spoken by approximately 1.27 billion people in the world, making it the most widely spoken language. There are native speakers of distinct varieties of English such as British English, American English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand, Indian English, Singapore English and many others. English is on the rise as a world language and there are about three times as many non-native speakers of English as native speakers. English is used in business communication, as medium of instruction at universities and as the scientific lingua franca in scientific publishing.

Melanie Ryan

Hi, my name is Melanie. I was born and raised in Siegen and studied History, German and English here. An ERASMUS exchange with our partner university in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, confirmed what I had long suspected: I wanted to live in the UK! After considering Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, I ended up choosing London – predictable, I know.

In London, I worked in Language Services of an international financial institution for almost 15 years, looking after the German Translation Section and General Interpretation. This was mainly in an admin role, but as I hold a diploma in translation from the Institute of Linguists in London, I was able to help out with translations into German. During my time there I got to travel to the most amazing countries I would otherwise never have thought to visit: Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Kazakhstan and – my favourite – Georgia, were all on the list.

After 20 years in the UK I decided to come home in 2020. I loved living in England, but am just as happy to be back now. Before I left Siegerland, I hadn’t discovered the joy of walking yet, but I hiked a lot in England. Now that I am back, I really appreciate the scenery all around us much more. That’s lucky, too, as there hasn’t been much opportunity to go anywhere else since I got back.

You can reach me at english@spz.uni-siegen.de or 0271 740 5365.

Sarah Leek

Hello, I’m Sarah Leek. I come from the UK originally, but I’ve lived and worked in Germany as an English teacher and trainer since 2008. I studied modern foreign languages at the University of Leicester and can speak French, German, Spanish and a little Catalan. After my studies, I trained to become an English teacher and hold the CELTA and Delta qualifications. I also hold an MA in Academic Writing Development and Research from Coventry University.

I have worked with pupils and students aged 2-80 over the years! I am also a huge fan of online learning, having completed most of my own postgraduate study online.

My current research interests are education management and academic writing support for staff and students. In my free time, I love learning languages, hiking, and maintaining my own professional development as a teacher and trainer.

You can reach me at sarah.leek@spz.uni-siegen.de or 0271 740 3014. Office Hours: Room F-S-302 by appointment only.

English programme at the University of Siegen Language Center

We currently offer English courses from B1-C1 level of the CEFR. Our B1 and B2 courses consist of two contact hours per week (2 SWS), whereas our C1 courses consist of 4 contact hours per week (4 SWS). We are able to offer an online A2 course subject to demand. This is offered primarily as a self-study online course with accompanying speaking practice sessions, which are attended in person. Furthermore, students receive individual feedback on their written work.

The B1 and B2 levels each consist of three courses, e.g. B1.1, B1.2 and B1.3, to provide learners with ample opportunity to refresh and enhance all four language skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. Moreover, students will review and build on key grammatical structures for the level in question and broaden their vocabulary in at least three main fields/topics per semester.

Students learn in different ways, and this is reflected in our assessment model for the General English program. Students will be able to track their progress through formative and continuous assessment (mid-term tests, online exercises, speaking assessments, and regular homework during the semester) and also summative tests at the end of the semester. Furthermore, students completing a course level (B1.3 and B2.3) will take an oral exam at the end of the semester.

The C1 level consists of two courses: C1.1 and C1.2. The assessment model is very similar to the B1 and B2 courses, and students can obtain UNIcert certification upon successful completion of C1.2. Please see here for further information on UNIcert.

We also offer courses for specific and academic purposes. If you are interested in these courses please visit this site.

Placement test:

You can register for an English course during the enrolment period (Belegphasen) via unisono. If you do not know your current language level, you can refer to this table to gauge your current level: your personal assessment and choose a course in our programme accordingly. We are also happy to advise you, simply contact sarah.leek@sz.uni-siegen.de or english@spz.uni-siegen.de . After you have registered for a course, you will receive further information about the placement test (procedure, date, etc.) by email. Our placement tests use the OnSet platform.

If you hold a valid, official language certificate, e.g. TOEFL iBT, TOEIC, IELTS, Cambridge, or UNIcert, or if you have taken a placement test or course with us in the last year, a placement test is not necessary. In these cases, please email Sarah Leek or english@spz.uni-siegen.de your certificates or inform us when you took the placement test or course so that we can grant you admission to your chosen course.