GLS, German school in Berlin
GLS teaches German in a rare setting: a green campus in the centre of Berlin, with its hotels and swimming pool. Here is who they are, how they teach, what sets them apart, and the centre we offer.
Who is GLS?
GLS — GLS German Language School — is a German as a foreign language school founded in Berlin in 1983. Its official website presents it as a German school recognised worldwide, five times elected “Star School Germany”, and states that the StudyTravel network awarded it the “Leading Star School” prize in November 2026.
Since 2005, the school has been based on a campus in the heart of Berlin, in a restored former school building. It welcomes learners from more than 80 countries; on the day we consulted it, its website announces 290 students from 53 countries. GLS also offers programmes for young people (summer camps, school trips): they do not appear on this page, which presents the offer for adults.
We offer its centre for adults: Berlin.
How they teach
The approach is communicative: German is spoken from the first day, and only German in class, with corrections, grammar tips and vocabulary adapted to the level. Teachers teach in tandem and take over from each other at every break. Textbooks: Netzwerk, Aspekte, Mittelpunkt, complemented by the school’s own material (literature, press, videos).
Group courses start every Monday, for all levels (complete beginners: the first Monday of the month). Four main paces: intensive (20 lessons of 45 minutes per week, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), intensive plus (24 lessons), super intensive (30 lessons) and crash (30 lessons, including individual lessons in the afternoon). Classes have at most 14 students, on average 8 to 10; the afternoon workshops are smaller.
Each course ends with a GLS certificate (A1 to C2), free of charge, which attests the level but has no international recognition: for that, the school recommends an official exam, which it prepares for and administers on site.
What sets GLS apart
- A real campus, in the centre of Berlin. GLS presents itself as the only German school in the country with its own campus in a park, in the heart of the city: classrooms, cafeteria with terrace, garden, hotel and student apartments are all in the same place.
- A swimming pool on the campus. The historic pool, built in 1902, is open to students at a reduced rate (€5 for two hours, according to the official website).
- Exams taken on site. GLS is an official TestDaF centre and telc exam centre (B1, B2, C1 Hochschule), with dates every month; it also prepares for the Goethe certificates, which are taken at a Goethe-Institut.
- International recognition. The school is a teacher training centre recognised by International House and a member of the IALC, the international association of language centres.
Its programmes, and for whom
For adults: General German (intensive, intensive plus, super intensive, afternoon course, crash with individual lessons), professional German in crash format, preparation for the telc and TestDaF exams, online courses. All levels are open, from beginner (A1) to advanced (C2).
In our catalogue, courses can be booked from age 18: six courses with flexible entry, starting every Monday, and five telc preparation courses on fixed dates (two or four weeks, depending on the course).
Prices, school by school
2027 rates from the Synergee price engine, for the intensive German course (20 lessons per week), departing on January 4, 2027. The “from” price is the lowest per week among the durations priced by the engine; the detail for all durations is in the expandable table below. The exact quote depends on your dates, your duration and your accommodation.
- Berlin, Germany : from 170 EUR per week (12-week course, excluding fees and accommodation)
See all 2027 prices
| Centre | Reference course | Lessons / wk | 2 weeks | 4 weeks | 12 weeks | Registration fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin, Germany | Intensive German | 20 | 400 EUR | 800 EUR | 2,040 EUR | 35 EUR |
Course price only, excluding accommodation. Registration fee is added. Each country uses its own currency.
Accommodation
In the catalogue: host family in Berlin, campus apartments and the Hotel Oderberger (also on the campus). Price of the engine’s reference host family, per week, for a 4-week stay; the other options, their rates and their seasons can be seen in the quote.
See accommodation prices
| Centre | Homestay, per week (4 weeks) | Residences in the catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 405 EUR | 2 |
The centre in detail
GLS — Berlin
Germany · 11 courses in the catalogue
On the GLS campus, an urban park in the heart of Berlin, a few minutes from Museum Island. About sixty bright rooms with touch screens and free Wi-Fi, a cafeteria with a terrace on the garden, a historic swimming pool built in 1902 and two small hotels on site. TestDaF and telc exam centre.
Sources: GLS official website (gls-german-courses.de), consulted on 7 November 2026; prices: Synergee engine.