From alphabet to language

Integration courses with literacy usually consist of 9 modules. A period of approximately 3 months (Module 1 with 300 teaching units) is specified for literacy prior to the General Integration Course, during which illiterate, primary and secondary learners are given the opportunity to learn the Latin alphabet.

The literacy course creates the prerequisite for the possibilities of everyday communication (reading and writing) when shopping, at the authorities, at work, etc. and forms the prerequisite for attending a general integration course for the target group concerned.

In its Concept for a Nationwide Literacy Course defines the BAMF scope and structure of the literacy course as follows:

As in all integration courses, several consecutive course sections with a duration of 100 units each are also held in the Alpha courses. Literacy courses are composed of:

• Basic alpha course with 100 UE
• Advanced alpha course A with 100 UE
• Advanced alpha course B with 100 UE

The basic support for participants in special integration courses, including literacy courses, is 960 units (900 units of language course and 60 units of orientation course). Participants who, after attending an Alpha course at the beginning, change to another integration course for special target groups (women’s, parents’, youth integration course or promotional course) or to a general integration course, have the remaining number of hours from this basic support available for the further course attendance”. (ibid.; as of May 2015)