FAQ – Answers to your questions

If you have no prior knowledge in the language you want to learn, you do not need to take a placement test. In this case, you can simply register for an introductory module (A1/A1.1) on BASIS. 

If you already have prior knowledge in the language you want to learn, but have neither taken a course at the SLZ nor acquired an internationally recognized certificate⁴, the determining factor will be which language you want to learn. 

• If you want to register for a module in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, or German, you must take an online placement test.
• If you want to register for a module in another language (Arabic, Chinese, German Sign Language, Greek, Japanese, Polish or Turkish), you do not need to take an online placement test. Instead, please contact us prior to registering via the following contact form⁵ and provide us with a brief overview of your language proficiency. The teacher will assess your language level during the first session, compare it to the requirements of the module, and will then determine whether you can participate.

Please note the ‘remarks’ field in the BASIS entry of the respective language module. 

The online placement test can be found on eCampus under “Placement Tests Language Modules of the Language Learning Center⁶”. To take the test, please log in using your Uni-ID and password. On the following page, please click on Language Learning Center, then on Language Module Assessment, and then select the placement test in the language you wish to study. Afterwards, all you have to do is follow the instructions. 

If you cannot access the placement test directly, you can access it from the eCampus homepage as well.
First, click on Repository. Next, click on Tree View, followed by Institutions, and Central Institutions. Once there, scroll down and click on Language Learning Center. Scroll down once more and select Language Module Assessment, then on Placement Tests Language Modules of the Language Learning Center. There, you can select the language you want to learn. 

If you have not yet received your Uni-ID, you can take the placement test at the SLZ. Information about when and where the test will take place can be found under Deadlines and News⁷.

If you have acquired an internationally recognized language certificate (e.g. Cambridge, DELF, or DELE) or a UNIcert certificate within the last two years, you can use those certificates in lieu of the placement test. In certain situations, language modules completed at other universities may also be recognized. In either of these cases, please send a complete scan of your certificate or your transcript with an indication of which module you would like to take to the Student Helpdesk via the following contact form⁵. 

Unfortunately, language certificates from language schools do not count as valid proof of one’s language level. If this is the only form of documentation you have, please take the online placement test on eCampus.

Due to high demand, admission to the language modules is limited, and unfortunately not every student is able to participate. However, students who were not initially admitted still have the possibility to secure a position should places become available later on. Every student who registered for the course but was not admitted is automatically added to the waitlist. Prior to the beginning of the module, the SLZ language course management will reach out to all students and inform them whether they received a spot in the module, or whether they are high enough on the waitlist to potentially still get one. 

If you receive such an email, please attend the first lesson. However, if you do not receive an email expressly inviting you to attend the first module session, please do not go. Attending without an invitation will not increase your likelihood of being admitted. 

There are a number of reasons why you might not be able to register via BASIS. In general, the SLZ’s language modules are designed for students whose academic programs include language modules as part of the curriculum, typically bachelor's students. The individual departments and faculties decide which students are eligible for which SLZ language modules, which means that some students cannot register for certain languages or levels. If you have any questions about which modules are available to you, please reach out to an advisor in your department. 

Please also note that incoming students cannot register for language modules in their first semester. Due to a difference in timelines, the SLZ registration phase ends before the registration phase for first-semester students even begins. However, students in their second semester and above are more than welcome to register for language modules! 

Here at the SLZ, we try our best to fill every spot and admit as many students as possible. To make our process equitable, the waitlist procedure is carried out centrally by the language course management. First, BASIS determines which students will be admitted and which will be added to the waitlist using randomly generated lists. Those students at the top of the waitlist, who have the possibility of moving up and still securing a position in the module, will be notified via email by the SLZ and will be invited to one of the first sessions. 

If you decide not to attend the module within the first two weeks, we urge you to cancel your registration using the following contact form⁵. This will enable students on the waitlist to take your place. If you do not attend the module without formally deregistering, a notice will be added to your student account stating that you did not successfully participate in the module. 

Within the first two weeks after the modules begin, you can cancel your registration by reaching out to the SLZ office using the following contact form⁵. Unfortunately, you cannot cancel your registration after the first two weeks. Please note that there are different cancellation deadlines for language modules in the Accompanied Autonomous Foreign Language Learning Program. 

If you decide not to attend the module after the cancellation deadline is over, and thus do not fulfill the attendance requirements, your BASIS transcript will indicate that you did not successfully participate in the module.

Each language module consists of three components: in-person classes (approx. 52-60 units of instruction [UE]), eLearning-classes (approx. 14 UE) and independent study phases. If you successfully complete the module, you will receive 6 ECTS points, which corresponds to a workload of 180 hours.