Mainz VHS

 I wrapped up my German class this week over at the Mainz VHS site.  First, I'll say that this particular class worked well.  It ran from 8:45 to noon, which is about as long as you really want to sit in a class.

The participants?  We started with roughly 20 people and ended with 17.  It was a group from across the globe....Chile, Argentina, Ireland, Spain, Columbia, etc.

What makes a difference in the language environment is the book and the instructor....as I've come to figure out.  The book was geared toward English speakers and listed the English word with the German word.

Finally, there is the building.  It's a curious structure.....about three minutes walking from the river.  It's next to two churches, and actually attached to one of them.  From a historical view, I think it was built in the early 1600s.  There is a 'grand-hallway' as you enter.  It's the type of place that you could imagine university-type students coming into and getting some pep-talk from the chief priest-instructor in the early hours of the morning.

One of the odd features is that each hallway had a water-basin that probably served the students to wash themselves or use to splash water on their faces to wake up. The basins are non-functional now.

Once you walk out of the building....there's a couple of coffee shops and restaurants within two minutes walking....or if you want real variety....the entire old city shopping district is five minutes away.

My general advice is if you are seeking a German language course for a fair price (roughly 250 Euro for five weeks), then this program at Mainz VHS works.  Even if you live in the Wiesbaden region....there's more than enough bus traffic or S-Bahn activity to get you there easily.  I should note, the class ticket that they give you.....gives you free access to the buses and railway for each day of class....which is a nifty deal if you think about it.