German Course in Klagenfurt, Austria

I signed up for a German course today at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. It cost 216 Euros (right now, that's US $305).

It's not an intensive course, just a regular "learn German" course that will last a whole semester from October to February. There will be two classes a week, each three hours long. If I want to I can pay a 33 to 100 Euros more for a supplementary course in conversation, grammar, phonetics, business German or test prep, but I probably won't because six hours a week is enough to spend in class.

All I needed to sign up was my passport and a wad of cash. I rolled out of bed, walked downstairs and over to the enrollment office next door, about 10 minutes before the office closed at 12pm.

After signing up, I asked the lady if she had any tips on how to study for the placement test. She looked surprised and said it's not something that you study for, it's just a test you take so the instructors know which level course to place you in.

I told her that I'd studied German in college so I'd rather get into the most challenging course. She said I'd do fine, and then to demonstrate she spoke to me in well pronounced high German and I understood 90% of it. She said something like, "you can already speak and listen in German, so your test will reflect that."

At this point I experienced a flicker of buyer's remorse. Do I even need a German course? Perhaps my regret was the outcome of her botched attempt at flattery. But then again I didn't really get the sense that she was trying to flatter me. In fact she'd been mostly cold, formal and impersonal the whole time.

Which made it all the more surprising when she followed up in English by saying, "you know, the best way to learn German is to fall in luhv."

Really, that's how she said it. A smoldering, baritone, "luuuhv". Kinda strange. Well, I do that often enough but it doesn't seem to help with learning German ;-) So I guess it's best that I take this German course.

The university's brochure says there are six different German Course levels (each with a strange name in English):

A1 | Grundstufe I | Breakthrough Level
A2 | Grundstufe II | Waystage Level
B1 | Mittelstufe I | Threshold Level
B2 | Mittelstufe II | Vantage Level
C1 | Oberstufe I | Proficiency Level
C2 | Oberstufe II | Mastery Level

Obviously, I want to get into the "Mastery Level". If I can do that I'll glide through original Nietzsche and stuff (I hope).

Realistically, though, I might test into "Proficiency Level" or even "Vantage Level".

If I test into "Waystage Level", I will cry.