“Einstieg Deutsch” A German language Learning App for Refugees

Abstract

"Einstieg Deutsch" is a German language learning app for refugees developed by the German Adult Education Association (DVV) and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The app aims to establish a basic ability to communicate in German as a second language (L2) through chunk learning. Exercises focus on listening, understanding, and reproducing oral phrases in order to improve oral proficiency at level A1 (CEFR). Protagonists are people from Eritrea, Syria, and Afghanistan. The chapters deal with issues related to everyday life and help refugees communicate in situations where usually no translation is available; e.g., talking to a doctor, shelter staff, or security personnel. The "Einstieg Deutsch" app is completely translated into ten languages (Arabic, Dari, English, Farsi, French, Kurmanci, Pashto, Tigrinya, Turkish and Urdu). It is free of charge and available for iOS and Android in the App Store and the Google Play Store.