New in the city? Welcome to your new home!

Make life simple!

If you are planning to move to Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg or Stutgart, this website is the right place for you.

NEW IN THE CITY, the bilingual city and relocation guide, is the ideal magazine for anyone who has moved to a new city or is about to – whatever their nationality.  NEW IN THE CITY will quickly give you the best overview of your new home. We also provide useful information about moving and help you to find a place to live. And, of course, locals can also use our magazine to learn new things about their home town.

Find out more about the NEW IN THE CITY magazines in our shop.

English – a child’s play

 Ds Foto stock.adobe.com 800x600 underdogstudios 76582225© Stock.adobe.com, underdogstudiosEarly English learning is very important for children in today's globalized world, as English is spoken by more than 1.5 billion people, making it one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. There are many methods and approaches that parents and teachers can use to teach children English.

One of the most popular methods is the use of music and songs to motivate children to learn English. By singing songs, children learn not only vocabulary and expressions, but also the correct pronunciation and intonation. There are many children's songs sung in English that are specifically designed for early English learning such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".

Another option is reading books aloud in English. Children love to listen to stories and can improve their English skills this way. There are also many games that are specifically designed for early English learning. Examples include memory, bingo, and other card games that include vocabulary and expressions in English.

Au Pair wanted?!

Au Pair AdobeStock Halfpoint 519163741Stock.adobe.com, HalfpointTaking in an au pair as a family can offer many advantages, especially if both parents are working and there are no relatives living nearby to assist with childcare. Au pairs are young people from other countries who live with you for a certain period of time and help you with the care of your children and light household chores.

Advantages

A great advantage of the program is that you are relieved by having someone to help you especially with childcare. You will have more time for your work or for other important tasks or activities while your au pair is taking care of the children and you can achieve a better work-life balance.

But the children also benefit: They have the opportunity to learn a new language and get to know a new culture. In the best case, they can also build a close relationship with your au pair and consider him/her a friend and mentor.

The School System in Germany: An Overview

AdobeStock jovannig 800x600 97724364© Stock.adobe.com, jovanning The school system in Germany is federally organized, which means that each state has its own rules and regulations for the school system. In general, the German school system consists of elementary school, secondary school and high school. Elementary school usually lasts four years and begins at age six, when children are required to attend school. During this time, students primarily learn the basics of German, mathematics and science.

Secondary schools in Germany are divided into different types of school. These include the Hauptschule or Mittelschule, the Realschule, the Gymnasium and the Gesamtschule. The Hauptschule usually lasts five years and provides students with a solid basic education. The Realschule lasts six years and prepares students for the intermediate school leaving certificate. The Gymnasium is the classic type of school that leads students to the Abitur. The comprehensive school, on the other hand, combines all three types of school and allows students to shape their educational path individually.

Relocation agencies – the experts for settling in

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Companies are the main users of relocation agencies to make moving a lot easier for new employees. Most relocation agencies offer a complete relocation package. An agency can save foreign newcomers a lot of stress. The agency helps you find the perfect house, room or apartment and even takes care of the time-consuming bureaucratic registration process.

Relocation experts do not only organize the move itself, they can even help with cultural integration, e.g. finding a language school or organizing cultural events. 

New in the city – moving is easy with the moving checklist

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Before moving to another city, a lot of things has to be organized and prepared. Often one underestimates the effort and time that such an undertaking takes. To make sure that no one loses track of what is going on, we would like to give you some help here in chronological order with the most important things to consider before and during the move. 

Language schools teaching German

sprachschulen1© NEW IN THE CITY

Scientifically speaking, there are two ways to learn German as a foreign language: the unsupervised method – picking it up on the street – or the structured approach in classes.

A mixture of both is probably best. Experienced language institutes prefer to use a varied blend of exercises for speaking, listening, writing, reading and vocabulary as well exercises as for pronunciation and grammar in their learning programs. These are supplemented by elements of regional studies.

Classes are in German right from the beginning, which creates an authentic feeling. The goal is to give students a basic knowledge of everyday German. Then they can go out onto the street to practice and improve on it.

In case you want to learn perfect German, Munich’s “Spotlight Verlag” publishes the magazine “Deutsch perfekt” (www.deutsch-perfekt.com). Every month, correspondents from Germany, Austria and Switzerland write articles about society, politics and other topics. In addition, the magazine provides advice for people who want to live or work in Germany.

There are articles for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. Thus, students of all levels benefit from the magazine. New words are explained in simple German and there is an extensive vocabulary section with cards you can collect. “Deutsch perfekt” costs € 9.90 per issue at the newsstand. A one-year subscription costs € 112.
›› www.deutsch-perfekt.com

›› More information on language schools in Berlin, MünchenHamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Cologne-Bonn, Düsseldorf an Ruhr Region

 

Help with apartment hunting

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There are many companies that offer quick help on the Internet if you’re looking for a new apartment.

It's best to move into an apartment with a temporary rental contract arranged through a letting agency so you can take your time to find your ideal place to live. Or you can move into a room with a small kitchen in an apartment hotel for a short period.

Apartments for rent are listed in all major newspapers. The Süddeutsche Zeitung is particularly popular.

Landlords or housing agencies can also be approached directly. Or you could join a residential building cooperative where you will no longer be just a renter but rather a communal owner of the respective cooperative.

 

›› Here you can find the most important contact addresses for looking for property in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne-Bonn, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr Region

World press – news from Germany and the rest of the world

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Click here for the latest news from the most important newspapers and magazines in Germany and the rest of the world.