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I have been recently hired as a part-time developer (Student Worker) in Germany. The company has treated me very well since the beginning.

However, some of colleagues are not comfortable to communicate with me due to their English skills.

I am planning to start attending a language course to learn German and I am thinking should I ask my manager if he can sponsor me for it?

Since I am not a full-time employee - am I being too greedy by asking for sponsorship from him?

Is there anything I should consider before approaching him?

P.S : My intention for attending the language class is not purely to communicate with colleagues.

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  • What are your other intentions besides communicating with colleagues? – MacItaly Feb 22 at 20:31
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    I am personally interested in learning the language – comxyz Feb 22 at 20:32
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    Look into the Volkshochschule ; it's very inexpensive, although you won't advance at the rate of z.B the Goethe Institut. After a certain level you can be self teaching, just by chatting in shops, bars & the office. – Mawg Feb 26 at 8:27
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am I being too greedy by asking for sponsorship from him?

IMHO it should be okay to ask for sponsorship. Most companies benefit from an employee who wants to continually learn and grow, seeing as how it benefits them also.

I don't think it is greedy to ask for sponsorship, just be willing and grateful even if the answer is "no."

Is there anything I should consider before approaching him?

Timing and tone will make a big difference in your approach. Make sure you are approaching your boss at an appropriate time. Also, the tone in which you ask for sponsorship needs to be appropriate. You are not in a place to be demanding or upset if the answer is "no." Continue your hard work and persevere in your language learning regardless of the answer he gives.

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This is a great opportunity for you to learn the language and by all means you should do so.

You can certainly ask for sponsorship, but I don't think you'd need it.

There are many approaches to learn a language and many of them don't require a lot of money. For example, the local "Volkshochschule" (people's university) will offer all types of classes and certification at various levels. Here is an example for Cologne, where they charge a whopping Euro 2.30 per hour https://vhs-koeln.de/Artikel/titel-Deutsch+als+Fremdsprache/cmx5485898c7c428.html

It's actually more important how you structure your daily life to maximize the immersion. Use German as much as possible and try to actively be in situations where German doesn't work: room mates, friends, beer garden, etc.

There are other creative ways to get your workplace involved: declare a "speak only German with comxyz day" and bring some sweets oder "belegte Broetchen" to celebrate the success. That's fun and productive and your boss may chip in.

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  • You said what I was going to say (upvaote), but I am not so sure about "try to actively be in situations where German doesn't work". Is that typo, or did I misunderstand? – Mawg Feb 26 at 8:29

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