German · Specialist course
Business german lessons online for meetings, email and the register in between
Most professionals working in German do not need more grammar. They need to chair a meeting, write an email that lands correctly, and know when Sie becomes du.
- CEFR B2
Who this is for
Is this the right course for you?
Professionals working in or with German-speaking companies who have roughly B1 or above and need to operate credibly rather than merely be understood.
What you cover
What the lessons cover
- Meetings: chairing, interrupting politely, disagreeing without causing offence
- Email register: the conventions German business correspondence still follows
- Presentations and the question-and-answer that follows them
- Negotiation language and hedging
- Telephone and video-call German, which is harder than either party expects
- When Sie becomes du, and how that transition is actually handled
Business German is taught here for people who already function in German and need to do it credibly. That is a register problem more than a grammar problem, and it responds to different teaching.
Register is the whole subject
German business communication keeps conventions that English abandoned — a formal salutation, a particular closing, careful use of Sie, and a directness in meetings that English speakers often misread as rudeness. None of this is difficult; all of it is invisible until someone points it out.
Bring your own material
The most productive version of this course uses your actual emails, presentations and meeting agendas. Generic role-play builds generic vocabulary; your inbox builds the vocabulary you actually need.
Business German questions, answered properly
What level do I need before taking business German?
Roughly B1. Below that, professional register on top of unstable grammar produces sentences that are formal and wrong, which is worse than plain and correct. If you are below B1 we will say so and suggest general lessons first — usually three to six months before the business course becomes worthwhile.
Is German business culture really that formal?
Less than its reputation and more than most English-speaking workplaces. Sie remains the default with people you do not know, titles matter more in some industries and regions than others, and written correspondence keeps conventions English email dropped years ago. Getting these right is largely pattern-learning rather than difficult language.
Can lessons focus on my actual work?
Yes, and they generally should. Bring real emails, a presentation you have to give, or the agenda of a meeting you are dreading. Working on genuine material is more effective than generic business scenarios, and it means the vocabulary you build is the vocabulary you will use on Monday.
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Goethe-Zertifikat B2
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