Learn more about our schools
We represent independently operated Saturday German language schools in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Our member schools offer a wide range of programs for children as young as 18 months all the way through various types of classes for adults. Every school offers a different choice of classes for all age groups, so it is important to check directly with the school you are interested in. Click on each school below to learn more and to contact each school directly.
The German School of the East Bay is located in Oakland and has been in operation since 1962. The School has an enrollment of nearly 200 students in Saturday morning and afternoon classes for children and adults. Some of our students are 2nd and 3rd generation students of German, creating a continuity for many families attending our School.
We offer a broad spectrum of German classes ranging from Sing- und Spielgruppe classes for toddlers to beginning and advanced language courses for children and adults. Several courses prepare students in middle and high school for tests of the American Association of German Teachers (AATG) and advanced placement tests for high school students. The School also prepares the most advanced students for the deutsche Sprachdiplom.
Our teachers are mostly native speakers who offer a wonderful spectrum of backgrounds and teaching experience to their students.
In addition to formal German instruction, the School provides numerous opportunities for cultural enrichment, as for example through puppet shows, a Laternenumzug for the younger crowd, and the ever popular Adventsfeier in December, participation in a Christmas bazaar, and German dinners, like a Gänsebraten dinner held in November at a local restaurant with a German chef.
The School is in session during the regular school year from September to May.
Visit us at gseb-school.org.
The German School of San Francisco is an affordable, non-profit organization founded in 1935. We are the oldest language school in the United States.
We offer small Saturday morning classes (9:30 to noon or 9:30 to 12:30 depending on the age and level) for children 18 months and up and classes for adult. Our qualified, experienced and enthusiastic teaching staff uses the latest study materials imported from Germany.
Our students receive report cards and we prepare them for the AATG (National Association of Teachers of German) National German tests, levels 1-4, the DSD (Deutsches Sprachdiplom) 1 and possibly 2 – Advanced Placement like tests administered by the German government (BVA). We take pride in our multi-national student body and have great fun at our traditional cultural events, such as the Lanternfest, the St. Nick and the Karneval parties.
Check us out at germanschool.com!
The German Language School of the North Bay was founded as the German Language School of Marin in 1967 in Novato, California, by families seeking to preserve the German cultural heritage and language within the rich multicultural landscape of Sonoma, Marin, and Napa. Today, we carry on that mission as a non-profit Saturday school and community committed to furthering the language, culture, and customs of German-speaking countries to our local community and beyond.
The German Language School of the North Bay offers class levels from Kindergarten through adults. We provide an affordable and convenient opportunity to receive creative instruction methods that helps families launch or advance their German language and cultural skills. Our classes are optimized to establish and build upon an enthusiasm for the German language and the diverse cultures of German-speaking countries.
Our school year runs from September to May in two semesters. Over the course of a semester our students will obtain the tools and have opportunities to speak, read, and write German with confidence. Students receive not only receive quality academic instruction, but the opportunity to use it in memorable and fun communication activities that are applicable to the real world.
Visit us at germanschoolnorthbay.org!
Since 1960, the German-American School of Palo Alto (GASPA) has provided the opportunity to learn German as well as about German speaking countries through the use of the German language, traditions, and culture.
The school is an independent organization and is not affiliated with any school or religious organization. Classes are open to all students interested in learning about German in German regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Classes are held on Saturday mornings from 9:00am till 12:00pm in the classrooms of the German American International School (GAIS) at 275 Elliot Drive in Menlo Park. The school year begins in September and runs until May (30 Saturdays in total).
During the summer GASPA also offers a variety of programs: a 4-week Summer School program as well as various 1-week programs for students between the ages of 3 and 16. Details about our summer programs are available on our website at the end of January.
The Staff is comprised of qualified, experienced, and enthusiastic German Teachers. The teachers are supported by assistants, who together with the teachers, prepare and help carry out the lessons.
Visit our website at gaspa-ca.org.
SBDS is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of California that has been promoting the study of German as a Second Language and serving the Silicon Valley area for 50 years.
We offer classes at all levels ranging from pre-school to high school as well as beginning, intermediate and advanced levels for adults. Classes are taught by an experienced faculty from Germany, Switzerland, and the United States.
The main objective of our school is to provide an opportunity to learn the German language in a contemporary context. Students are taught to speak, read and write in German and are introduced to German customs, history, culture, literature and songs.
To ensure high quality instruction, teachers are selected both for their knowledge of German and their teaching ability. Most of our instructors are native speakers of German and are well qualified to recognize the proficiency of their students.
Visit us at sbds.org.
The German School of Fremont is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1963. At that time, an immigrant couple from Germany began teaching the German language to a class of eight students. They understood what a gift language is to communication, exploration, and understanding other cultures. Alfred and Anna Marie Kaufmann appreciated how language can be a link to the past and to the future. They also realized that a large part of their past and much of the quality of their future would be lost if they didn’t pass on the gift of language to their children.
Over the years the school has gone through many changes, constantly striving to stay current and always endeavoring to provide relevant language instruction and have some fun at the same time. The atmosphere and the spirit of the German School of Fremont remain the same as in its early days: to have a sense of community and to provide students with a better understanding of the customs, the history, and the culture of the German speaking countries.
Nowadays the mission of the German School of Fremont is to teach the German language to interested students through a variety of instructional methods. We are located at the easy-to-reach Mission Blvd. in Fremont. Children and adult classes are offered to all ages and levels on Saturday mornings between 09:30 am to12:00 pm. We are happy to welcome new members at the start of our fall semester (September-January) or spring semester (January-May).
Visit our website at gsfremont.org.
