German Group Courses
- The Terms of Service are part of the course contract between the subscriber and the institute “speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.)”. Signing the course contract confirms that the student has read and accepted these terms and conditions.
- The course fee is to be paid in full prior to the first day of the course according to the contractually agreed upon payment. The course fee can be paid in cash or by bank transfer to the account of our institute. Bank transfers must be made free of charge for the recipient. Educational materials such as books must be purchased by the students and are not part of the contract price.
- Upon online registration/signing of contract, a registration fee of €50,– is due. This fee shall not be refunded if the course is cancelled by the participant. A refund of a payment is only possible if the contract is terminated at least 14 days before the starting date of the course. In the event of a later termination, the full invoice amount is due for payment. Registration fees and refunds for students requiring a German study-visa do not follow this schedule (see section 4). If notice of termination is not given 14 days before the starting date of the course, the fees and tuition already paid will not be refunded. Reservation of a language course can only be guaranteed if a student has paid the course fees 14 days before the start-date of the course. In the case that a course becomes fully booked, students who have not paid their registration and course fees may be required to start their course at a later date. Termination of the contract after the starting date of the course is not possible. The lessons must be taken within the specified period, a postponement of the lessons beyond that is not possible.
- In the case that a participant travelling from outside Germany requires a visa for the duration of the course, the participant should register for the course at least 3–4 months before the start-date to allow for visa processing times. A registration confirmation needed to obtain a visa can be issued to the participant as soon as she/he has paid the registration fee and the total course fee according to the valid price list. This fee should be paid via bank transfer to the institution. Such transfers shall be made free of charge for the recipient. Should the participant be refused the visa, the student may cancel the contract if we are informed in writing of rejection of the German embassy at least 14 days before the start-date of the course. In this case, the institute will refund the deposit to the participant, minus a processing fee of €150,– due to the increased administrative effort. Any bank charges in repayment shall be borne by the participant. A refund of the course fee is expressively excluded once the course has started. If the student has received a visa based on a registration certificate issued by Speakeasy, the course cannot be cancelled and the course fee will not be refunded. The participant has the right to postpone the booked course before the start of the course within 8 months free of charge. If the course is not attended within this period, the course cannot be cancelled and there will be no refund of the course fee.
- A course month consists of 4 weeks of lessons, each lesson lasts 45 minutes.
- The minimum number of participants of a group course is 6 students. If a class does not have the minimum number of participants required, our institution may reduce the number of lessons per week or cancel the course all together. In case of reducing the lessons per week, we guarantee that the learning objective according to the Common European Framework of Reference can be achieved within the course period. If a language course is cancelled by speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.), the participant may request to reserve a later course, or to receive a refund of the tuition paid minus the registration fee.
- On public holidays during the course term, classes will be cancelled without replacement. If the participant attends lessons irregularly or not at all, this is at the expense of the participant. There is no entitlement to catch-up appointments, participation in a later course or reimbursement of the course fee.
- All classes are taught by educationally meaningful and successful methods. Participants are not entitled to a special teacher or a particular teaching method.
- The participant is liable for any damage caused both within the premises of our institute and while on extracurricular trips. Our institute is not liable for any damage or injury to the participant, especially when on trips or during extracurricular activities.
- Group tours:
a) Participation in the language courses and any leisure activities booked is compulsory. For underage participants, adherence to a designated evening arrival time at the host family is required unless they are engaged in supervised leisure activities organized by the language school. Participants commit to follow the instructions provided by the supervisors. Limited unsupervised periods may occur for underage participants during breaks, after lessons, or when host parents are at work or en route to school. Travel between the host family and the school via public transport is the responsibility of the participants. The house rules of the school and the host family must be followed and adhered to. In Germany, the Youth Protection Act (https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/juschg/JuSchG.pdf) applies to individuals under the age of 18. Neither speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.) nor the host family assumes any duty of supervision or care for minors. Parents who register course participants under the age of 18 expressly agree to this condition.
b) The participant or her/his legal guardians are responsible for any damages caused by the participant during the language stay, including accommodation and personal belongings. speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.) holds no liability for such damages.
c) The participant is neither insured by the school nor by the host family against illness, accidents or theft. It is highly recommended that the participant ensures that she/he has adequate insurance cover during her/his stay in Cologne. By registering, the participant confirms that she/he has obtained international liability insurance.
d) In the event of dissatisfaction during the language stay, the participant should contact us immediately. Complaints lodged after the conclusion of the stay cannot be addressed.
e) speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.) expects the participant to display interest, courtesy and consideration towards the teachers, employees of the language school, supervisors, host families and fellow course participants. speakeasy Sprachen+ UG (h.b.) reserves the right to exclude the participant from the course if she/he violates these rules of conduct, the school regulations or local laws. Any additional costs incurred for the return journey and supervision must be borne by the parents/guardians. - If lessons are cancelled due to force majeure (e.g. storm, strike, bomb finding, terror), no catch-up lessons will be given. Claims for compensation in case of cancellation of lessons due to force majeure are excluded.
- The participant agrees that during the class, image and sound recordings may be made in which you may be depicted. These recordings may be used by us for promotional and marketing purposes, including but not limited to our website and social media. By being present, the participant expressly consents to the use and publication of these recordings. If she/he wishes to withdraw her/his consent, she/he is asked to notify us in writing.
- If any provision of this agreement becomes invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected. In this case, both parties are required to find a new and valid provision that resembles the invalid provision as closely as possible.
- Jurisdiction is Cologne.