WhatsGerman

The WhatsGerman campaign aims at helping refugees arriving in Germany and who usually have to wait for an average of three months to take a German course, to learn the German language easier. The idea is based on the observation that the smartphone and the WhatsApp software are the most important tools for refugees to keep in contact among themselves and with people they had to leave behind. The ubiquitous use of smartphones and messengers thus inspired the development of the language course “WhatsGerman. Learning German on WhatsApp”. Registering for the course is easy via the dedicated website, which gives visitors a choice between three courses that build upon each other. These courses were developed for WhatsApp together with language teachers. The lessons comprise text, emojis for illustration as well as videos demonstrating correct pronunciation. This offer was promoted using ­social media channels, postings in refugee accommodations and traditional PR.