Editorial guidelines

This page sets out the standards by which the Sprachschule.org editorial team works. Our goal is factual reliability for people making important decisions — about courses, visas, and exams — based on our content.

Source hierarchy

We apply a three-tier source classification:

Primary sources (authoritative)

• BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) — integration courses, language levels, admission requirements
• German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) — visa requirements, entry regulations, embassy lists
• Federal Employment Agency / Make it in Germany — labour market access, qualification recognition, Chancenkarte
• Official school websites and accreditation documents of listed language schools

Secondary sources (supplementary)

• Academic publications and research reports on language acquisition
• Statements from recognised language associations (e.g. Goethe-Institut, telc, TestDaF-Institut)
• Statistical publications from Destatis and the OECD

Tertiary sources (context only)

• News articles and press releases — used for contextual framing only, never as evidence for factual claims

Fact-checking for legal and visa content

Content concerning visa procedures, residence law, and official requirements is verified against at least two independent primary sources before publication. When sources conflict, the more recent official source takes precedence. Statutory references are cross-checked against the current consolidated legislation.

Update process for regulatory changes

The editorial team monitors changes to the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), the Recognition Act (Anerkennungsgesetz), and Federal Employment Agency guidelines. When a relevant change is identified, affected articles are reviewed and updated within 10 working days. The "Last updated" timestamp is adjusted accordingly.

What "verified" means for listed schools

A language school is listed as verified once the following points are confirmed:

1. Address and contact details (phone or email) are demonstrably reachable
2. Advertised course levels (A1–C1) correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference
3. Any claimed accreditations (e.g. membership in a language association) have been checked against official association registers
4. Ratings are sourced from publicly accessible platforms and show no signs of manipulation

The full methodology for school inclusion is described on our Methodology page.

Corrections

Errors can be reported at any time via our Corrections page. We treat every report seriously and publish significant corrections transparently.