Methodology

Transparency about how we work is central to our credibility. This page details how we add schools to the directory, research blog articles, produce translations, and handle rating data.

Adding schools to the directory

Every language school goes through the following steps before inclusion:

1. Initial check: The school's existence and reachability are verified using the school's own website, the commercial register, or public association registers.
2. Address verification: The listed address is cross-checked with the legal notice (Impressum) on the school's website. Phone numbers are spot-checked.
3. Accreditation: Where a school claims membership of a language association (e.g. EAQUALS, Goethe-Institut partnership, telc exam centre), this is verified against the official association membership list.
4. Course offering: The advertised language levels (A1–C1 per CEFR) and course formats are checked against the school's website. Clear discrepancies trigger follow-up.
5. Rating sources: Aggregate ratings are drawn from publicly accessible platforms (Google, relevant education portals). We do not calculate a proprietary score; we report the source average where a sufficient number of reviews exists (minimum sample: 10 reviews).

Editorial article research

Blog articles on legal, linguistic, and practical topics are produced through the following process:

• Topic selection based on search demand, reader feedback, and editorial need analysis
• Research drawing on primary sources (BAMF, German Foreign Office, Federal Employment Agency) — see Editorial guidelines for the full source hierarchy
• Internal cross-review by a second editorial team member before publication
• For legal topics: cross-check against the current consolidated legislation (via dejure.org or official German federal law)

Multilingual content

English and German are our primary editorial languages. Articles are first fully developed in both languages. The eight additional language versions (Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Korean, Hindi) are produced from the English version and then reviewed for factual accuracy. German legal terms, proper names, and official designations are carried over unchanged into all language versions.

Data freshness and maintenance

School profiles are reviewed for accuracy at least once a year. Blog articles on legally regulated topics receive an updated date and a review note when regulations change. Readers can flag outdated information at any time via Corrections.