Interview: Maria’s Experience with a German Course Funded by WAFF in Vienna #4

Maria is a nurse from Chile who moved to Vienna seven months ago with a Working Holiday Visa. While working in a hotel, she started learning German to integrate into life in Austria and to eventually work again in her profession. In this interview, she shares her experience of learning German in Vienna, her motivation, and why small-group courses made a difference for her

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Coming to Vienna with a Working Holiday Visa

Where are you from and why did you come to Vienna with a Working Holiday Visa?

I am Maria, I am from Valdivia, a small town next to the coast in Chile. I came to Vienna because I decided I needed a change since there are more opportunities in Europe. Among the many alternatives to come to Europe, one of the most interesting ones was applying for a Working Holiday Visa in Austria. This Visa allows us to travel to specific countries in Europe for mostly 1 year, e.g. New Zeland, Germany, Austria, Australia, etc… But I decided to apply for Austria and my Visa was approved within a year! I can basically be a full right citizen in Austria for a whole year, which also allows me to get funding from Waff to do a German course in Vienna.

Living and working in Vienna as an international resident

How long have you been living in Vienna and what do you enjoy about the city?

I’ve been living in Vienna already for 6 months. I like the city, I think anyone who has visited Vienna is impressed by the architecture, si I am too.

From nurse to hotel work: building a future in Austria

What is your professional background and what do you currently do in Vienna?

I am a nurse, I used to work in a clinic in the intensiv plant. It’s a tough work although is not bad paid, so this was also another reason to move out. In Vienna I am working in a hotel right now. The work is tough, but I basically earn twice in comparison to what I was earning in Chile, whre I was spending more hours at work.

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Why learning German is essential for working and living in Vienna

Why is learning German important for your work and daily life in Vienna?

Well, I think it’s important to learn the language of the country you are living in. Apart from that, I need basic German to communicate at work and do daily stuff like going to the supermarket, going to a restarant, going to the doctor or to the pharmacy.

I would like also to move to Germany after my Working holiday Visa in Austria finishes. If everything goes well, I will be able to have a good German leven when I am in Germany.

Finding a German course in Vienna with WAFF support

How does the Working Holiday Visa and WAFF support help you learn German in Vienna?

I applied to the Working Holiday Visa about 6 months before coming to Vienna. The process is not very complicated: I had to prepare some documents as my police records, certficate of birth and other certificates. I also had to pay the flight to Austria when applying.

I knew about Waff when I was looking for German courses in Vienna, and some language schools were informing about been fund by Waff, so I decided to check it out. The basically pay your German course in Vienna up to 90% of the fees if you

• Earn up to 2500€ (more or less)
• your primer Resicency in Vienna

I had to have a first appointment with Waff to explain them why I need a German course and then they gave me a list of Language Schools to select one. I already knew I wanted to do the course with you, so I just submit the quote of the German Course and within 48 hours my course was approved. Then, I had to pay the fees, which was 10% of the course 😊

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Learning German as a beginner: challenges and motivation

What is the most difficult part of learning German as a beginner?

We have to learn many words, a lot of vocabulary, but I would say German Grammar hits different haha. There are so many things that are different in comparison to Spanish, my mother tonge, and not being able to find a rule like in Spanish makes it very difficult. Articles, AKK and DAT, I don’t know, all grammar!

How did you find a German course in Vienna that suited you?

To be honest, ChatGPT helped me. I ask it to gave me a possibility to learn German in Spanish in Vienna and apparently it gave one at Ikarus. Since one of the teachers speaks Spanish, it made me learning German easier. They were also pretty solutions-oriented since I was having a trip during the course, they also recorded the on-site lesson so I didn’t have to miss it since atteding online live wasn’t an option for me.

What do you like about learning German in small groups at Ikarus?

I would say speaking. The fact of being able to speak a lot in the lesson and that we don’t have to focus on the grammar all the time, it’s a plus. We are also 4 students in a lesson, so whenever I have a question, the teacher can help me very quick.

Advice for Working Holiday participants learning German in Vienna

What would you recommend to people starting a German course in Vienna?

Don’t forget to do your homework! I know German is tough, but even with a good teacher and small size group course, if you don’t do your homework, you are not going to succeed. And practising speaking is essential, otherwise it’s going to very hard to improve.

Take the next step in Vienna. Join a German course at Ikarus Wien and start speaking with confidence.

Learning German for work in Vienna is not just about grammar or vocabulary — it’s about feeling confident, being understood, and growing professionally. Antonio’s experience shows how important speaking practice, small groups, and a supportive learning environment can be when you are working and living in Austria.

If you are a professional living in Vienna and want to improve your German for work, integration, and everyday communication, small-group German courses can make a real difference. At Ikarus, we focus on practical language use, confidence, and real-life communication — just like in Antonio’s story.

Group courses in Vienna with maximal 4 students

Private training with a experienced Germanist teacher

Private preparation course for EPD, ÖSD & ÖIF certificate A1/A2/B1/B2/C1