Go like Silk
Free workshops and public talks ▸ Information & registration
‘Amtsdeutsch
ohne Angst’
Strategies for empowered engagement with Austrian bureaucratic communication
Table of contents
- What is „Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst“?
- Who is it for?
- What will I learn in the workshop?
- What will change for me?
- How is it organised?
- What do we actually do?
- Where is it?
- What exactly does ‘free of charge’ mean?
- When are the next dates?
- How can I register for the next workshop?
- Further information
What is ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’?
‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ (‘Amtsdeutsch’ refers to bureaucratic German and ‘ohne Angst’ means ‘without fear’) is a project that we at Go like Silk developed for the year of Vienna as the European Capital of Democracy. Our goal is to address the anxiety most of us feel when we have to communicate with officialdom (in Austria) but few of us like to talk about. We want to encourage people from all walks of life to look at these problems and find ways to overcome them.
The project ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ offers workshops and public talks on how to get to grips with Austrian bureaucratic jargon. These will be open to anyone who has to deal with Austrian official language in their day-to-day lives and wants to feel more confident and empowered. This includes people who speak German as their mother tongue as well as those who have learned German as an additional language.
We all know the feeling. We find a letter from the tax office or social security and feel stressed even before we’ve opened it. Or we’re sent information regarding a special offer from our energy supplier or internet provider and ask ourselves, What does that actually mean for me? We get details on new terms and conditions from our insurance company and wonder, Do I have to pay anything? Simply confirm acceptance? Do nothing? ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ addresses these questions and the worries that go with them – and shows you practical ways to deal with them.
The methods and strategies we use in the project are all derived from the concepts of Kindness Communication and Relational Reading, as developed by us at Go like Silk.
Kindness Communication
Communication is about people, not words. We are all human. We want to be understood and to understand others. It’s not the words we use that matter. It’s what we mean. In Kindness Communication, we trust ourselves and also each other. Reading and writing are also processes that take place between real people and in the relation between them. Learn more about Kindness Communication …
Relational Reading
Reading is like talking – to understand what someone has written, we need to engage with them and at the same time be aware of what it is that we want. Relational Reading enables us to stop feeling uneasy about reading texts and learn to trust in our ability to understand them. Learn more about Relational Reading …
Price
All the workshops and talks on ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ are free of charge (see below). We are not asking a fee because we want to draw attention to the issues around understanding bureaucratic and official communication and to show that there are practical and efficient ways to understand better what people really mean when they write in Austrian bureaucratic style.
Workshops
The workshops have a limited number of participants (6 to 10), so that everyone can analyse and discuss their own individual as well as the general problems that arise over a wide spectrum of texts written in German (administrative notices, requests, forms etc.). You will learn strategies for getting to grips with official texts and how to cope with them confidently and efficiently.
All workshops are held at the Go like Silk office in the 9th district of Vienna. They are completely free of charge for all participants who have registered (see below).
Public talks
The talks are held one or two weeks after a workshops. Anyone who is interested in the concept of ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ is welcome to attend. We hope to reach a wide audience, for example journalists, specialists, students, people working in public administration and anyone else who would like to learn more about how to understand complex texts in the landscape of Austrian democratic discourse. Learn more about the public talks …
Who is it for?
For people who speak German as their mother tongue and those who have learnt German as an additional language, irrespective of their educational background and of how secure they otherwise feel in German. Anxiety about bureaucratic communication (‘Amtsdeutsch’) affects all our lives.
Everyone who speaks German needs to read and understand written texts. However, many of us find ourselves shying away from texts that seem complicated, irrespective of whether German is our mother tongue or not.
This fear (‘Angst vor Amtsdeutsch’) can make us overlook or misunderstand essential information or miss opportunities, appointments or deadlines. Not understanding these important texts can be annoying and even have legal consequences.
The ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ workshops are designed for everyone who wants to develop strategies for engaging efficiently with Austrian bureaucratic communication, irrespective of whether German is their first language or not. If German is not your first language, we recommend that you have at least level B2.
The ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ public talks are open to anyone who is interested in the project and the concept of Relational Reading.
What will I learn in the workshop?
In the ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ workshops, we work with authentic German bureaucratic texts typical for Austria. We use different activities and exercises to analyse and understand them. We discuss everyday situations in which we might feel stressed or frustrated when we have to deal with these kinds of texts.
The workshop is designed to empower you in your interaction with bureaucratic communication. You will stop feeling like a merely passive recipient of official statements and learn to actively relate to what you are reading.
Together, we ask questions such as:
- How can I know what a text written in official German expects and wants from me?
- How can I work out what information is expected of me and what additional information I might need?
- How can I react appropriately to direct and indirect messages in German written communication?
- How can I engage confidently and successfully with written communication coming from official bodies in Austria and feel less stressed about it?
What will change for me?
When you’ve taken part in one of the workshops, you will no longer feel intimidated by bureaucratic German and will find it easier to interact with Austrian authorities:
- Official documents will no longer seem confusing or overwhelming. You will have the tools to work out what they are about.
- You will no longer trip over bureaucratic words and phrases. You will be able to apply practical reading and comprehension strategies.
- You will no longer be a merely passive reader. You will actively analyse even complicated texts and make sense of them.
- You will not regard written communication as a struggle. You will read fluently and with confidence.
How is it organised?
The ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ workshops run for 1.5 days. On the first day, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. On the second day, from 09:30 am to 4:30 pm (including a lunch break).
We speak German during the workshops; all teaching materials and discussions will be in German.
The workshops are held by both Michèle and Michael with 6 to 10 participants. Upon completion of a workshop, you will receive a certificate on paper confirming your attendance.
What do we actually do?
The programme for a 3-morning ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ workshop consists of the following:
Workhop day 1
Introduction; getting to know basic text structures; explaining and paraphrasing complex expressions common in German official written communication; understanding the reasons behind the use of bureaucratic language in a democratic state.
Workshop day 2
Relational Reading (reading as conversation): analysing and understanding official instructions based on authentic text excerpts (What am I being asked to do? By whom? By when? On what grounds? etc.); discussing typical abbreviations in official texts; filling in forms (What exactly does the form say? Which information do I need to present in which format? How do I need to submit the form?); dealing with official letters; coping with stress.
Workshop day 3
How to ask the right questions and obtain necessary information; practicing comprehension strategies with authentic texts; recognising text structure and information flow (Why does this information appear in this particular place? Why is this section formatted in that particular way?); compiling checklists for active reading.
Where is it?
For the workshops, we invite you to our office in Vienna, Austria. Read more about where we work.
The talks are held at the University of Vienna. We publish the exact location for each date in advance (see below).
What exactly does ‘free of charge’ mean?
If you attend a workshop or talk, there will be nothing to pay. We know that understanding and dealing with bureaucratic communication is important for everyone and wish to make our expertise in this field accessible irrespective of participants’ financial means. We at Go like Silk offer ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ free of charge because we want to make a contribution to empowering people in their communication with official bodies.
‘Free of charge’ also means that there are no hidden costs. There are no fees whatsoever for participation in workshops or attending the talks. Material and drinks (paper, pens, coffee and tea) are also provided for free during the workshop.
When are the next dates?
The next ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ workshop will be held on 3 and 4 October 2025 (Friday afternoon and Saturday). On Friday, the workshop starts at 4:30 pm and ends at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, the workshop starts at 9:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm (including lunch break).
The workshop will only take place if at least 6 people have registered for it in advance.
The next public talk takes place on 22 October 2025 (Wednesday), from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm, at the Erika-Weinzierl-Saal hall in the main building of the University of Vienna (Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna). The talk is open to anyone who wishes to attend. You don’t have to register; you can just drop in. It will last about one hour. Afterwards, everyone is invited to talk and exchange ideas.
We are planning to hold further workshops and talks in 2026.
How can I register?
To register for the workshop, please click on the following date.
We can only accept up to 10 participants for each workshop. Once we have received your registration, we will get in touch and confirm your place in the workshop or, if necessary, put your name on the waiting list.
Please note our terms and conditions for participating and our information on accessibility.
For the public talk, there is no need to register. You can simply drop by.
Further information
To be fluent means to flow.
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