Go like Silk
Free workshops and public talks ▸ Quick overview
‘Amtsdeutsch
ohne Angst’
Strategies for empowered engagement with Austrian bureaucratic communication
Quick overview
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Worum geht es bei Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst?
‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ (‘Amtsdeutsch’ refers to bureaucratic German and ‘ohne Angst’ means ‘without fear’) is a project by Go like Silk that addresses the anxiety most of us feel when we have to communicate with officialdom (in Austria) but few of us like to talk about. It consists of workshops and public talks. Participating in it is completely free of charge.
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Who is ‘Amtsdeutsch ohne Angst’ for?
For people who speak German as their mother tongue and those who have learnt German as an additional language (at level B2 or higher), irrespective of their educational background and of how secure they otherwise feel in German. Anxiety about bureaucratic communication (‘Amtsdeutsch’) affects all our lives.
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What happens in the workshops?
A workshop is 3 mornings. 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 and present strategies for coping with them.
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What happens at the public talks?
At the public talks, we present the project and discuss insights and results from the project workshops. We discuss ways to break the taboo surrounding Reading Anxiety and bureaucratic communication in German.
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When and where is the next workshop?
The next workshop takes place from 2 to 4. October 2025 (Thursday to Saturday), from 9 am to 12:30 pm, at our office in the 9th district of Vienna, Austria. We will announce further dates here on our website.
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When and where is the next public talk?
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). We will announce further dates for 2026 here on our website.
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Who holds the workshops and public talks?
The workshops and public talks are designed and held by the project creators Michèle Cooke und Michael En.
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Why is it free of charge?
We want to make a contribution towards helping people to engage confidently with official texts and to realise that written communication is a two-way process in which they can play an active role.
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How can I register?
For a workshop, you can register directly only. Please click on the following date.
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 a public talk, there is no need to register. You can simply drop by.
Further information
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