Lower and upper secondary students meet in German

Two German-language teachers at Søren Kanne-skolen and Grenaa Gymnasium let their students benefit from each other.

A few weeks ago Karsten Viholm’s STX German High Level students from Grenaa Gymnasium visited Klaus Albrechtsen’s German language final year students. The former presented projects of theirs about German and Germany oriented business ideas,” Mr. Viholm explains. “The projects are part of a career-learning unit intended to stimulate reflections on the possibilities their high level German might open to them.”
“They developed quite inventive business ideas. For example a mobile German-food diner, a publishing company specializing on German personalities and town environment built-in loud speakers with German music.”

At Søren Kanne-skolen Mr. Viholms students placed themselves in booths from where they presented their business ideas. Mr. Albrechtsen’s students then asked questions so that there was a brief dialoque in German.
“It took roughly an hour, and my students were interested because they very soon will have to decide whether or not they continue with German on the upper secondary level. This gave them a chance to get an idea of the level and to see that it is indeed within reach to learn to communicate in German,” Mr. Albrechtsen explains.

He continues: “There is no doubt in my mind that exchanges like this are very beneficial to my students.”
Mr. Viholm agrees. “Mr. Albrecht’s students were very good at giving feedback to my students’ business ideas,” he says. “It was challenging to my students to have to leave the classroom and present their ideas in German to young people they did not know. But it was a good experience and they have appreciated the opportunity to focus on a project that allowed them not only to speak a lot of German but also to use their creativity.”

The career learning unit is supported by The Danish National Center for Foreign Languages and The Goethe Institute. In the previous school year the students went on a business visit and met with German Language students at Aarhus University.