LiLac English Language Week with Native Speakers In today's world, English has become the global language of communication. As 10th grade students, we recently had the opportunity to attend a one-week English language learning program with native speakers as teachers. The experience was enriching, and I learned a lot from the program. Before I dive into the details of the program, it is important to understand the significance of learning English. English is the language of international business, politics, and education. It is the medium through which people from different cultures and backgrounds can most easily communicate with each other. Therefore, learning English is becoming more and more essential for anyone who is part of our society. The One-Week Program The one-week English language learning program was organized by our school and conducted by native speakers of English from different English-speaking countries around the world, such as the USA, Ireland, England, and Vienna, who were raised bilingual. The program was intense, we had six periods a day held by three different teachers. The teachers were highly qualified and experienced. They had various activities, games, and projects prepared that encouraged us to practice our English-speaking skills. The lessons were always fun and interactive. The teachers encouraged us to speak English as much as possible, they corrected our mistakes and gave us feedback to improve our language skills. In the beginning, it took the group a bit of time to get involved and gain enough courage and motivation to speak and interact, but after introduction rounds and first attempts at discussions, we overcame our anxiety. It was much more fun that way and more productive. We mainly practiced speaking but also had one or the other writing exercise. We had group discussions, debates, and presentations. One example would be that we had to come up with a new product or business plan and try to “sell it” to the rest of the group. Another thing we did was having a lengthy discussion about the dangers of the climate crisis and what we can do to counteract what is happening to our earth. Often at the end of the period, we would play a game like Family Feud or “Who am I?”. These were always the most fun, and everyone played very enthusiastically. With one teacher from New Jersey, we did a photography project where everyone had two hours to go around the school and take creative pictures and try out different types and techniques, which we had learned before. It was challenging to do this in a bit of a time crunch, but somehow that made us use our imagination to its fullest and be inventive with what we had. The results were very impressive and made us proud of ourselves. In conclusion, the one-week English language learning program with native speakers as teachers was a fantastic experience. It helped me improve my English language skills, gave me exposure to new cultures, and helped me make new friends. I would recommend such programs to anyone who wants to improve their English language skills and get to know people from all over the world. written by Titus Berger, 2aHMNM pictures by Rosa Gottwald, Barbara Reiter, Sanja Brocza, Paul Hauptmann, Theo Isopp, 2aHMNM
Beteiligte Klassen: 2aHMNM, 2aHMNF, 2bHGK
Beteiligte Schüler:innen: text by Titus Berger, pictures by Rosa Gottwald, Barbara Reiter, Sanja Brocza, Paul Hauptmann, Theo Isopp, 2aHMNM
Beteiligte Lehrende: Schwartz, Döring, Maxl
Beteiligte Partner: Lilac
text by Titus Berger, 2aHMNM pictures by Rosa Gottwald, Barbara Reiter, Sanja Brocza, Paul Hauptmann, Theo Isopp, 2aHMNM