When I heard I had got the scholarship to study at the Goethe Institut in Schwäbisch Hall, I was both excited and also a bit apprehensive. It would be the longest time I had ever spent away from home, without my family and friends, and moreover in a foreign country. Now that I have returned to England and can look back on my time there I see I need not have worried, because they were probably the best months of my life so far. Not only did I improve my German, to the extent that when I came back I kept slipping into German, but I also made friends from around the world.
First experiences
The first day of the course is slightly daunting. Everyone arrives at the Institut and is given two tests, spoken and written. These tests were not as terrifying as they may sound, the spoken was more like an informal chat over a cup of coffee! After I had completed both, I was swiftly told my level was Mittelstufe 3 (the highest intermediate level ) before I was sent to be allocated accommodation. Having received my spending money and keys in the office, I hauled my suitcase gratefully to the minibus, which would take me to my home for the next two months. The accommodation was mainly in a cluster of houses around five minutes walk from the Institut. These each comprised of about 20 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a laundry room. I was in Wohnheim 10. My room, on the first floor, was modern and very comfortable. Each room has a bed, desk, cupboard, comfy chair and a very large wardrobe, as well as a fridge. which was extremely useful. In addition, there was an adjacent bathroom, which was shared with one other person.
The next morning, in an assembly, we were told where to go. As each class left, we had the chance to see with whom we would be spending the next two months. Once in the classroom, we began introductions, going round the class repeating the names and nationalities of everyone before us. This was an excellent way to break the ice, as we not only got to know the names but also we had fun when someone got them muddled up. Everyone seemed friendly, with an astounding mix of ages and nationalities. I was the only English person in my class, and in fact. in the whole Institut, which was actually very beneficial for my German in the long run, although disconcerting at first. By lunchtime it didn't matter where we were from, we had settled down and began to make friends.
| The process of getting to know people continued over the next few days. The first evening, after classes, the Welcome Party held in the Goethe Pub, helped this. The Goethe Pub was a room in the Institut where various activities took place, such as film showings, and of course, Goethe Pub on a Friday night, when the bar opened and people started to do embarrassing things! It was probably the centre of social activity in the Institut, especially because Schwäbisch Hall was quite a small town, and thus it was an appropriate place for getting to know our fellow students. | |
Finding out about Schwäbisch Hall
The town itself with around 35,000 inhabitants is smaller than Loughborough. However, for a small town there was plenty to do, mainly due to its historic significance. Schwäbisch Hall was once a large trading centre for salt, which meant it was rich. Today the Bausparkasse, probably the German equivalent of a building society, and the biggest in Germany, is the main employer but the town still has many beautiful buildings from preceding centuries. The town centre is lovely, full of timbered houses, and on its main square is St Michael's Church In this square a market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, where the Goethe students bought their fruit and vegetables. More importantly, on the steps in front of the church, plays take place throughout the summer months. The Goethe Institut takes groups to these plays, and while I was there I saw Jedermann (Everyman), based on the English Miracle Play. Despite the German being difficult to understand, the setting made this quite an experience.
Once we had seen all the lovely old buildings and for those who were not so interested in history, there were plenty of other things to do. As well as two normal cinemas, which showed the newest releases, there was a cinema club, where older films and also German films were shown, and this was free for the Goethe students. There were also opportunities to play sport some people went to the gym. There were regular football matches, and particularly popular, especially once the weather improved, was the swimming pool complex. The Schenkenseebad comprised an indoor pool, with a flume, and sauna, and an outdoor pool. when the weather was hot, we headed for this with towels and books. We never really got much work done though!
Social activities
For the Goethe students, social activities took place most nights. The lessons ended at lunchtime, having begun at 08:15 sharp In spite of this early start, with breakfast between seven and eight o'clock, we managed to attend both the social events, which mainly involved beer in some form, and our lessons. The events varied, sometimes we would all go to a beer garden, and at others we had barbecues or parties in the Wohnheim. These events were an ideal way to meet people who were not in your class, and get to know the Zivis. The Zivis were important people for us, they were young Germans on civil duty who arranged the free time activities, and helped us with any problems or queries. They also socialised widely, and could be relied on to liven up the party!
Tandem Partners
The Zivis were not the only "real" Germans we met. The Goethe Institut ran a scheme called Tandem Partners, which aimed to link you up with a German. You could choose the age and sex of your Tandem Partner, and the scheme tried to match up people's interests. Although I heard that these matches were often not successful, nevertheless, I signed up and to my delight, I was given a seventeen-year-old girl, called Sarah. We met and after an initial awkwardness, we got on very well; she showed me parts of Schwäbisch Hall I hadn't seen before, and helped with my language. The scheme, when successful, is a great idea. One of the things we did, together with the rest of Schwäbisch Hall, was to go to the Jakobimarkt. This was a large fair, rather like Loughborough Fair, that took place one weekend. In the daytime there was a market and in the evening, everyone went to the fairground to go on rides and drink in the customary beer tent.
Berlin Ensemble
| At the weekend, many people took the chance to see more of Germany. Some of the trips were organised by the Insitut. In particular, the trip to Berlin was popular, and being for me the first time I had visited Berlin, exciting. We set off on Friday and returned late on the Sunday, worn out from all our sightseeing. For we saw, well not everything, but as much as possible. We did a guided tour by bus to see many of the sights, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and a remainder of the Berlin Wall for example, and a boat trip. In the evenings we also had the chance to sample Berlin nightlife. and headed out from our hotel, which was situated just off Kürfürstendamm. On Sunday morning we squeezed in a trip to the newly rebuilt Reichstag too, which was marvelous especially the glass dome with its view over Berlin. The only disappointment was that I did not have my camera because we had been told they weren't allowed. Still, this minor point did not spoil the time I spent in Berlin, and I hope to go back in the future with more time. |
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Closer to home, and without the Goethe Institut, I visited Stuttgart. where I saw the sights and in the evening went to a huge outdoor festival. Furthermore, we went to Heidelberg, my teacher's hometown, and saw the famous castle and the Philosophers Weg. These trips were easy, since the trains ran regularly through Schwäbisch Hall. and at the weekends, a ticket for five people to anywhere in Germany only cost DM35 (about £7) in all. Other people went further afield on these trips but I decided to explore the area around Schwäbisch Hall, so often stayed there on the weekend too. During these weekends, we would go for walks around the town, or to the swimming pool, and in the evenings we went out There was only one disco in Schwäbisch Hall, and even that was tiny, about the size of a living room! Therefore, after one obligatory visit, we Goethe students never went back. Instead, the cafes, bars and beer gardens, if the weather was good, were the places to go.
The learning side
So far I have talked mainly about the social side of my stay but it wasn't all socialising. We also had lessons to attend, from 8:15 until lunchtime These lesson, however, were not the chore they may sound like. My teacher, Ellen, who was excellent, always made our learning fun. We did a lot of group work, discussing various topics, which improved my spoken German vastly, and we did projects and stories to help the written aspects. As a class, we furthermore prepared an act for the Sommer Fest. This is The annual party at the Institut As well as international food, prepared by the students, there is a programme of performances and later a band. To give an idea of the various acts, they ranged this year from our class doing a dramatic version of Goethe's "Der Zauberlehrling" (the Sorcerer's Apprentice) through karate and singing to a comic version of Little Red Riding Hood, which was set in the Schwäbisch Hall Goethe Institut! Having taken part in Samba dancing too, I have come back to England with an unexpected new skill. All this was rehearsed during the afternoon, after school lad finished, and anybody could join in.
Most afternoons, though, I tended to go the library Mediothek to complete my homework. This usually took roughly an hour and a half but many people, myself included, took time to work on grammar and listening in addition to the homework the Mediothek offered computing facilities, including the Internet, which was fee, It was moreover the place, where there were practice papers for the exams. These, of a range of levels, took place during the last week of my stay. Consisting of four parts, reading, writing, speaking and listening, The ZMP (Zentrale Mittelstufe Prufung) was for people at the end of the intermediate levels. Having decided to take it I was thrilled to get my result of "sehr gut" the highest pass!
Another place to use the Internet was the Internet Café, where you could get a cup of coffee while you surfed. Although breakfast and drinks were available in the Institut, for lunch and supper, we had to tend for ourselves. For lunch, I would eat out with my friends. The most popular choices were the kebab shops, especially one near the Josenturm, which also served salads and falafel, and gave the Goethe students a free Coke. I particularly liked the Chinese restaurant opposite the cinema, where a two-course meal cost about £3. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try many German specialties, although I did taste Maultasche, giant German ravioli. In the evenings, I ate in the Wohnheim. Each had a kitchen, with a hob and microwave, and you could obtain pans from the Goethe Institut for a small deposit.
Auf wiedersehen
When the midday came, pots having been returned and rooms cleaned, we had a leaving party at the Institut with singing, food and heaps of photos! As people began to leave, I realised sadly that my time in Schwäbisch Hall was already coming to an end. I had already attended two months of lessons and Goethe Pub, and he time had come already to say goodbye to people who had become such great friends. The two months, which had seemed so long at the outset, had flown by but then as they say: time flies when you're having fun. I am just grateful to Loughborough and Schwäbisch Hall that I had this opportunity of a lifetime
Summer in Schwäbisch Hall
If you are between 18 and 26 and would like to spend this summer at the Goethe Institute in Schwäbisch Hall, then ring Charnwood Borough Council on 634602 and ask for full details of the annual Scholarship. Applications are needed by the end of November each year.