A group of twelve second year students have just returned from a week long German Exchange trip  to Oberursel. This was the 16th exchange trip after two years of no exchange due to lockdown.

This trip is not only important for our students because of the actual exchange and excursions but also because we are twinned with Oberursel. The trip enables our students to gain a first-hand insight into the life of a German student and their family. For one week, our students are paired up with an exchange partner, joining them on their daily routine, as well as taking part in cultural excursions. This time the trip included an extra project on ‘The role of German TV’, partly funded by the German-UK connection. The students worked to research and produce a small film with spoken commentary on this film after discussing issues surrounding German TV and its future with their exchange partners in an entirely student-led environment.

Students went to Mainz for a historical and cultural tour where they completed a trail hunt to experience the main sites and also visited the ZDF (equivalent to the BBC) for an in-depth and very informative tour.  

A multitude of activities took place during the week: joint breakfast in a local cafe continuing the TV discussions followed by a visit to the town hall with a warm welcome by the twinning team. There were visits to the Christmas markets, Schloss Bad Homburg and, to the surprise of many, they discovered that it has strong links to our English heritage. 

In Frankfurt, the students attended a lecture at the European Central Bank on the financial importance of Frankfurt, followed by a museum visit and then had an extended walk to see the main site. They also had some free time in small groups to explore the city before watching a German film at the end of the day.

Stamatia Kalogeropoulou, Curriculum Manager of German said, “Our students are always a credit to the College and credit to themselves. Their role-model behaviour contributed to the overall success of the trip. We had so many positive comments about our students from both the host families and the German teachers.”

Freddie H, one of the students said "The trip was brilliant - it was both a chance to explore German culture, and meet new people. I also got to know the people in my German class better, and was able to fully practice my language skills. Overall - I would love to go again and thoroughly enjoyed the experience."

Louis C reflected on the trip “It was a very lovely trip and I made many new friends. The cultural visits were very intriguing. We had a good laugh whilst also being well educated on different German towns and customs and the way of life in Germany. Mainz was very nice and we experienced the interesting architecture. We then enjoyed some Apfelwein at the Weihnachtsmarkt. This was a highlight of the trip. My exchange partner was great and her family was very welcoming. I would definitely recommend this trip to everyone who takes German, the only problem is that you won't want to leave."