What’s a better way to get to know a culture or learn a language than actually visiting a country where people speak the language? I can´t tell you to be honest. What I can tell you though, is that visiting a foreign country with your classmates and teachers can be a fantastic experience. And well, us students from the 4HLKb and 4HLW were lucky enough to go on such a language trip, together with our teachers Mrs Thomas-Holl and Mr Haubner.
Before we knew it, we were on the plane to London, about to stay a week with host families, in groups of two to fours.
On Saturday we strolled along the beach and took some photos of the sea. It was truly beautiful, also seeing sights, like the Brighton Palace Pier, which we had been talking about in our lessons. In the evening we had booked some bowling lanes at the Brighton Marina, where we spent some great time together throwing strikes.
The first time we got to see a bit of London was on Sunday. We went there early in the morning and did loads of sightseeing. In the afternoon we headed to West Ham´s football ground to watch them play against Aston Villa. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting too much from the football game as I’m not that much into football, but it was probably the most fun part of the whole trip for me. The atmosphere was just incredible, the people were having a great time, including us.
Our first language lessons were on Monday, and I have to say that I was positively surprised. We were split into three groups. Our teachers for sure knew how to talk to us students in an entertaining and educational way. After school ended at around 1 p.m. we had a city trip through Brighton. In the evening most of us met at a pub, which was excessively amusing. The whole vibe was just astounding. The music, the people, everything was ideal.
We returned to London on Tuesday afternoon to see the musical Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre. It was an experience of a lifetime! The theatre was stunning, but even more breathtaking was the wonderful cast that portrayed the characters. At the end of the show, we were unable to stay seated, as it was a sing-along with the cast to some of Abba´s best songs.
On Wednesday we visited the Seven Sisters, to enjoy a walk along the white cliffs. Standing up high was truly an insane experience, taking in stunning views of the English Channel and surrounding countryside.
I think this trip had an impact on all of our English skills, we definitely improved. The people of England are incredibly nice. I would definitely recommend going on a language trip if you ever get the chance to, especially if you get to travel with a big group.
Text: Paul Niederberger
Fotos: Schüler*innen der 4.HLKb
