German Educational Tour 2024

Over the September holidays, a group of Year 10 and 11 German students had the opportunity to travel to Germany for an educational tour.

The trip to Germany was a perfect way to immerse ourselves in the language and culture, and practice the skills we learned in the classroom whilst meeting new people.

Throughout the trip, we learned about Germany’s rich history, beginning our journey in Berlin, where we explored historic relics, such as the Berlin Wall, the Berlin Cathedral, and the Brandenburg Gate. The next stop was Munich, where we had the opportunity to visit Dachau Concentration Camp to commemorate the lives lost during World War 2.

Not only were we able to expand our knowledge on the German language and culture, we were also able to try traditional German cuisine such as currywurst, Döner kebab, pork knuckle, schnitzel, and apple strudel.

The final destination on our trip was Neuwied for the homestay with students from Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium. Whilst some students were able to reconnect with the friends they made during the German students’ trip to Australia last year, others were able to meet new people and form new connections. During the homestay, we had the opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the German language and culture and experience life as a teenager in Germany.

As part of the homestay, we were able to experience school life in Germany. This was a valuable opportunity to observe firsthand the differences between the Australian and German schooling systems, especially for the Year 11 students who learned about this earlier in the year.

Despite having learned about German stereotypes in class prior to the trip, the Year 11 students noticed that these stereotypes are not always true and have changed with the times. For instance, they were not as direct as we expected, and were instead very warm and accommodating.

During our week in Neuwied, we went on excursions to nearby towns and cities—notably, Cologne. There, we participated in a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral where we learned more about the longstanding and impressive history of one of Germany’s most iconic landmarks.

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to travel overseas. It provided a wonderful learning experience beyond the classroom and allowed us to extend our German skills in practical, real-life situations.

Rebecca Chen (11W) and Ava Tran (11G)