Last week I visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin, and was extremely touched by this piece. The piece is made up of over 10,000 faces made of iron in a large empty space, with little light seeping through. These faces represent the mass killings of ‘Forgotten’ Jews across Europe. It’s possible to walk on these faces, which gives one more of an indication of the sheer loss of life.
Tag: Germany
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Oliver de Planta – Case Study, Germany 2014 – 2015
During my studies at Sheffield Hallam University I undertook a year abroad in Germany from June 2014 to March 2015.
I began my year abroad in Munich, Bavaria working for Robert Bosch GmbH then for the second half I moved to Berlin to work at Siemens AG. The scholarship from the John Speak Trust afforded more freedom during my time abroad and assisted towards my day to day living and travel expenses.
Me and Münchner Gaudiblosn a Bavarian band that play at, among other places, Oktoberfest The opportunity to work abroad in a different environment was full of advantages both personally and professionally. There was so much to organize like accommodation, bank accounts, registrations and paperwork and all this in two of the three largest cities in Germany. It was a lot to deal with, I was on my own, but I managed to sort everything out single handed!
Not knowing anyone in a city when you first arrive can be difficult and daunting, and ironically I personally found it more difficult meeting people in larger cities! But it’s very rewarding when you finally make new friends and more importantly some good friends. Persevering with the language can also be difficult, especially if one is living in a city where many speak English and always try to use it when they find out you are a native speaker.
Brandenburger Tor Being in Germany didn’t only help me immerse in the German culture but also the cultures of other countries and the people, which I found extremely interesting, a positive side effect of trying to improve my German language skills.
The Reichstag, Berlin I’m pretty sure that anyone who spends some time studying abroad would recommend the experience to others, I certainly would! If you were offered such an opportunity I would definitely recommend you take it; I cannot think of any reasons not to. Many of my friends in England think it’s unbelievable that I have lived and studied another language abroad.
I would certainly encourage others to apply for a John Speak Trust scholarship and take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity.
Oliver de Planta
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Phoebe Ellis – Case Study: Jena in Germany, March – May 2015
In March 2015 I travelled to Jena, a small city in the former Eastern part of Germany in order to study business and German at the local university. I am currently a 2nd year student at Sheffield Hallam and initially I chose to take part in a study abroad period in order to enhance my German skills, but it has been so much more. I have learnt so many valuable life skills, experienced real German culture; I have overcome barriers and been lucky enough to travel around many parts of Germany and Europe.Living abroad has been hard at times; the first few weeks were definitely an experience, a negative one at that. However the good times have been enough to make it all worth it. I would absolutely recommend studying abroad to any student. I have made friends for life, from around the world and I have had an experience I could only dream about if I had stayed at my home university.I will now go on to work in Hamburg for 12 months as a marketing assistant in a chemical and disinfectant company. As I have been lucky enough to study in Germany, my German has reached a standard that I feel comfortable in a professional environment, and obviously this will be a great advantage in placement in Hamburg and also my future career. I hope that once I graduate and start a career of my own I will still use my German, but I will certainly never let my skills fade.I would like to thank the John Speak trust for giving me this opportunity. I have been able to properly immerse myself in the German way of life.
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Phoebe Ellis – Travelling in Europe, May 2015
Reisen in Europa
Wohnen in Ausland ist eine tolle Gelegenheit für Reisen und neue Erfahrungen zu machen. Deutschland liegt in der Mitte Europas und deshalb ist es das perfekte Land für man andere Länder kennen zu lernen. Während meiner Zeit in Deutschland möchte ich die billige Busse und Züge ausnutzen. Letzte Woche haben ich und eine Freundin von mir nach Prag für ein Paar Tage gefahren. Wir fuhren mit dem Bus nach Dresden und dann mit dem Zug von Dresden nach Prag. Es dauert ungefähr vier Stunden und war so günstig. In England muss man mit dem Flugzeug fliegen, um ein anderes Land zu gehen. Das macht die Reise teuer und mehr kompliziert, zum Beispiel ankommen in den Flughafen vor zwei Stunden und die Sicherheitskontrollen. Es war komisch, weil wir nicht einmal unsere Reisepässe zu vorzeigen.
The View of Prague Prag war so schön. Tatsächlich denke ich, dass es die schönste Stadt ist, dass ich jemals besucht habe. Wir waren ein Gluck, weil das Wetter toll die ganze Wochenende war. Prag hat zwei Teilen, die durch eine Brücke „Charles Bridge“ verbinden. Auf einer Seite der Brücke liegt die Altstadt und auf der anderen liegt das Prag Schloss und die Schlossgärten. Man muss einen steilen Hügel hochspazieren um das Schloss zu kommen. Das macht kein Spaß in der Hitze! Obwohl fühlten wir sehr gut am oben der Hügel. In den Schlossgärten gab es auch ein kleines Festival „Battle of the Nations“. Es hätte ein mittelalterisches Thema und die Menschen trugen mittelalterische Kleidungen. Es war auch eine kleine Arena und hier haben sich die Männer von verschiedenen Ländern in der Rüstung geschlagen. Es war gut zusehen. Wir haben auch das Nachtleben von Prag erfahren. Wir besuchten den bekannten fünf Etagen Nachtklub und es war eine tolle Nacht.
Ich hoffe zurück nach Prag zu fahren, aber zuerst möchte ich nach Budapest und München besuchen. Ich habe auch eine Planung für eine Autofahrtsreise rund Süddeutschland im Sommer und einen kurzen Urlaub nach Kroatien in zwei Wochen! Wohnen in Deutschland ist gut!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Travelling in Europe
Living abroad is a great opportunity for travel and new experiences. Germany is located in the middle of Europe and therefore makes it the perfect country for allowing a person to travel and get to know new places. During my time in Germany I wanted to take advantage of the cheap train and coach travel. Last week a friend and I went to Prague for a couple of days. We took the coach to Dresden and then the train from Dresden to Prague. It took about four hours and it was very cheap. In England if you want to visit another country you must catch a flight. That makes the trip more expensive and complicated. For example, having to arrive at the airport two hours before the flight and the security checks. It was weird because on our trip we didn’t even have to show our passports.
Prague was so beautiful. Actually, I think it might be the prettiest city I have ever visited. We were fortunate, though, because the weather was great the whole weekend. Prague has two parts, which are connected through the Charles Bridge. On one side of the bridge there is the old town and on the other there is the Prague Palace and the palace gardens. However you have to walk up a steep hill to get to the palace. That is no fun in the heat! Although we did feel great when we got to the top. In the palace gardens there was a small festival, called Battle of the Nations. It had a medieval theme and the people all wore medieval clothing. There was also a small arena where the men from all different countries battled against each other in the medieval armour. It was good to watch. We also experienced the Prague night life and we went to the well-known nightclub which has 5 floors, it was a great night.
I hope to return to Prague, but first I would like to visit Budapest and Munich. I also have a plan for a road-trip around the south of Germany in the summer and a short holiday to Croatia booked for two weeks time. Living in Germany is good!
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Phoebe Ellis – Germany, April 2015
Anseidlung in Jena
Ich habe jetzt für länger als einen Monat in Deutschland sein! Zuerst fühlte ich ziemlich Heimweh und fand ich es mich schwierig zu niederlassen. Ich hatte niemand getroffen, weil die Universität nicht anfangen hatte. Aber fühle ich jetzt viel besser. Meine ersten Vorlesungen waren letzte Woche und ich habe viele neue Leute von rund der Welt getroffen! Wir besuchten auch viel Partys und andere Erasmus Verantstaltungen. Das Nachtleben in Deutschland ist sehr anders im Vergleich als England, die Partys anfang früher und beenden viel später! Es ist aber super toll!
Wir haben auch Ostern in Berlin verbracht, das war schön. Ich habe eine Freundin, die Berlin lebt und deshalb war sie eine sehr gute Reiseleiterin. Wir besuchten Potsdam am Ostersonntag. Potsdam liegt etwa 15km weg von Berlin und es hat viele schöne Schlössen und Parks. Mein Handy hatte keine Batterie und leider könnte ich keine Fotos nehmen! 🙁
Ostern in Deutschland ist mehr als in England gefeiert und es war nett, alle die bunten Eier zu sehen. In jeder Supermarkt gab es verschiedene Arten von bunten Eiern aber keine schokolade Eier! Ich glaube, dass dieses Jahr mein erstes Jahr ohne shokolade Eier ist!
Ich habe auch gemerkt, dass am Sonntags in Deutschland, der Land geschlossen ist! Man kann Nirgendwo gehen oder kaufen Nichts. Deswegen verbringen wir die meisten Sonntags im Park. Das Wetter hat echt sonnig und ziemlich warm werden, also sitzen im Park mit einem kalten Bier fantastisch ist.
Ich habe auch einige ,Tandem Partners’ getroffen. Ein Tandem Partner ist ein Person, die ich mit treffe, um Deutsch zu sprechen und deshalb mein Deutsch verbessern.
The Berlin Cathedral ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Settling in Jena
I have now been in Germany for over a month! At first I felt quite homesick and I found it difficult to settle in. I hadn’t met anyone because the university hadn’t started yet. However now I feel much better! My first lectures and classes took place last week and I have met many new people from all around the world. So far we’ve been to lots of partys and other erasmus events. The nightlife in Germany is very different to England! The night starts much later and therefore finished much later too. It’s great though!
We spent Easter in Berlin, which was lovely. I have a friend who lives in Berlin so she was a great tour guide for us. On Easter Sunday we visited a small city called Potsdam which is located about 15km away from the center of Berlin. It’s got lots of beautiful palaces and parks. However my phone ran out of battery so I couldn’t take any photos! 🙁
Easter is celebrated more in Germany than it is in England and it was nice to see all the colourful eggs. In every supermarket there were so many different types of coloured eggs but no chocolate ones! I believe that this is my first Easter without eating a chocolate Easter egg!
I have also realised that on Sundays in Germany everywhere is closed. You can’t go anywhere or buy anything! Because of this we have spent the majority of Sundays in the park. The weather has been really sunny and quite warm. Its great to sit in the park with a cold beer 🙂
I have also met a few Tandem Partners. A Tandem Partner is a person who I can meet to speak German with and therefore improve it!
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German football – Oliver de Planta, March 2015
Olympiastadion I’ve been to football games in Austria, France and Switzerland and they are all different experiences when compared to games in England.
Germany was no exception.
From the atmosphere where a conductor dictates the chants, spending the game facing the crowd rather than the on field action and the noise doesn’t really relate to what’s happening on the pitch.
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Phoebe Ellis, Germany – March 2015
Meine Ankunft in Jena
Hallo! Ich heiße Phoebe Ellis und ich bin eine Studentin auf Sheffield Hallam Universität. Als Teil meines Kurs werde ich für 18 Monaten in Deutschland zu wohnen. Für sechs Monaten werde ich auf der Univerität Jena studieren und dann möchte ich ein Praktikum auch in Deutschand machen.
Ich bin am letzten Donnerstag in Jena angekommen. Das war meine erste Zeit in Jena und soweit denke ich, dass es einen sehr schönen Stadt ist. Jena liegt im Mitteosten von Deutschland in Thüringen. Jena war auch ein Teil der ehemaligen Deutschen demokratischen Republik.
Meine Reise nach Jena war ziemlich einfach, flog ich nach Berlin und dann mit dem Zug nach Jena gefahren. Ich bin dann mit dem S-Bahn nach meine Wohnung gefahren. Es war ein sehr langes Tag und es wurde so nett ins Bett zu gegangen. Meine Wohnung ist prima und ich habe viele Fotos aus mein Heimat und Verzierungen aufgehängt. Es fühlt jetzt ein bisschen wie zu Hause.
Ich habe hier für fast eine Woche und es ist sehr ruhig. Ich habe nicht zu viele Leute kennen gelernt. Meine Mitbewohnerin ist sehr freundlich, aber macht sie ihre Master-Studium und sie hat viele Hausaufgaben und deshalb habe ich nicht ihr viel gesehen. Als ich auf der Uni anfange, hoffe ich viele neue Leute kennen zu lernen, aber ich kann mich nicht an der Uni bis Ende März immatrikulieren- Schade!
Gestern bin ich in der Stadt gefahren, um mit der Bürgerservice zu anmelden und ein deutsches Girokonto zu eröffnen. Beide war erfolgreich! Ich habe gedacht, dass es schwierig mit die Sprache werden könnte, aber nein! Ich muss jetzt eine deutsche Handynummer bekommen. Am Morgen plane ich nach Weimar zu besuchen. Es sieht sehr schön und ist nur dreißig Minuten weg mit dem Zug.
Market Square ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Arriving in Jena
Hello my name is Phoebe Ellis and I am a student at Sheffield Hallam University. As a part of my degree I must live in Germany for 18 months. I will study at the University of Jena for 6 months and then I would like to do an internship also in Germany.
I arrived last Thursday in Jena.
This was my first time in the city and so far I think it looks like a very beautiful city!
Jena is located in the middle eastern part of Germany in the state of Thuringia. Jena was also a part of the former German Democratic Republic.
My journey to Jena was quite straight-forward, I flew to Berlin and then got the train to Jena. Once I had arrived in Jena I then had to get the tram up to my accommodation. It was a very long day and it was so nice to finally go to bed! My flat is lovely and I have put up lots of photos from home and little decorations. It feels a little like home now!
I have been in Jena for almost a week now and it is very quiet. I have not met that many people. My flatmate is very friendly but she is doing a masters degree and is very busy with lots of homework, therefore I’ve not seen her much. When I start at the university I hope to meet lots of new people, but I cannot enrol until the end of March- shame!
Yesterday I went into the city in order to register my new address at the citizenship office and also to open a German bank account. Both were surprisingly successful! I thought that perhaps it could be difficult with the language barrier. I must now also get a German telephone number. Tomorrow I plan to visit Weimar; it looks very pretty and is only 30 minutes away by train.
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Trip to Weimar – Phoebe Ellis, March 2015
Gestern habe ich Weimar zu besuchen beschlossen.
Weimar ist nur zwanzig Minutes weg mit dem Zug von Jena und es ist eine kleine Stadt berühmt für die beliebteste Dichtern Goethe und Schiller. Beide Goethe und Schiller haben, während ihrer Lebens, in Weimar gewohnt. Also habe ich die Stadt besucht, um mehr über die Geschichte zu lernen. Es war sehr kulturell und auch ein sehr schönes Tag. Ich bin auch in dem Park spazieren und genoß ein Schokoladeneis!
Weimar Town Hall ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Yesterday I decided to visit Weimar.
Weimar is only 20 minutes away by train from Jena and is a small town well-known for the popular poets Goethe and Schiller. During their lives, both Goethe and Schiller lived, at some point, in Weimar. Therefore I visited the town in order to learn a little more about the history. It was a very cultural day, and also beautiful weather! I also went for a walk in the park and enjoyed a chocolate ice-cream!
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Good luck wishes Phoebe
Congratulations to our new scholar Phoebe!Phoebe will be travelling to Germany in March 2015 to study German at the University in Jena.
University of Jena, Germany In July 2015 Phoebe plans to start work in Germany
We will keep you posted on Phoebe’s progress over the coming months!
Good luck Phoebe
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Tony Lumb – Case Study, Germany (1959)
“I would most definitely recommend the John Speak Trust to others. My time spent abroad using a foreign language allowed me to learn a new language and culture in a different environment both physically and spiritually”
In 1959 I was fortunate to receive a six month scholarship from the John Speak Language Trust. I was eighteen years old when I was released by my English employer (Bradford based) for six months to study and work in Germany. My journey to Germany began by rail and then by ferry. I resided in South Germany and rented a room in a residential property from a German family. I travelled extensively on a daily basis with Sales Representatives from my English employers undertaking light office duties. During my six month scholarship I recall having to write monthly reports in German for the Managing Director of the firm in Bradford for which I worked. I initially worked as a trainee, later taking on the role of a salesman abroad for the two Bradford based textile exporting companies where I stayed for six years.
My passion for the German language eventually led to a radical change in my career. I became a teacher of foreign languages (mainly German) at three English independent Grammar schools. My language teaching career spanned over thirty years.
Now retired (age 73), I continue to correspond with my many German acquaintances. I regularly write letters, read fiction and non-fiction and listen to music in German. I continue to use my German regularly as the language has been a part of my being since I was first taught it at the age of 13. Learning foreign languages as a youngster has certainly been beneficial to my career in sales and essential in my teaching.
The John Speak Trust scholarship was, in retrospect, the third rung on the ladder which made me into a life-long teacher and disciple of German. As a thirteen year old pupil attending Grammar School in the North of England I was taught German by an inspirational teacher from Vienna. At sixteen I spent several weeks on an exchange holiday in South Germany and then came the scholarship when I became fluent in the German language. I subsequently studied German language and literature for one year at the University of Erlangen followed by six months at the University of Vienna and a further three years at an English University.
Initially, as an eighteen year old living abroad I was emotionally immature. I had to become stronger spiritually and more independent in my new foreign environment. After spending three months in a rural setting in South Germany, I moved to the large industrial city of Essen. It was here that I met many urban people, many from other countries. Even today, as an adult volunteer dealing with teenagers from abroad, I draw upon those early experiences I had as a John Speak Award recipient, when encouraging young, homesick volunteers to persevere, overcome isolation and succeed in an enterprise abroad.
I would most definitely recommend the John Speak Trust to others. My time spent abroad using a foreign language allowed me to learn a new language and culture in a different environment both physically and spiritually. The broadening of my mind (thanks to the Trust and my experiences) has enabled me to travel to other countries and discover further cultures especially during my retirement years, when I became an adult volunteer for a company dealing with youth global work and travelled to Argentina and Mexico using my second foreign language, Spanish.
Michael Anthony Lumb
Essen is a city in the central part of the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the River Ruhr, its population of approximately 567,000 (as of 31 December 2012) makes it the 9th-largest city in Germany. For the year 2010, Essen was the European Capital of Culture on behalf of the whole Ruhr area.
