QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Exchanging students for over 40 years

Here is a snapshot by Giselle Dela Cruz from the Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology, in Brisbane, who participated in the 2011-2012 SAGSE trip.

“Landing in the country, however, assuaged my fears. My host family was friendly and welcoming and my knowledge of the language was broader than I initially thought. From day one, my host family spoke to me in German, but talking to my host sister (‘Gastschwester’) helped increase my vocabulary. “Though some students might blanch at the thought of attending school during the holidays, the opportunity to experience the differences between Australia and Germany was one which I embraced. It was a great way to meet other people my age and learn about the youth culture. “One of the best parts was a week-long trip with only the exchange group to cities such as München, Nürnberg and Salzburg. It was great to connect with the other students and learn about the different areas they were staying.”

“In the summer holidays of 2011, a group of students, including seven from our Academy, travelled to Germany as part of a student exchange. The Australian students lived with German families for six weeks, attended high school and travelled around south Germany and Austria . “Being an ab Initio German student, I was a little worried when starting this exchange: Would I know enough language? What if they laugh at my accent? How is the culture different?

sagse.org.au/sagseqld

danshutter / shutterstock.com

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